WONDERLAND: We delve into the world of LOUD BODIES and it’s latest collection

Loud Bodies have caught our eye ever since we used one their beautiful silky numbers in our 2019 House Meadow Shoot and we are huge fans of the dreamlike campaign they launched earlier this year for this collection which is PERRRRFECT for engaged people looking for a floaty, free and fanciful for their wedding look. The Romanian-based brand is founded by Patricia Luiza Blaj, it’s completely her baby, her passion and is driven by her need to prove that style has no size limits and to make ethically produced sustainable clothing of all sizes available to people everywhere. Patricia is uncompromising in her ethos of EVERY type of body being deserving beautiful, fun, LOUD clothes, no shrinking ourselves or shrinking away from happiness. Enjoy a walk through the imagery, inspirations and imaginings.. and they totally deliver internationally too!

What was your inspiration for this latest collection?

My inspiration always stems from the clothes I’ve always envisioned myself wearing, but could never find in my size. As a fat person living in a real fatphobic country, my options have always been limited even in terms of casual clothing, while ethereal, romantic and dreamy dresses have never been accessible to me. Which is why the main idea behind our latest collection is clothes that enable you to be the main character in your own fairytale.

Do you feel it would work a wedding look - we certainly do! But what is your take on that? How would you describe a LOUD BODIES BRIDE!

I definitely think that many of our dresses work as bridal attire - and I feel so joyous and honoured whenever I see clients picking up for such an emotional and beautiful event in their life. I think a Loud Bodies bride is first and foremost comfortable, not squished in an item that’s not made properly for their body and they are unafraid and emboldened by our items to take up the space they rightfully deserve in their loves. Women and fat women especially are always told to shrink themselves, to take up as little space as possible and I absolutely hate that, which is why we made dresses that are loud, are bold and big - because it’s time to take up the space that is rightfully ours.

From what I read this collection was a real labour of love and took a lot out of you, is this normally the case?

It has always been the case because up until this collection we have tried to work with several “professionals” to help us develop new patterns for our clothing and they have always made a complete mess of the scaling of the bigger sizes and never respected our sizing chart. I was afraid we wouldn’t have the skills to develop patterns of such intricate pieces by ourselves, but in all our previous attempts to work with other companies, after having to pay for a shoddy service, we ended up spending so many hours working on fixing their mistakes, so it was time to let go of that fear and try. It’s been nerve wrecking, but we did it and the feedback from our community has been wonderful.

What is next for Loud Bodies in 2021 and beyond?

Sustainable fashion has the rep of being very exclusive and inaccessible from two standpoints: sizing and pricing. While we definitely broke the glass ceiling of sizing, by focusing on occasionwear and more intricate items, that made our items carry a steeper price point, albeit still great pricing if compared to similar categories of items from the rest of the industry. We want, however, to extend our pricing accessibility as well, so currently we are working on an affordable line that’s going to be comprised of more casual, day-by-day wear that we hope to launch by the end of Autumn.

Who are your main muses?

I’m not sure I have muses in the traditional sense of the word, so people that would inspire our designs or creative vision, but what I most certainly have are role models that guide my work with Loud Bodies in terms of our impact on the planet and the social work I intend to do with the brand, such as Aja Barber or Ijeoma Oluo. I definitely do not want Loud Bodies to be just another brand that pushes new product, but a catalyst for social and industrial change.

If you are married - what was your look and if you are not married what do you feel your look will be?

My partner and I celebrated 8 years together this August and last February we got engaged and were thinking of a 2022 wedding. Given everything that’s happened in the world since and how uncertain the future still is, we are not sure that’s going to happen, but what I am sure of in terms of our wedding is that I want it to be as sustainable as possible. I’ve always seen myself in a really big, flowy, dreamy dress, but it definitely has to be made in a sustainable & ethical manner.

What is your advice to Brides or Bridesmaids/people out there who are struggling to feel wonderful in the wedding dresses or finding the process of getting gorgeous in their sizes, exhausting and not enjoyable…

Unfortunately the fashion industry is still a very exclusivist, vapid and superficial place so chances are, they are going to stumble upon people that will not treat them the way they deserve, but what I would like to remind them is that the power is with them - do not let them take your power away. You deserve the most wonderful day in the most wonderful dress and whoever is not willing to give you that, is not worth your time and especially not worth your money. You’re not getting a wedding dress for free, so no one is entitled to comment on your weight or your looks - if they’re not doing their job properly and accommodating your needs, take your money elsewhere. There’s brands and people like me who wish for nothing more than to make you feel loved and respected by the clothes we make for you.

What was the vibe for the shoot itself and how did it feel on the day?

I will not lie, our shoots are always incredibly stressful for me (our models always say they had fun and it was a wonderful experience for them though 😅 ). I’m a very anxious and perfectionist person, so I am always nervous that we will not manage to finish shooting everything we’ve planned or that it’s not going to come out the way I was imagining it. It’s also really tiring, as I am up on my feet all day, running from the lapop screen to the set to arrange clothes, dressing the models, fixing the sets. So for me shooting days always go in a blur and consist of a lot of nail chewing and running back and forth. But the end result is always worth it! 

CREDITS FOR THIS GLORIOUS SHOOT!

Photos: @costrut Design & Styling: @veronica.tomos Makeup: @angela_kis_t Hair: @dennzzi The beautiful floral arrangements are put together by @vowevents And our incredible models: @ngwepelagie @tebenescu @blackiefrenchie