Funny girl Melissa McCarthy is set to release a range of women’s clothing later this year.
The line, which will debut in August, will feature 80 pieces from sizes US 4 to 28 and will top out at $159.
After spending years shopping at centres that provided limited and boring clothing choices for women over size 12, McCarthy decided to take matters into her own hands.
“People don’t stop at size 12…stores segregate plus-size. It’s an odd thing that you can’t go shopping with your friends because your store is upstairs hidden by the tire section: ‘We’ll put you gals over there because we don’t want to see you and you probably don’s want to be seen'” said McCarthy.
She wanted her project to reflect the spirit of women around the world, with a focus on creating an environment where women feel like they belong and can take ownership of their style, whatever their size.
Determined to work hard for the women she will be dressing, she urges the idea that it’s ok to be imperfect and to have ‘off days’ and that these should not determine how you view yourself – especially compared to how others classify beauty.
The design process for her is also a family affair, with a few pieces featuring patterns designed by her daughters. To the surprise of her manufacturing partner, McCarthy has been incredibly hands on in all aspects of the design process.
“I just figure if it has my name on it and I want to make people feel good about wearing it, I can’t pass it off.”