Why Plus Size?
Hi there! My name is Christina. I am the Founder and CEO of Wallflower & Co LLC. Wallflower & Co has always been a dream of mine.
As a kid, it was always difficult for my mom to find clothes in my size. She would take me to Sears or JCPenney. We would be there for hours. All I wanted was to wear the pretty dresses, fun colors and prints meant for girls my age. But I had to resort to what fit me; mainly drab random items from the women's section.
Once I attended high school, I wanted to stay on trend and wear what a lot of the other girls were wearing, but that was nearly impossible as a size 18/20.
At 17, I decided that I would take my love of clothes and fashion that was unattainable to me and somehow turn it into a career.
After high school, I moved to Los Angeles to attend the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM). I later moved to the San Francisco campus where I received my A.A. in Merchandise Product Development and my B.S. in Business Management.
Throughout my time at FIDM, I always overheard statements like, "just know you'll never design for yourself," or "during your career, you'll never be buying for yourself." And I always wondered why. Why can't I design or buy for myself, or women like me that struggle to find affordable fashion that fits?
At the start of 2020, I realized I was going to be laid off from my full-time job. I had no idea what I was going to do next. I was 28 and thinking, if I don't go after my dreams now, then when?
Wallflower & Co, an online plus size women's boutique was an idea that emerged and so I ran with it.
I chose the name "Wallflower" because more often than not, we as plus size women are left on the sidelines of the fashion industry. We can admire from afar, but can't participate because the fashion trends are just not offered to us.
My belief is that we shouldn't have to strive to be something or someone else to wear what we want. We should "bloom as we are." We are each perfectly imperfect and worthy of style, among so many more things. We are meant to bloom.
When I buy for Wallflower & Co, I am referencing the international runways, magazines, popular influencers, among other sources. I also want to choose pieces that feel chic, fun, and classic, while still being affordable, functional, and quality.
Wallflower & Co currently offers sizes XL-3X, but we hope to expand and offer more sizes, in addition to more accessories and gift items.