StyleCrush: Mallorie Dunn of SmartGlamour

Mallorie Dunn and the SmartGlamour crew.

Mallorie Dunn (in red) and the SmartGlamour crew.

Today’s StyleCrush is Mallorie Dunn of body positive clothier SmartGlamour. Mallorie is a fashion designer whose clothing line offers affordable, fashionable and customizable fashions for people of all shapes, sizes, heights, ages, identities and styles. Every item can be customized to fit every body.

Mallorie Dunn.

WYV: How do you describe your style?

Mallorie: My personal style is vintage inspired, feminine mixed with menswear edge.

WYV: Who are your top three style crushes?

Mallorie: I really don’t have style crushes, honestly. For a fashion designer, I am not big into trends — and I don’t read fashion magazines. I’m really not into celebrity culture at all. I wear what I like — and I am heavily influenced by vintage fashion and silhouettes from past eras.

Mallorie Dunn.

WYV: Tell us about SmartGlamour. What inspired your brand?

Mallorie: SmartGlamour is a customizable clothing line of fashionable basics offered in sizes XXS to 6X and beyond. We promote empowerment and self-love by putting the power in our customers’ hands, offering clothing to anyone and everyone and giving accurate representation of people in our look books and advertising.

I was inspired to start my brand in Fall 2013 — while I was working freelance for a year and had the creative and emotional headspace to really think about what I wanted a brand of clothing designed by me to look like and accomplish. Through conversations with friends and loved ones, I realized that the negative relationship most people have with their bodies comes from two very generalized main issues: 1. the misrepresentation of the general population in the media and 2. how difficult it is for most people to find clothing that fits. SmartGlamour tackles both of these issues head on — leaving customers refreshed just by visiting the website, and then empowered by being in charge of their clothing’s fit and design, and confident — ending up with pieces that fit them properly — no matter their size, shape, height, age, or style.

Mallorie shows four different SmartGlamour styles.

WYV: Other than your own brand, where do you shop? Which designers do you love?

Mallorie: I only wear SmartGlamour. I believe very strongly in buying ethical clothing that is accessible to all people. You have to put your money where your mouth is, and I no longer give my money to fast fashion. For items that I don’t make with my own hands — like underwear, bras, pajamas, and coats — I try my best to only shop ethically from brands that are size-inclusive. For example, my underwear and bralettes come from Hanky Panky, which is made in America and carries plus sizes. I am not plus size myself, but I need to give my money to brands who create clothes for all people.

WYV: Who do you feel is changing the face of fashion?

Mallorie: Independent designers. Myself. The face of high fashion isn’t really changing, in my opinion — nor do I think they care to. The face of fast fashion is changing very slightly — but I have a difficult time applauding corporations who jump on the body-positive bandwagon for sales. The latest Aerie controversy proved that to be true.

Related: Daily Share: Aerie’s Plus-Size ‘April Fool’ Underwear Campaign Backfires

Mallorie Dunn.

WYV: How do you Wear Your Voice?

Mallorie: I Wear My Voice by constantly striving to raise the voices of those around me with less societal privilege than I. I Wear My Voice by spending day in and day out single-handedly running a business that is accessible to all bodies. And I Wear My Voice by encouraging others to accept their bodies, in order to embrace their bodies, in order to love their bodies.