help us be bigger than...

A letter from our late Founder

My name is Kaiya Smith and I am an alumni of McKinley Senior High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This letter is to request your assistance with my senior project, “Bigger Than Fashion”.  During my time at McKinley, I was enrolled in the LSU/McKinley English Amped charter class. The class is an advance placement course for high school juniors and seniors, and is coordinated by Louisiana State University’s English Department. The goal of the class is to amplify student learning through inquiry that is grounded in both critical and creative thinking with community involvement. 

For my senior project, I have taken an in-depth look on how “plus size” trends and market needs have impacted and changed the discussion of body image. The project highlights the struggles that “plus size” women face in the fashion industry, and how they can overcome them in their everyday life.  A survey was taken by 342 individuals on their knowledge and acceptance of what it is like to be plus size. Also, a workshop discussion was conducted with high school and college students in which they were able to express themselves and gain a sense of community. 
The final portion of the project is to coordinate a fashion show for fuller-sized women, so they can see how beautiful they are, and that the color black is not the only option they have to wear to appear slim and appealing. This letter is to ask for your assistance in making this body-positive fashion show amazing, informative, and eye-opening. 

Louisiana leads the nation in having a plus size population, however, the community Is primarily not aware of where to access fashion for their size. Being the first plus size fashion show in Baton Rouge, this is an opportunity to be in the fore-front of a ground-breaking event. Our goal is to make a donation to the Cinderella Project for the purchase of plus-size prom dresses for high-school students.

Please support our efforts. If you are able to provide an in-kind donation or a discount for your services please send us an email. If you would like to make a financial contribution please hit the "DONATE" button above.

Thank you for your time and attention.

Sincerely,

Kaiya Smith

June, 2016