Clothing designer creates for plus-size women

Wife inspires work creating modern looking plus sizes

In the United States, 62 million women are a size 12 or larger.

In a world where most designers create clothing for women wearing size 2, Louie Villasanta makes many women breathe easy. He designs contemporary fashions for the plus-size woman.

With the average American woman standing 5-feet, 4-inches and wearing a size 12 on the top and a 14 on the bottom, that's a lot of women.

Villasanta came to Las Vegas on a contract for a women's golf company. That fell through but soon he was inspired by someone very close to him, his wife.

The designer saw a need for full-figured women, those sizes 14-24, to have modern-style clothing that is made with fine fabrics. Four years ago the couple put their house on a second mortgage to finance his own designs.

"They need better, more contemporary clothes," Villasanta said. "They (other designers) think plus-size women need a lot of layers and distraction. ... It's just different. It's just a matter of style."

Villasanta's wife, Kay Quedding, reaps the rewards of her husband's trade while also working side by side to help him with the business.

"His whole life is fashion. He eats, sleeps, lives fashion," Quedding said.

She was tired of trying to find clothes that fit her style that weren't black and formless, especially when it came to evening wear.

"They look like table cloths with glitter sprayed on it," she said of many designs she sees in stores.

"The plus-size market has come a long way but we still have to re-introduce certain fabrics (and designs)," Villasanta said of current trends.

In recent years some manufacturers have introduced clothing made with silks and rayons but Villasanta said many women just aren't used to those options and think they can't wear them.

Not only are some women unaccustomed to the contemporary styles but Villasanta sometimes finds buyers cautious to offer such trendy items to their plus-size customers.

"My look is more sexy, very daring. In order to sell to regular clients you can't be too sexy or out there," Villasanta said.

After moving to the United States in 1980, Villasanta graduated with a two-year associate's degree from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in 1992. He grew up helping his mother in her beauty salon and boutique in the Philippines. He later designed gowns for beauty pageants for his sisters.

Villasanta met his wife, who then resided in Las Vegas, in 1992 and they soon married. After working in Milan, Italy he came back to Las Vegas and worked at boutiques including Gianni Versace, Ralph Lauren and Giorgio Armani.

By 2000, Villasanta's clothes had been worn by Kirstie Alley on the show "Veronica's Closet," and Tyne Daly wore one of his signature gowns to the Emmy Awards. His fashions have also been featured in MODE and BBW magazines.

The designer just returned from a trip to New York for his first fashion show. He was featured as the finale presenter, a coveted spot for any designer at a runway show, in the first ever CurveStyle: Reshaping Fashion Show created by Catherine Schuller, formerly of MODE magazine.

He is one of the winners of the Emerging Visions New Designer Award for evening wear. The runway event was held March 6 with 20 designers from the United States including Carven, Molly Roark, Hannoh, Gilles Rosier, Dosty, De Sentino and others. Air France will be sending the winners to Premiere Vision/Paris in October for a unique fabric show.

The show was a first of its kind with many models, stylists and designers working for free to make it a reality. Show organizers hope to eventually present the plus-size runway in parallel with traditional fashion weeks in New York.

"I'm on a mission to bring some reality to the fashion world, to help real women see more of themselves on the runways and in the stores,'' said Schuller on the CurveStyle Web site (www.curve-style.com). "Right now, what's in the stores is based on what's shown on the runways. And what's shown on the runways are clothes in size 2 and 4, on women with no curves. ... Well you can't just take something you've made for a size 4 body and put it on a larger body and expect that it's going to work. Real women have curves. Thank God! I want to celebrate that.''

Villasanta agrees with the sentiments Schuller puts forward. His designs lean more toward the ready-to-wear with a focus on evening clothes and glamour.

"It's harder to design for plus size because the form isn't consistent," Villasanta said. Some women might be an hour-glass shape while others are shaped more like a pear. Therefore the designer chooses fabrics with natural give and flowing movement, nothing too clingy. He also makes many items with elastic in straps and waistlines.

Another feature his wife particularly likes is that no matter how sexy the garment, there is always an option for a traditional bra to be worn.

"Most plus size women can't go without it," she said.

Villasanta's fashions are currently being offered through boutiques including Rose of Sharon in Las Vegas and Great Changes in Los Angeles. He is also in closing negotiations with Nordstrom which is coming to Las Vegas this November. Those who wish to view his clothing can go to his Web site at www.villasanta.com.


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