Why I designed a fashion range for women with larger breasts

ael Aflalo, the founder of LA fashion brand Reformation, says she created the I’m Up Here collection because she has “a lot of friends with bigger busts and I was sick of them complaining”. Said friends will no doubt now be silenced. Aflalo’s range is that rare thing – proper fashion specifically designed for women between C and DD cups. Now in its second season, and with Daisy Lowe modelling the very affordable clothes (around £50 for the bodysuit, £140 for the dress), and she has cornered a nice untapped market. But what can it teach us about dressing when you have bigger boobs? Daisy Lowe models the I'm Up Here Collection by Reformation Facebook Twitter Pinterest Daisy Lowe models the I’m Up Here Collection by Reformation Photograph: Guy Lowndes/Reformation According to Aflalo, the key is dressing to your body even if that goes against dominant fashion trends. “A lot of people go for the model off-duty as the default but I’m curvy and that doesn’t work for me,” she says. “Instead, I look to someone such as Sophia Loren or Josephine de la Baume.” So, drapey black vests and hoodies are out; blouses and high-waisted jeans are in. The underappreciated artistry of the professional bra fitter Read more When designing this collection, insights came from talking to women about what they wanted out of their clothes. It turns out that’s pretty much the same thing whatever size bra you are. “We did a survey, and women said they were proud of their bodies but didn’t want to be completely on display,” she explains. “Most of us when getting dressed want to feel beautiful but not like we’re objectifying ourselves.” That’s something that fits into the rest of the Reformation world. Launched in 2010, Aflalo’s brand makes clothes that are sustainable, fun, sexy but speak to women. She has already worked her magic with the petite market – with a range designed for women 5ft 4in and under, named Don’t Call Me Cute. Daisy Lowe modelling the I'm Up Here Collection by Reformation Facebook Twitter Pinterest Daisy Lowe modelling the I’m Up Here Collection by Reformation Photograph: Guy Lowndes/Reformation The I’m Up Here first launched last season but Aflalo feels they have nailed it this time around – with Lowe as the face, and careful testing of the designs on several women working at Reformation who have larger busts. “They tried everything on,” she says. “We started to call them the titty committee.” Humour like this and the title of the collection, also known as Big Boob Problems, will surely bring a smile to potential customers’ faces. As will the clothes. “I really wanted to make clothes for how women feel and what they want their clothes to represent,” she says. “And I always think it’s better to say something in a humorous way than a regular way.”