Q & A with Kelly Helfman ( Vice President and Brand Director of WWD Magic, FAME, ATS, POOL TRADESHOW)
Fashion was always in my blood. My grandmother was a seamstress and my mother owned a vintage clothing store. We would spend our weekends hunting for product for the store. I was taught to have a good eye from a very young age. As a student, I worked a lot of retail jobs where I learned the sales side of the business. After graduating from the University of Arizona in 2003, I started my own clothing line that was vintage inspired called Kween. I eventually made my way to MAGIC in 2006, which I have called home for over 12 years. I now oversee Fame, AccessoriesTheShow, WWDMAGIC and POOL Tradeshows.
2) When was the first moment that you realized that the plus size market was a serious contender in the fashion industry and who was the first plus size designer to capture your attention?
3) Last year, we saw Torrid showcasing their design at fashion week, which was a huge milestone for the plus size industry. Now we’re seeing an increased acceptance in the plus size industry among manufacturers. With that increased velocity from the past 2 years alone, how do you see the plus size industry evolving in the next 5-10 years?
4) What role do you see innovation playing in this booming market as consumers continue to search for the perfect fit, fabrics, and shopping experiences both in-store and online?
If you have not already, you need to check out what consumer shopping sites are doing like prettylittlething.com and fashionnova.com. These online sites are inspiring curvy girls to dress just like their friend who is a size 0. I am talking crop tops, spandex, you name it. The clear message is, “if you got it, flaunt it.” These are both online retailers who are mastering the fast fashion plus game. At our FAME show in NYC, we have many brands that have similar styles to these sites. It is important we have brands on the show floor that offer trend plus size option for our retailers to shop. I think the brick and mortars who offer plus need to become better marketers, offer more inspiration to their curvy buyers and come up with more styling services for plus-sized shoppers.
5) Do you see white space in the plus size market for traditional luxury brands (i.e. Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Versace, and Chanel)? If so why, and what would you say to luxury brands who are currently against expanding their assortment into extended sizes?