News feed
As announced on Monday, April 5, actress and writer Lena Dunham is unveiling a plus-size clothing collection with the Los Angeles-based womenswear label, 11 Honoré. The line officially launches tomorrow with five pieces ranging from size 12 to 26. Per the official announcement, the 11 Honoré x Lena Dunham collection includes a pinstripe miniskirt suit (pictured above), a yellow button-up blouse, a floral dress, and a white mock-neck tank top that’s perfect for layering.
The collection has been in the works since Dunham met the luxury label’s founder, Patrick Herning, in 2019. They hit it off. After all, the actress was already a big fan of the size-inclusive brand, and the CEO was eager to bring her vision to life. Admittedly, the star’s clothing line makes me a little emotional, namely the line’s sweet ties to her family. Her father, painter Carroll Dunham, created the dress’s floral print design. Likewise, her mother—artist and photographer Laurie Simmons—named each silhouette after the family’s favorite places in SoHo.
In Dunham’s Instagram post announcing the collaboration, she elaborated on the sizeism she’s faced through the years and how this behaviour inspired the partnership.
“I’ve been a size 4 on the red carpet and a size 16- I wish I could say that the experience of getting dressed was the same, but it’s just not. When you’re thin- no matter the reason- there’s a kind of inherent nod of congratulations that comes from being able to fit into runway samples and look the part of a Hollywood starlet. And while some designers have embraced my plus size body, there’s always the inherent implication by others that by doing so they have bravely risen to some kind of “challenge” (and that I’m brave simply for coming out in this body, dressed in a way that doesn’t hide in shame.) I’ve also often wondered- when designer outfits I’ve worn have been mocked or ripped apart- whether the same look on a more mainstream fashion body might be celebrated as a “lewk” (after all, many of these outfits have lived gloriously on the pages of major fashion magazines etc.)
This collaboration with @11honore was about wanting to cultivate a space where the question of whether a plus body will be embraced by the clothes is a non-issue, and the clothes are not demanding that a plus woman hide. I know that some of the times I’ve wanted to hide most were when I was in a body that didn’t feel like mine, and that body (for me, this is just me) is one where I’ve lost weight due to illness, sadness or both. To have that treated as some kind of fashion statement was heartbreaking, but to find a way to express my gratitude to the plus women who have inspired me to feel at home in my curvy complex body is such a gift. I’m so proud of this exclusive collection I’ve been working on with my family at @11honore, and thrilled for you to finally see it.”
