Q & A with Plus Size Designer S. Benson

“I’m not a knockoff! I’m an original.”

S. Benson was creating her own designs when friends encouraged her to begin designing for others. Into her first year as a Marketing Major she launched A Conversation Piece by S. Benson, a statement piece handbag without the statement price. A few years later came another signature piece, the Perfect Peplum belt (worn by Sherri Shepherd in faux leather on the View last winter) — a wrap belt that allows you to turn any outfit into the coveted peplum look. S. Benson’s designs fit sizes 2 to 26 and are sold through her website.

S. Benson was born Philadelphia PA but grew up in White Plains, NY. She spends her time travelling between New York and South Caroline where her studio is located. She is a plus size designer who actually knows what it is like to be plus size having been plus size since the sixth grade. Her personal size has ranged from 14 to 28 giving her firsthand experience with fit issues. With her knowledge of the highlights and pitfalls of many sizes she has put what she has learned into her designs.

She took a few minutes away from designing to dish with All Things Chic about clothing and the business of being an independent fashion designer.

Knee-Length High Waist Wrap Skirt by S. Benson

Moe: Let’s start at the beginning, how did you come up with the tagline for your site?

S. Benson: I used to be a poet in my college days. I love to play with words. I am always coming up with different sell affirming taglines. Like “Let’s stop conforming to what we are not, and do the best with what we have” or “I’m not a knock-off! I’m an ORIGINAL! I think the more you start thinking of yourself as an individual and special… no matter if your differences are appreciated by others or not.

Moe: Are you the model in the product images?

S. Benson: Yes, I am the model and photographer of my images. More out of necessity rather than choice, I would rather be behind the camera.

Moe: What was the first item you ever made for yourself?

S. Benson: The first item that I made for myself was a long skirt. I am 5’9” and I could never find skirts long enough for me.

High Waist Wrap Maxi Skirt by S. Benson

Moe: What was the first item you made for someone else?

S. Benson: The first item I made for someone else, were dance/step costumes for my sorority in college.

Moe: Were you nervous about presenting it to them?

S. Benson: Was I nervous? That is an understatement. See at that time I was self-taught. I made tops for 10 different women in a variety of sizes. I was scared the whole time, but I had to push past my fear. The ladies got so many compliments on their costumes, I knew fashion was for me.

Moe: Do you still have that feeling when you send off a parcel?

S. Benson: In the beginning, I was real anxious, on whether the customer was going to like it. Whether it looked like the picture and most importantly whether it fit. With each sale and positive feedback, I gained confidence.

Convertible Dress / Crop Hoodie Shrug by S. Benson

Moe: What is your biggest challenge designing and producing fashionable clothing for such a wide range of sizes?

S. Benson: Actually being able to offer my clothing in multiple sizes is a happy mistake. Since women go up and down in sizes, I like to design clothing that is adjustable in some way. Due to that design element, I am able to fit a wider range of sizes.

Moe: What does “fashion” mean to you?

S. Benson: Fashion to me means, expressing your individual style through clothing.

Moe: Where do you draw your inspiration from?

S. Benson: I draw inspiration from real women’s bodies. Imagine trying to fit a pear or an apple into an hour glass. It will never reach the bottom. I try to create the hour glass around the apple or pear. My goal is to make every women look and feel fabulous. When you are not an hour glass you have to stick with what works and not what is fashionable.

Moe: What is more important fashion or function and how do you find the balance between the two?

S. Benson: Function and comfort is the most important to me. Every woman needs that go-to, timeless piece in their wardrobe. Even when you are not feeling good, putting on the piece should make you feel good. The plus size mass market, concentrates too much on being fashionable and not on the range of women’s bodies who will wear them. It saddens me that, a woman would choose not to look her best just to be “in fashion”.

Moe: Tell us a bit your creative process from conception until the final design.

S. Benson: My creative process is a bit different. You can draw or conceptualize a garment, but the question is, “Can you sew it?” Sometimes I sketch, but most of the time I design from a silhouette by memory. Garment construction is like creating a puzzle, and then putting those puzzle pieces back together. Once I figure out my “puzzle pieces”, I create a test pattern. Then I begin the process of creating test garments until I achieve the look and fit I am looking for. It takes at least 3 to 5 test garments before I am happy with a design.

I then, try the garment on real size women that I use as fit models to see the fit and hang of the garment. Most of the time, I am my own fit model. Based off my triangle shape, I have found that, if it looks good on me… it would look good on anybody. After that, I photograph myself in the finished garment and let the universe decide.

Moe: What celebrity would you like to design a piece for and why?

S. Benson: The first celebrity I wanted, to design for was Sherri Shepherd from the show The View. I felt that she would look good in one of my peplum belts so I found a way to send her one. She wore it on the View the day she received it, and she looked absolutely fabulous. My next target is Rebel Wilson. I feel that my clothing will accentuate her body type and add to her sexy.

The Perfect Peplum Wrap Belt by S. Benson

Moe: Do you have any advice for new designers just starting out?

S. Benson: My advice is that you have to have a passion for this. It has to wake you up in the morning and put you to sleep at night. With so much competition in fashion, you have to be your own motivator. You have to be ready to pay your dues for as long as it takes. At times it can be a long tedious process, but if you love it, the end result is reward enough. Stick with what you are good at, and most importantly have faith in yourself.

Stop by S. Benson’s online boutique to find the garments mention and pictured above.