Q&A with IGIGI Designer Yuliya Zeltser

You may remember my recent mini-rant about the difficulty I have in finding clothes that fit me.    As a size 14-16 (depending on the day and the meal...)  I am often stuck between a rock and a hard place, when it comes to shopping.  I'll go into a store and the 14-16 may or may not fit me, depending on the cut.  That is, of course, if the store bothers to carry anything above a 12!  Then, I'll try clothes from plus size stores and I feel like I'm swimming in everything.  What gives?  I had to find the answer to this mystery, so I  called upon Yuliya Zeltser, the Ukrainian-born founder and designer of the fabulous plus-size line, IGIGI for the answers.   You may remember IGIGI as one of my first $55 and Under features.

Nichelle:  Yuliya, you happen to be slim, so why do you design clothes for plus-size women?  I read that this is the most common question that you get, but I'd like to know if you've ever run across any cynics?

Yuliya:   I design for beautiful women who happen to wear larger sizes.  To be honest, I don't view women as "plus size" and imperfect, or any different from myself.  We all come in different shapes, heights, sizes and ages, and that is what makes us all unique and special.  I also like knowing that what I do as a profession and as my passion make a difference in a woman's life.

And, as for the cynics, I am sure that they are there, however, when people meet me in person, they see that I am passionate and sincere about what I do and truly enjoy my work and they never question my motivations.

Nichelle:   Where did you get the name "IGIGI?"  What does it mean?

Yuliya:  IGIGI is pronounced as ee-zhee-zhee in French and has a funny history behind it.  Originally, a friend helped me create a "sexy" name by taking a French name, Gigi, and making it symetrical by placing an "I" at the beginning of the word.  When I heard 'igigi', it instantly felt right to me, and I absolutely loved the way it sounded.  However, later on, I researched online and found that Igigi was the name of the ancient civilization's gods, and the main goddess of the group was Ishtar, an ancient Phoenician goddess of love and fertility.  And to make it even more serendipitous, there was a poem translated from the ancient language, part of it I would like to recite.  It still gives me goosebumps when I read it:

Praise the goddess, the most awesome of the goddesses

Let one revere the mistress of the peoples, the greatest of the Igigi

She is clothed in pleasure and love

She is laden with vitality, charm and voluptuousness

Nichelle: You started out working with private clients.  Do you still do that?

Yuliya: No, unfortunately I have absolutely no time to design for private individuals.  I really enjoyed doing it in the past, especially the total creative freedom, but today I am completely swamped designing and supervising the development of all the styles that we have in our collection.

Nichelle:  I tried on the Suzette Wrap Top, a Michelle Godet skirt and the Beatrice Dress - and they were all too big!  Now, according to most stores out there, I am a 14-16.  And, of course, they run out of 14-16 very fast and some will only go to a size 12.  Unfortunately, it seems like I get caught in the middle because plus-sizes are often too big for me - especially tops since I am smaller chested.  So, I would like to know:  Does IGIGI run big?  Do most plus-sizes run big for some reason?  Do you encounter many "in-between" sizes like me?  Sometimes, I feel "too big" for regular stores and "too small" for plus-size stores.

Yuliya:  These are great questions!  First of all, sizes 14/16 in missy sizes and 14/16 in women's or plus sizes are two different sizes and are built and designed for completely different types of figures.  For instance, plus version is made to fit and flatter a woman who is more voluptuous and fuller figured than a woman who would perfectly fit into missy size 14/16.  If these two sizes were compared side by side, the missy size 14/16 would translate into size 10/12 in the plus size segment.  And that is why our garments did not fit you well, as you are not a plus size 14/16.  To answer your question on whether our fit runs big, IGIGI apparel is specifically designed for a more voluptuous woman, and our sizes run as true to size as possible in the plus size market.

I think that you are voicing concerns of many women who happen to be "too small" for Plus and "too big" for Missy fit.  I would say that this is an entirely different market and should be addressed appropriately.  Many women who wear sizes 10 through 18 are too curvaceous to fit well into the regular built Missy clothes.  The fit should be specifically designed for the "in-between" figure to be truly flattering. 

Nichelle:  Will IGIGI be available in department stores anytime soon?

Yuliya:  We are not planning to sell to the department stores in the near future.  However, there are two hundred boutiques worldwide that carry IGIGI designs.

Nichelle: I love the site, especially the blogs in the lifestyle section like Ozlem's The Fashionistique,  Fat Chicks Rule and Eye on Modeling.  How did the blogs come about?   Were they apart of the original plan for the site?

Yuliya:  The lifestyle section has evolved organically into what it is today.  We have always wanted to have a section on our site where we can address many issues that women face everyday, from fashion questions to relationships.  And finally, with the help of our wonderful contributors and our great staff, we were able to make it happen.  It took us a few years to plan it and bring it to reality.

Nichelle:  How do you select the models for IGIGI's monthly National Model Search?  And how many entries do you get each month?

Yuliya: We get about 600 to 1000 entries a month.  Some submissions get eliminated either because the entrant is smaller than a size 14 or because they didn't submit the required pictures.  It is very important that the entrants read the instructions and submit their information accordingly because that will get them ahead of the game.  Once we have the final group of entrants for the month, we narrow the list down to ten candidates.  We look at factors like our customer base and how they would welcome this particular model or not, how our clothes would fit her, her extracurricular activities (is she active in some sort of plus size activity besides modeling?)  since we are essentially in the business of making women feel beautiful and proud of who they are, and her looks.  Next, we vote in-house and we have a winner!

Nichelle:  By the way, congratulations on your new baby girl!  Will you be designing any maternity clothes? 

Yuliya: Thank you.  I enjoyed being pregnant and witnessing and experiencing the miracle of creation and a brand new life.  Being pregnant taught me even deeper respect for our bodies.  In regards to your question though, I thought about designing a maternity line.  However, with everything that is happening with IGIGI, it will not happen for another few years.

Lana Beaded Chiffon Dress in Black/Red $165.00.   Beatrice Dress in Rose Red $104.00.  Maya Chiffon Dress in Black/Lilac $149.00.  Timeless Wrap Dress in Cobalt $67.00.   Suzette Wrap Top in Green $69.00.  Michelle Godet Skirt in Black/Nude $56.00. 

Comments

[Berry]

Gorgeous fashions and gorgeous models. I think I am going to link this to the Friday freestyle.

[Nichelle]

I saw the link Berry. Thanks again!

[afrobella]

I really enjoyed this, Nichelle! I bought a very similar lilac lace number from Igigi for my Christmas party dress. I like their stuff and will definitely buy again!