Too many women blame themselves for the scarcity of well-made, professional, plus size clothing, but today’s guest is on a mission to help women feel better about themselves (and help them look fabulous in the process)! In today’s episode, Rosemary Coates interviews Danielle Malconian, President and CEO of Plus by Design and the brand, Vikki Vi. When Danielle landed a job managing the plus size clothing department at Nordstrom, she had loads of compassion for her customers. With her size 12 feet, she knew what that frustration like, to not be able to buy something that both fits well and looks good. Vikki Vi has a rich history of providing women with great-looking, comfortable clothing, and, when the original company went out of business, it made sense to Danielle to buy the label and keep it going. Listen in to hear more about her journey, the quality and construction of Vikki Vi’s “slinky” fabric, and their decision to manufacture in the US. Danielle also talks about the importance of consistency when it comes to size and how Vikki Vi hopes to combat waste in the fashion industry while creating investment pieces and options for plus-size women while still making profit. Tune in today!
#136 (Re-air) Manufacturing Professional, Plus Size Clothing with Danielle Malconian
Rosemary Coates
Ms. Coates is the Executive Director of the Reshoring Institute and the President of Blue Silk Consulting, a Global Supply Chain consulting firm. She is a best-selling author of: 42 Rules for Sourcing and Manufacturing in China and 42 Rules for Superior Field Service and The Reshoring Guidebook.
Ms. Coates lives in Silicon Valley and has worked with over 80 clients worldwide. She is also an Expert Witness for legal cases involving global supply chain matters. She is passionate about Reshoring.
Danielle Malconian
Meet Our Guest, Danielle Malconian
Danielle Malconian is the highly successful, innovative, and dynamic CEO of Vikki Vi plus-size apparel. Her involvement with the plus size market and Vikki Vi brand began in the early 90s when she worked as a women’s clothing manager at Nordstrom’s Encore department. At Nordstrom, Danielle became acquainted with Vikki Vi, a brand and product that would eventually transform her life.
In 2008, Malconian made the decision to buy the label in order to expand her own plus-size eCommerce business by adding Vikki Vi products. She knew how valuable the brand was, so she made it a personal commitment to not let the line disappear after its original parent company filed for bankruptcy.
There couldn’t have been a better person to take over Vikki Vi than Danielle Malconian. She understands her customers and the struggle to find apparel that fits and compliments a woman’s body. She’s become a beacon of light for women struggling to find comfortable, professional, fashionable, plus-size clothing, and has continued to provide Vikki Vi customers with a high quality 100% made-in-America fashion products.
Today, Vikki Vi is available at Nordstrom online, as well as Amazon.com, and Malconian’s own website: Plus by Design – Vikki Vi. Danielle’s efforts are now geared towards the expansion of the line into different fabrics and designs, to reach and appeal to more women.
