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The big-bottomed boost profile in New York
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-11-15 11:10
J.Lo and Beyonce can take another bow. The booty-shaking stars have shaped
the newest generation of mannequins, with hundreds of well-rounded plastic
backsides appearing in shop windows across New York.
J.Lo and Beyonce can take another
bow. The booty-shaking stars have shaped the newest generation of
mannequins, with hundreds of well-rounded plastic backsides appearing in
shop windows across New York. A group of well rounded mannequins are shown
at the EckoRed jeans display at Macy's in New York, November 11, 2004.
[Reuters] | Bootylicious figures clad in
tight low-rise jeans have spilled from the city's street fashion stores into
more established labels.
"It's absolutely the trend," said Dwight Critchfield, creative director for
mannequin firm Goldsmith.
"These mannequins look great, and there is a real sex appeal about them."
The recent pop culture fixation on large bottoms has been around since at
least 1992, when rapper Sir Mix-a-Lot scored a hit with "Baby Got Back."
But some credit the recent booty shakin' efforts of shapely stars Jennifer
Lopez and Beyonce for the fresh emphasis on bigger and rounder posteriors,
coupled with the fashion explosion of the Brazilian-style low-rise jeans.
"J.Lo was the first to stress that women shouldn't be afraid to show their
curves, and the popularity of rap made that shape more acceptable," said
Critchfield. "And it is about these low-riding jeans looking good on a sexy,
tight fit."
The company launched a "Sex" mannequin with "a larger booty and body"
tailored for fashion label Express and for stores carrying lower-end trend
clothing, said Critchfield.
On the juniors' floor of Macy's in Manhattan, Guess jeans and streetwear
label EckoRed display jeans on a fuller rear-end bottom-half mannequin, known as
a pants form, opposite a large poster of J.Lo and her clothing label, while a DJ
mixes hip hop and reggae to teen and 20-something shoppers.
EckoRed launched the new mannequin -- called the J.Lo butt form -- at the
store almost two years ago and sales have since tripled.
"It is a serious sociological trend that is positive for retailers and
customers in that the tyranny of the undernourished perfect model is over," said
Rich Rollison of Lifestyle Forms and Display, which designed the pants form
mannequin.
Other companies also are developing more realistic mannequins with larger
posteriors in maternity and plus sizes.
U.S. label Lane Bryant, which caters to plus sizes 14 to 28, is launching a
more voluptuous full-body mannequin across its 250 stores after a successful
test run in New York.
"It originated from urban ethnic street wear, but it has transcended that,"
Rollison said. "Now you are going to see it projected in more urban markets and
it will get bigger."
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