Embracing the shape of women’s fashion

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This article was published 23/03/2018 (3074 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Chantal Darzi is hoping her new business is a good fit for the community.

Along with her husband, Ishaq, Darzi is the co-owner of Orchidée, a new fashion boutique that is located at St. Vital Centre.

Darzi told The Lance the purpose of the store, which offers trendy and contemporary plus-size clothing, is to “create an uplifting shopping experience with a variety of well-tailored and affordable options” for women.

The 1,228-square-foot store specializes in sizes 10 and up, and stocks brands — including Yesta and Kiyonna, to name two — that are specifically tailored to women with curves, Darzi said, noting it was her own shopping experiences that, in part, inspired the couple to start a business that “provides a positive shopping experience with a personal touch.”

“Our goal is to provide different clothing choices for full-figured women,” Darzi said, adding that some of the store’s lines won’t be available anywhere else in the city, and in some cases, the province.

“Being curvy myself, I know the shopping experience can be frustrating when you go into a store and things don’t fit or match your body shape in the way you hoped they would. We really want women to have a good experience shopping here. We want them to feel welcomed, and not judged.’

“We offer a boutique experience in the convenience of a mall setting. We really want to focus on personal attention and customer service, and we’ll be encouraging customer feedback and setting up a loyalty program. We’re really, really encouraging customer feedback, as we want this to be their store, and we’re focused on celebrating diversity, inclusiveness, and positive body image,” she added.

Darzi said while many plus-size stores carry sizes 14 and up, Orchidée carries sizes 10 and up because lots of women fall into those size categories: “I call them the inbetweeners, where they often don’t feel either a standard size or a plus size fits them nicely.”

In terms of the name of the business, Darzi explained that orchidée is the French word for orchid, which has a symbolic meaning to the nature of the enterprise.

“It’s a flower family that has many varieties that come in all shapes and sizes. There’s a bit of a perception that orchids are fragile, but they are very resilient, as they grow in tough climates. Women are like orchid flowers, and need to be admired,” Darzi said.

The store will hold an official grand opening event on March 24 between 9:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Go online at orchideeboutique.com for more information.