Melissa McCarthy is the latest celebrity to throw her name behind a clothing line. Except this is more than just a vanity project. Melissa famously mentioned her intent to start her own line after having to deal with the challenges of dressing her plus-sized body. As she told Redbook, “When I go shopping, most of the time I’m disappointed. Two Oscars ago, I couldn’t find anybody to do a dress for me. I asked five or six designers—very high-level ones who make lots of dresses for people—and they all said no.” Now, the dream has become a reality. With the help of Sunrise Brands, the actress is launching a clothing and accessories collection for women that will hit shelves in the fall of 2015.
Melissa is no stranger to designing. She’s actually a trained designer, having studied at FIT in her college years. According to WWD, the actress says it was shoe designer Brian Atwood who at the time encouraged her to ditch her pinking shears and try her hand at comedy.
Melissa’s line will bow with a selection of casual sportswear options in a range of sizes that will include straight and plus. The brand has yet to be named, but it already has its lineup for next season in order. Prices are reasonable, ranging from $39 for a top to $118 for bottoms. The second collection promises to be more contemporary as well as more expensive.
Melissa said she teamed up with Sunrise on the project because she felt “they were committed to changing the plus-size game.” Still, her line has a lot left to do before it makes its debut in stores. For one, it needs to figure out which stores are going to even carry the collection. Melissa is reportedly courting many retailers and has the intent to make the range available online.
We honestly can’t wait to see what she comes up with. We’re very familiar with Melissa the actress, but it will be very cool to see her in the role she trained for as a designer.
[via WWD]
