Curvitude owner Kimberly Beasley continues message of size inclusivity after NYFW24, new venture with THICCON
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Kimberly Beasley, creator and owner of Curvitude Boutique and Curvitidue Athletics, is taking the world by storm after making her second appearance in New York Fashion Week.
Beasley sits down with WJBF to talk about her message of size inclusivity and her new movement, THICK THIGHS MATTER, which inspired an entire new venture known as THICCON.
Thank you for being here again on Celebrating Black Excellence. Let’s recap your story. Now, you’re originally from New Jersey. So, how what brought you here to Augusta?
Uncle Sam brought me to Augusta because I’m retired military, and this was my last stop here. So, I just ended up staying in Augusta. I love it here, so I ended up staying.
Now, let’s talk about Curvitude Boutique. How did you get started with that, and what was the reasoning behind that?
Well, the reason behind Curvitude Boutique is because there weren’t any plus-size fashions at the time that I retired out of the military. There weren’t any plus-size boutiques here in Augusta or any of that. So, I decided to develop one.
Originally, you had a storefront on Broad Street, and you’ve gone from storefront to now you’re online with e-commerce. What made you change from storefront to e-commerce?
Pandemic. The pandemic came at the time I was taking care of my daughter and my father, who had dementia, and I couldn’t do all of that at one time. So, something had to come off the plate. So, I had to close the brick-and-mortar.
Have you seen an improvement since you’ve changed from brick-and-mortar to the e-commerce?
It is a challenge to get your customers, who are accustomed to talking to you, dealing with you, and trying on clothes and all that great stuff, to change them to e-commerce. Over time, they have come with me. I’ve lost some along the way, but that’s okay. You know, everybody’s not going to go all the way up with you, and I just kind of pivoted, and then, started the athletic wear and a swimwear. So, everything’s taken off.
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So, you have Curvitude Athletics. So, what made you go into that arena?
I just wanted something different, and I couldn’t find the athletic wear for myself that would hold up when I’m running, walking, and things like that. So, I just developed it. I’m a creative, and sometimes, if you don’t see what you want to see, you create it. So, that’s what happened with Curvitude Athletics and Swimwear.
As we mentioned, you were at New York Fashion Week. How was that experience for you?
Well, this is my second in New York Fashion Week. So, if there’s one way to describe it, it’s “open your mouth, and here comes the firehose” because it’s just you just go. You have to adapt. You have to move quickly. You have to adapt. Nobody’s holding your hand telling you what you need to do, where you need to go, or what you need to be. You just have to adapt to everything. It was a wonderful experience. I wouldn’t change it for the world. I brought some people with me, and it was a first-time experience for most of the people that I brought with me. I’m happy to be able to open that door for others the same way someone opened the door for me to get me in New York Fashion Week.
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You are wearing a shirt that states THICK THIGHS MATTER. How important is that statement to you?
It’s a movement, and it’s an absolute statement. The production team I was with this week, this year for New York Fashion Week, the sizes were from 0 to 2. We were the only size inclusive company that was there that was able to show. There may have been other companies that were there that did plus, but they couldn’t show because they would take all of their models. I chose to bring some of my own girls because it is so important to me to make sure that you see that my company for what it truly is. We are size inclusive with body positivity, and thick thighs do matter. I’ve had this shirt – most of the people that’s been in Augusta that know me – for probably about seven years already, but now, it’s starting to pick up traction nationwide. I’m so excited about that. So, we’re going to do THICK THIGHS MATTER swimwear, THICK THIGHS MATTER podcast… you’re about to get all of it.
You also have THICCON 25 happening in Charlotte, North Carolina. What is the inspiration behind THICCON?
THICCON came off of coming off of New York Fashion Week and wanting to ensure that body positivity is in the forefront, and all sizes do matter, especially with women. Thick thighs matter. So, if you look at the demographics of the women in the United States, the average woman in the United States is a size 12 to 14, but why are we still just showing 2s and 4s? Why are we not showing these other sizes? Why are we not showing all sizes? You know, why are companies not making clothes to fit all sizes? Use a little more yard; get a couple more yards in there and make that size from a two to a 22 and make it happen, but they just choose to stay in this way. So, I was just in my mind one day, and I said, “They’ll mess around with me, and I’m going to come up with my own thing, THICCON.” And I said, “Let me LLC that!” (Laughs) I’m definitely doing the research. It is a conference for big women. If you you’re thick, you can be there. We’re very excited to do it in Charlotte, and we’re excited that Charlotte wants to host us in 2025. Be looking out for that.
If people want more information on Curvitude, THICCON, THICK THIGHS MATTER, how can they get that information?
You can always go to www.curvitude.com, or you can reach on all of my social media platforms. If you’re chatting on the website, 9 times out of 10, you’re chatting with me because I don’t have an assistant who does that for me. So, you’re talking directly to me,
What words of encouragement can you give someone?
Oooh… stay the course. It gets better. If I gave up when I had to close Curvitude the brick and mortar… and I literally almost felt like I was going into a depression because that was my baby, too. However, If I were to have given up, I wouldn’t be at New York Fashion Week and things like this wouldn’t be happening for me. So, don’t give up. It gets hard; it gets tough. Entrepreneurs, put your head down and go through it. You can do it.
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