2010 Lane Bryant Bloggers Conference: Final Wrap Up

I have to admit, when I was invited to the 2010 Lane Bryant Bloggers Conference*, held June 3, I was not sure how to respond. VenusVision is not a plus-size blog. I am not plus sized, and although I have long thought Lane Bryant is a great brand and I have often included pieces from Lane Bryant in posts about fashion, I was not sure what I would get from the conference or what I could contribute. But the reality is that the path of Lane Bryant and that of my own converge in subtle ways that became more clear throughout the amazing 1-day conference.

As Robert Rutkauskas, one of the senior designers for Lane Bryant said, “Fashion is not a size.” He came to Lane Bryant believing that every woman in every size has the right to put on clothes that look and feel good on her. Whether it’s a basic piece like a black dress or slacks,

something trendy with fun prints and cuts, or the ever important, but often overlooked undergarments, Lane Bryant is working hard to blur the lines between plus size fashion and so called “straight” fashion, and that was demonstrated throughout my experience at the conference.

The day began at 7:45 am with all 12 bloggers congregating at the hotel, waiting to be taken to Lane Bryant’s flagship store located at Easton Mall in Columbus, OH. From 8:00-10:00 am, the store was all ours! Each of the 12 bloggers were treated to a head-to-toe outfit of our picking. Saying it was like kids in a candy shop is an understatement. With the help of the Lane Bryant staff, including Rutkauskas, the women filled the dressing rooms with outfits of every type, in some cases pushing the envelope for what they felt comfortable with and finding new looks to wear with confidence.

Each woman got an expert bra fitting, thanks to Linda Lewis, Senior Buyer for Bras and expert in bra fitting, and discovered how much of a difference wearing a proper fitting bra can make both in comfort and appearance. Everyone was thrilled to walk away new skivvies! After the basics were taken care of and outfits were chosen, accompanying accessories, shoes, and a handbag finished the look for many in the group.

Though the group was quiet at the start of our trip, there was clearly no better way to create a bond among us than starting with a shopping trip! Everyone was thrilled with their loot, snapping away taking pictures, tweeting, and posting to Facebook, sharing the experience with followers.

When we were finished wreaking havoc in the store and doing all the damage that could be done in two hours, we piled back in the van and headed to the Lane Bryant headquarters. It was apparent from the moment that we walked through the doors that this was the corporate headquarters of a progressive, fashion-focused company. The lobby features a full display of mannequins wearing the newest Lane Bryant styles.

Our visit at the headquarters began with an introduction to Lane Bryant president Brian Woolf. Though some of us later expressed surprise that the head of a women’s fashion company is a man, it is clear he is dedicated to the idea that every woman deserves to wear clothes she can feel good in. And while it may seem counter-intuitive, Woolf doesn’t look at Lane Bryant as a plus-size company since, as he said “Do we call sizes 2, 4 or 6 minus sizes?” And that attitude carries throughout the rest of the company where each staff member we met, from the head designers to the Vice President of the marketing department who places a heavy emphasis on the power of social networking.

“Women sizes 14 and up are in the majority in America, and yet they are made to feel they are in the minority,” said Woolf. Lane Bryant is out to change that and reaching out through social media, recognizing the growing influence of bloggers is part of that mission.

In addition to meeting the Lane Bryant design team, we got a tour of the entire design process from concept to store, which takes nearly a year from beginning to end. But perhaps the most exciting part of the day was when we got to talk to Lizzie Miller via Skype. If you don’t remember Lizzie, check out my article on The Girl on p. 194 or just do a quick google search to see the amazing buzz she created by posing nude (discretely positioned) in Glamour magazine last fall, revealing a body that’s more reflective (and amazingly beautiful!) of the average American woman. I could do a whole blog post on our brief conversation, but suffice it to say she’s as effervescent and beautiful as she appears in Glamour.

Our day at the headquarters ended with a make-over and photo shoot where everyone got to display their Lane Bryant outfits. It was a great experience to work with professional hair and make-up artists, and photography team. Everyone loved the pampering and attention, and when they flaunted their stuff in front of the camera, it was as if they were born to be models.

After taking turns striking a pose, we finished the day with a dinner at McCormick & Schmidt where we talked and laughed like we’d all been friends for years. And for years to come, this will be a day I will remember, for the connections I made and the unique experience I was given. I have always believed in the vision of Lane Bryant and look forward to continuing an open dialogue with the company going forward.

Stay tuned on how to win a fabulous dress (seen in the picture above, worn by Marie Denee of the Curvy Fashionista), sexy lingerie, great accessories and more from Lane Bryant.

And here’s a list of my fellow bloggers all of whom are worth getting to know!

• Miss Lori of Miss Lori’s CAMPUS, missloriscampus.com
• Allison Teng of Curvy Girl Chic, curvygirlchic.blogspot.com
• Eve Mayer Orsburn of Social Media Delivered, socialmediadelivered.com
• Tina Potter McNeely of T Minus, T Plus, tminustplus.blogspot.com
• Madeline Jones of PLUS Model Magazine, plusmodelmag.com
• Sara  Bartlett, Bombshell Beauty Blog, bombshellbeauty.blogspot.com
• Kimberly Brinkman of Fab Finds Under $50 Blog, fabfindsunder50.com
• Aimee Cheshire of EVA Apparel Group LLC, madisonplus.com
• Alissa Wilson of The Budget Fashionista, thebudgetfashionista.com and Stylish Curves, stylishcurves.blogspot.com
• Marie Denee of The Curvy Fashionista, thecurvyfashionista.mariedenee.com
• Diana Jane Rajchel of Fat Chic, fatchic.net

* Per FTC guidelines, I am required to disclose that Lane Bryant paid for airfare, accommodations, makeover, and dining expenses incurred during the conference, as well as providing all clothing and accessories selected by me at the Lane Bryant store.