Librach and Kayne met several years ago when their showrooms shared a hallway at the World of Prom trade show in Atlanta. Librach adored Kayne’s fabulous and over-the-top designs. Kayne marveled at Librach’s dedication and passion for designing Prom, Wedding and Evening dresses exclusively for plus size customers. 

For Spring 2020, curvy women who crave glamorous evening wear can shop a new bold “Dangerous Curves Collection” from Sydney’s Closet,  a niche manufacturer dedicated exclusively to creating special occasion dresses sizes 14 to 40. Johnathan Kayne, red-carpet designer to the stars, has joined creative forces with designer Phyllis Brasch Librach of Sydney’s Closet to launch the collection. 

Wholesale buyers will get a first look at the “Dangerous Curves Ahead” Collection in August 2019 at the World of Prom trade show at AmericasMart in Atlanta, GA - the country’s largest trade show for special occasion dresses. The glamorous plus size dresses collection will be available for purchase in select stores in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. starting in January 2020.

The collaboration,  unconventional and unexpected in the fiercely competitive fashion world, re-imagines evening wear for sizes 12 to 24. The designers pull off the allure by marrying Kayne’s flair for jaw-dropping evening dresses and Librach’s expertise designing Prom, Wedding and Evening gowns to fit and flatter curvy figures.

 

The timing is ideal, as demand for plus-size clothing continues to increase:

The average dress size for American women recently climbed to 16 or 18, up from size 14. (Source: The International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education)

Almost 70% of  American women wear a size 14 or larger. (Source: Plunkett Research)

The average American woman weighs 170 and stands 5 feet 4 inches tall. (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

 

“Plus size apparel is the fastest growing segment in the fashion industry, increasing by double the annual growth of clothing in general,” said Librach citing Coresight research.  

Designing Duo 

The 16-piece capsule collection offers a strong mix of head-turning styles, vibrant colors, luxurious fabrics and dazzling details.

Standout styles include a  fairy-tale ball gown with crystal neckline fit for royalty, a contemporary black off the shoulder jumpsuit and an edgy body-con mesh net sheath. “Kayne and I designed for the woman who is confident and comfortable with her curves,” said Librach. “Her fashion taste is exquisite.  Her look elegant and sophisticated. Her personality powerful. On her big night she shouldn’t have to settle for just any formal dress. “ 

Kayne pointed out that from the start the collaboration had a strong focus. “We wanted to fill a void in the market for sexy and dramatic evening wear in  sizes 14 to 24,” said Kayne, adding, “Not all curvy women have the same body shape or similar fashion tastes. So our assortment includes silhouettes that flatter different body shapes and takes into account  the range of events women attend from Prom 2020 to Military Balls to Black-tie affairs to the Red Carpet.” 

The Not So Odd Couple

Kayne and Librach met several years ago when their showrooms shared a hallway at the World of Prom trade show in Atlanta. Librach’s showroom had a refrigerator and sink.  Kayne needed water to make coffee and ice for drinks. Kayne had a computer and printer that Librach lacked for copying and printing shipping labels.

Librach adored Kayne’s fabulous and over-the-top designs. Kayne marveled at Librach’s dedication and passion for designing Prom, Wedding and Evening dresses exclusively for plus size customers.  In Fall of 2018, they started sketching the 2020 collaborative collection. 

About Johnathan Kayne

At age 16, while in high school, Kayne tipped the scales at 325 pounds.  He struggled for years, but gradually lost - and kept off - the weight. After attending the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, he returned to his hometown of Nashville, TN in 2002 to open a boutique creating custom designs for pageant contestants, country music artists and celebrities including: Jennifer Lopez, Dolly Parton, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Kelly Pickler, Tanya Tucker, Lee Brice, Rascal Flatts and Reba MacIntire. In 2007, after appearing on Project Runway, Kayne launched an eponymous line of evening dresses and evening shoes. Today, the Johnathan Kayne label, based in Nashville, is sold to over 1200 dress boutiques across the U.S., around the world and online.  (More information at www.johnathankayne.com)

About Phyllis Librach

Librach, an award-winning newspaper reporter, traded headlines for hemlines to launch Sydney’s Closet after she failed to find her curvy teen-age daughter a trendy Prom dress. Over the past decade, Librach has rescued tens of thousands of teens and women from the nightmare of shopping for plus-size special occasion gowns. Today, Sydney’s Closet, based in St. Louis, MO, designs Prom, Wedding and Evening dresses under the Sydney’s Closet, Tease Prom, Michelle Bridal and Celebrations labels. The collections are sold in over 300 dress shops, bridal salons and boutiques across the U.S., Canada, Europe, United Kingdom, Mexico and Central America. More information at www.sydneyscloset.com, www.michelle-bridal and www.teaseprom.com

For information, photos and videos contact:

Beth Hoops
beth.hoops@gmail.com