Body positivity and inclusivity lie at the heart of Curvy Fox, a brand “founded out of necessity” to provide women of all shapes and sizes with luxury lifestyle items.
We spoke with Christina Howell, Curvy Fox’s founder, about how she translated her personal experience of style into “confidence boosting designs that provide a curve embracing fit for fashion-forward women.”
Afterpay: You say that you founded Curvy Fox from personal experience. What gaps did you identify in the fashion industry and what are some of the biggest pain points for curvy and plus-size women?
Christina Howell: As a millennial plus size consumer I felt that plus size retailers tailored their styles to older plus size women. The styles weren’t trendy and the clothes didn’t fit properly.
Afterpay: Tell us how Curvy Fox designs your collections and offers your shoppers not just clothing that fits, but items that allow them to express their personal style?
Christina Howell: Curvy Fox is all about pushing the limit on traditional plus size apparel by offering our customers styles similar to straight size women but tailor them to fit, smooth and lift our curvy frames.
Afterpay: Curvy Fox’s creative team is committed to breaking barriers for women. What does that mean, and what steps do you believe the industry needs to take to become more inclusive?
Christina Howell: Many designers don’t feel that women over a size 12 deserve to wear their apparel. The push the narrative that to support them we have to try to be something we aren’t just to wear a label. Curvy Fox is committed to being the luxury label plus size women deserve by continuing to expand our product offering and empowering women to wear what they want regardless of their size.
Afterpay: Since joining Afterpay in mid-2019, how do you think your business has changed? How has Afterpay helped expose your brand to new customers and engage existing customers?
Christina Howell: Afterpay has been an amazing resource for our customers. Most of our customers are between the ages of 25 - 34 and may not be able to afford to pay full price for luxury items but by adding Afterpay as a payment option we have offered them a way to treat themselves without breaking the bank lol.
Afterpay: As a small business, empowering your customers can happen in a number of ways, from how your products are made and marketed to how you enable customers to pay. What should other SMBs think about when it comes to empowering their customers--no matter their background, color, size, or beliefs?
Christina Howell: I think the best way we can empower our customers is to include them in the creative process. We often poll our customers through social media on what products they would like to see us launch next. When they see the item they picked in a poll it gives an extra sense of pride when they purchase it because they were apart of the creative process.
Afterpay: With the holiday’s in full swing, but the pandemic still holding strong, what are some ways you have been able to engage with customers and maintain that sense of holiday shopping excitement?
Christina Howell: We utilize social media a lot right now to keep things fun and light. We post a lot of funny memes, trips we wish we were on and recipes we could add into our dinner rotations. This keeps our customers engaged so when we post a sale we aren’t trying to reengage them.
Categories