- Blog: The Curvy Fashionista
- Niche: Plus-Size Fashion
- Founder: Marie Denee
- Twitter: @MarieDenee
With a majority of the fashion industry praising rail-thin physiques and sample-size garments, Marie Denee, better known in the fashion community as The Curvy Fashionista, is proof that you can love your figure–and look contemporary and chic at any size. Denee, 30, has made that her personal mission, helping plus-size women “celebrate, embrace and love their curves.â€
After gathering information about plus-size retail while conducting research for her MBA in marketing, the Los Angeles resident launched The Curvy Fashionista at the end of 2008. Denee went on to establish Marie Denee LLC, offering her services and expertise as a stylist and sought-after fashion expert. Since its launch, The Curvy Fashionista has won numerous accolades, including the Black Weblog Awards 2011 Judges Pick for Best Plus Size Blog, Full Figured Fashion Week Industry Award for Best Plus Fashion Blog of the Year in 2012, and was recognized as one of this year’s Top 50 Self-Acceptance Bloggers. With 12 years of retail experience in merchandising and management, the fashion and style editor for Plus Model has released an e-book entitled Keeping it Curvy. Confident. Chic, contributed to various outlets such as Vogue Curvy and Seventeen, and appeared in Elle, Instyle and Bloomberg BusinessWeek, among other publications.
As part of Black Blogger Month, the fashion-forward blogger tells BlackEnterprise.com how she’s been able to extend her brand and why she’s personally invested in the plus-size market.
I started blogging…
To save all the plus-size fashion resources I found while I was in school. Â I knew that if it was hard for me to find, then it would be a battle for others.
The Curvy Fashionista stands out because…
I have made it my personal passion and goal to help plus-size women celebrate, embrace, and love their curves. I wanted to be that resource for that woman who is coming into her own and wants to know what is available to her beyond the traditional outlets. Building a relationship with my reader is very important to me.
Getting paid to write about fashion is amazing because…
I really love grinding for myself rather than someone else. It doesn’t feel like work, but rather it’s fun and quite rewarding.
I realized blogging was a business…
The moment I received an item to review. I moved slow, though, careful to understand and realize how to do this without losing my voice. That coupled with me losing my job of five years, on Friday the 13th
, in March 2009. Â That combination fueled me to charge ahead, and I have never looked back.The biggest mistake I ever made in business was…
Trying to do too much, too fast. Once upon a time, I had an online store that was bigger than just me, especially with my blog growing and extending myself to outside activities. I missed a buy, being pulled too far. Although I was tirelessly passionate about helping and working, eventually something had to give and [my] energies needed to be refocused.
What I learned from that was…
It’s okay to fail at some things; you are always learning your limits as well as your strengths. I had enough foresight to realize that my blog was where I needed to be.
Click here to continue reading…
People trust my brand because…
My message is clear, and I am consistent and transparent with what I do. When your readers know your voice and your message, it is easier to follow and grasp.
The biggest lesson I learned about branding is…
You are your brand. Not everything suits you, or your brand, and you have to be aware of that. If you spend too much time looking at what others have, you won’t be able to focus on what you need to do.
Networking in the digital space is important because…
Everything revolves around relationships. While your platform can open the door, your demeanor or reputation will help you cross the threshold. Networking also exposes you to different approaches, perspectives, and resources you may not have considered. I have made so many valuable friendships that have crossed beyond blogging. It is definitely essential!
A curvy fashionista is…
A plus-size woman who loves fashion. Whether she admires looking at it or “dressing to the nines†in the latest plus-size designer fashions; a curvy fashionista is one who wants more, yearns for more, and demands more than the regular. She is Curvy. She is Confident. She is Chic.
It’s important for women to embrace their body type–flaws and all–because…
No matter how rich, how beautiful, how thin–or not–you are, none of it will make you happy if you are not content
with who you are on the inside. I truly believe there is beauty in everyone, and to live life fully you have to accept you for you. From there, if there is something you do not like, you change it for you; not to conform to society’s ideal, as that can turn into an avalanche of self-loathing and become destructive. Â Having a healthy relationship with yourself will empower you to achieve the greatest of any goals!Anyone who wants to follow in my footsteps should…
Bring your own perspective and know that there is room for you. Being unique and carving out your own space will bring readers.  Also, success does not happen overnight, but if you are diligent, consistent, and unique, it will come.
Be sure to check out the rest of the digital thought leaders as they’re revealed each day by logging on to BlackEnterprise.com/BlackBloggerMonth.