It was my pleasure to attend the 2nd Annual The Curvy Fashionista Style Expo Presented by Ashley Stewart. The 2016 TCF Style Expo was a full weekend of plus size fashion. Our host was none other than The Curvy Fashionista herself, Marie Denee. This event included 40+ vendors, a variety of panels, fashion shows and more. Attendees were able to sip, shop, and socialize with various plus size fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands! I was invited to attend the TCF Style Expo VIP & MIXER on Friday night and the Blogger Brunch on Saturday morning.
TCF Style Expo VIP & MIXER presented by Chevy
I had SO much fun at this mixer! Everyone was so beautiful and dressed to kill. The confidence level of the room was on 1000! And although this was a “Plus Size” fashion event, there were women of all shapes and sizes in the house. I saw everything from maxi dresses, to wrap dresses to fitted dresses to sequined jeans and shorts. Models from the fashion show mingled with other fashionistas who attended. There was an open bar so the drinks were flowing and there was plenty to eat including: Beef sliders, Egg Rolls and Chicken wings. I met some AMAZING women at this event. Namely, @NikkiPlusModel. We sat next to each other and I talked to her about my own weight struggles and also my daughters. I have spoken about this topic online before so I wont go into detail, but what I told her was that I LOVED the energy and the confidence of every woman that I had met and that I thought that my daughter could really benefit from being in the presence of these women. One thing led to another and the next thing I know I have permission from Marie Denee to bring my 14 year old daughter to the Blogger Brunch the following day. Wow!
The Curvy Fashionista
I attended The TCFStyle Expo Blogger Brunch with my teenage daughter by my side. What I thought would be a regular brunch turned out to be way more than I expected. The morning started off with beautiful individual gifts from Dia and Co.
We were then treated SWAG bags that were brimming with tons of items including Custom T-Shirts from Ashley Stewart, a bottle of wine, full size products from Monistat, Torrid Giftcard, Affirmation cards and so much more! I mean the SWAG was completely ridiculous.
The swag here is SWAGADOCIOUS!! #tcfstyleexpo
— The SistahChick (@TheSistahChick) August 13, 2016
My favorite item were these swaggy bold Christian Siriano for Lane Bryant hater-blockers. Yes gawd!
We were served a very hearty breakfast and received welcoming words from Marie Denee and the Ashley Stewart representative. There was a panel that consisted of many of the top Full Size fashion bloggers in the industry. The panel was moderated by Atlanta’s own @TalkingWithTami and included @gorgeousingray and @naturallyfashionble to name a few. The panel discussed everything from how they each got started to social media tips and advice. When it came time for questions, I asked the panel: If you could each say one thing to encourage a young lady who may be struggling with her weight and confidence what would it be? Paying special attention to the fact that my daughter was there with me they each not only gave encouragement but they also shared some of their own painful experiences as plus sized women and how they overcame them. Here are just some of the encouraging words of advice that they gave:
After the panel discussion was over many of the ladies in the room came over to introduce themselves to my child and literally took her to the side and gave her real talk about self acceptance and their own journeys. I was blown away by the warmth, love and concern that I witnessed from these absolutely gorgeous women. It was very encouraging to her. I feel like this was an experience that she will never forget and her smile confirms.
BIG THANK YOU to The Curvy Fashionista – Marie, Pepper Martin and @NikkiPlusModel for making that happen.
We were given plenty of time to network. It was great seeing old friends and making new ones.
The Expo
The Style expo was filled with 40+ vendors from all areas of the plus size fashion industry. We were treated more fashion shows, a live DJ, food, vendors, giveaways and more. The Georgia Freight Depot was the perfect venue for the expo giving them tons of space with room for a long wide row with vendors on both sides and in the middle. You can check out my walk thru on Periscope:
LIVE on #Periscope: #asxtcfstyleexpo #tcfstyleexpo # Atlanta #plussizefashion #expo #naturalhair https://t.co/ISt7nW0tQF — The SistahChick (@TheSistahChick) August 13, 2016
What an amazing event! It my pleasure to attend. (and my daughters) Kudos to Marie and her team. Thank you again for the invitation. I cannot wait until next year!
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