Our co-founder, Ashley, had the privilege of being interviewed by Emily Benson in Las Vegas. Here are some of our favorite questions from the interview!
Why did you start Amour781?
I started a company called Amour781, which we founded based on the premise of our love letter to the plus size demographic.
I wasn't always plus size, and as I grew into that size, I realized my love for fashion was dwindling because there wasn't anything for me to wear. I found myself in this place where I was in a hole of, “Okay, what about my creativity that I want to express through fashion?” And I realized I wasn't alone in the world. There are other plus-size women out there that want to be able to get dressed in the morning and put something on and feel really good about it.
What brands do you work with?
We work with a bunch of national brands, and we also work with a lot of smaller designers who design exclusively for us and give us something a little bit more spicy than your basic denim jacket.
What is the biggest thing that the industry needs to change?
Sizing is one of the most challenging aspects of the plus-size and extended market. When we speak with brands, a lot of them say, “Oh yeah, we have plus-size, we have extra-large!”
Extra-large is not plus size. There's a different size grade to the plus-size demographic – a 1x is not the same as an extra-large, which is a huge misconception.
What is the size range you carry?
We start at size 14, which used to be a straight size but has been pushed into plus-size. We start there and go as high as what we can find, which is usually up to 4x or 5x depending on the vendor. We also try to find what we call “hidden plus”, which are really cool European brands that create really oversized products that we can easily wear as plus size women, which we can just style differently. For instance, we have a brand from Denmark, and I fit into their large, which is not my usual size. We collect these styles as “hidden plus” for those women that want to wear something a little bit different.
Watch the Video Here