Allistyle an ecofriendly start up Canadian fashion line for plus-sized woman, debuted on the runway at WMCFashion Week 2013. “America’s Next Top Model” 10^th Cycle Winner, Whitney Thompson, took a break from her busy international modeling schedule and specially flew in to be on the Allistyle runway. What makes Allistyle so special? Whitney Thompson is the fashion face of Allistyle.  Allistyle was the only plus-sized collection shown at WMCFashionWeek S/S13  but it will certainly not be the last. Allistyle has set a precedent. Allistyle is a new statement about fashion and about feeling good about who you are and what you wear. It’s Fashion with heart.

It fills a big void. Women have curves. It’s about time there was stylish plus-sized clothing designed in Canada.

“When I say “plus-sized” I’m talking about sizes 8 and up – just to give you an idea of the ridiculous parameters we’re working in.”

                                        Designer Pam Shainhouse

Love the show or not, the Allistyle S/S2013 collection was history in the making. Bravo WMCFW for providing Allistyle with the profile needed to boost this Canadian fashion line to a new level! When compared with the princess swoon-worthy gowns of other collections it may have been difficult to immediately decipher the collection’s wearable worth, especially without a working knowledge of the actual materials used in the Allistyle fashion line.

Conceptualized in 2006, by Alli Shapiro and her mother, Pam Shainhouse, Allistyle is a completely ‘Made in Canada’, eco-friendly, fair trade, organic collection. Viscose from bamboo and organic cottons set the line apart and makes Allistyle a niche collection, one that many earth-conscious consumers have been asking for, nay screaming for – because its so darn hard to find.

Upon closer inspection it becomes obvious that while the line may not be overflowing with gowns, jackets, or showstoppers, it was full of great, completely interchangeable separates and staple pieces: A flirty update of the LBD, adorable vests that would work from office to a night out, and tops that could be a statement necklace away from being a ‘date night appropriate’ look. Jus’ sayin’ – separates and every day staples are the canvas for building great style upon.

If that’s not enough, a portion of the sales from the collection go towards a registered charity that Alli started to support young adults with cancer. ‘Alli’s Journey’ provides “comfort rooms” and “comfort bags”: care packages created to soothe, amuse and you got it – comfort, those suffering from cancer. They are distributed to cancer patients at Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Center, Wellspring Cancer Support Centers, Princess Margaret Hospital and Mount Sinai Hospital.