Roxy Earl at Fashion Group International Toronto Event

Do you know who Roxy Earle is? She was a Real Housewife of Toronto. She started the #mysizerox movement to promote body positivity and inclusivity for all body sizes. She designs the clothing line Roxy Earle x Le Chateau that began as a summer capsule collection for sizes 0 to 22W. Her line has since combusted into a Fall collection and now her glamorous Holiday collection is out. Um. I want it all!

Roxy designs bridal gowns. Her clothes have been worn by stars like Lena Dunham. She has collaborated with Ashley Graham. Her sequin & knit track pant was just featured in InStyle Magazine!

What’s so refreshing about this gorgeous woman is not just her personality, but her body confidence. I had the chance to meet her recently at an event in Toronto. She has been such a transformational force in the lives of women (and men!) that she was recently given a Visionary Award by the prestigious Fashion Group International Toronto.

Roxy Earle Receives Visionary Award from Fashion Group International Toronto

I was so blown away by Roxy, that I had to share some highlights from the Q&A. 

Roxy Earle Interviewed at FGI Toronto Event

FGIT: When did you realize you were embarking on a movement with #mysizerox?

ROXY: I was sitting in an interview and someone asked me “What is it like to be the first plus-sized housewife?” My response was that I just didn’t think of myself as any label. I celebrate the plus-sized community, but I didn’t identify with one side or the other. I just identified as myself. I’ve always loved my own body. I’ve always felt confident in my own skin, and it was like it was a negative. I said “No, I’m my size, and my size rocks!” and a movement was born.

It was born because a community of women across the country felt that I somehow represented them, and how they were feeling, which was that they weren’t included in fashion, or that they weren’t included in the media, or glamour, or in what it meant to be glamorous, or fabulous, or what it meant to be a sophisticated woman. Somehow all of these words were something that were ending at a certain size. And so #mysizerox became about owning a conversation about my body, and making sure that it was positive, empowering, and taking that back. There is nothing wrong with the term plus-size, it was just that I had no desire to be put into a category. I’m a woman with a lotta size!

How has living part-time in California changed you?

I’m a Canadian girl through and through. I just happen to live part of the year in California. While I’m in California, I wear Roxy Earle, and all my friends wear Roxy Earle. We are rocking Canadian clothes down in LA, at Newport beach, in Orange County. My clothes have always been designed as my dream wardrobe. I go to all these glamorous events. I travel the world. I wanted a wardrobe that was worthy of the fashion statements I wanted to make.  These are the clothes that I wanted that didn’t exist, so I actually made a wardrobe for myself, and then sold it to lots of amazing women who also wanted my wardrobe. So, it hasn’t changed my POV, if anything being in California just motivated me. Lena Dunham just wore my collection exclusively on her latest tour. I have a few really big celebrities that I design clothes for. You’re going to see my clothes on a global stage and that’s really exciting. Canadian clothes, by a Canadian brand, by a Canadian woman.

Who do you look up to for inspiration?

My primary source of inspiration are my followers. Some of them are here tonight. I’m surrounded by a group of empowered women and I always say “Empowered Women, Empower Women”. I have the most incredible focus group of close girlfriends, and followers. For those who follow me, you know you see the good, the bad, and the ugly, every morning and every night, no make-up, crying, not crying. I share my life. When you share your life, you share it with all of the people that follow you, and I say that it’s like I’m on a journey, on a really good road trip, and they’re all sitting in the backseat. They’re the people who bring me up when I’m feeling down. They’re the people who inspire me.

When you get messages every day saying “Because of you I’ve recovered from an eating disorder”, “Because of you I’ve decided to get married this year and wear a wedding gown, to wear one of your wedding gowns down the aisle”, “Because of you I feel confident enough to start dating again”. When you get messages like that every day, those are your people. That’s my motivation. I’m just a voice for a whole group of women who have felt unrepresented in fashion. I am just there for them. I don’t think of this as mine. Every single person who uses my hashtag, this is all of ours, and that’s why I share my success with my followers, that’s why they’re my models, and why I name my clothing after women in this country. This isn’t about me. I’m just the girl who’s been bestowed the responsibility, and I’m very honored by that. I am very humbled by that. This is for every single woman who has felt excluded from fashion.

What would you say has made you so successful?

I have a feeling in my brain that I’m not successful yet. I have achieved some wonderful things, but I’m just getting started. I have really big dreams. I think I’m going to be.

Roxy shared that sees a lot more television in her future. I hope so! It’s about time.

P.S. For more body positivity, check out this woman.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BlRV9OcHmhs/

And for more on Roxy, check her out on Mitsou Magazine!

xx