I first wrote about Lee Lee’s Valise back in 2007 with the post Lee Lee’s Valise a Trendy Boutique with Plus Size Appeal so I was excited to read the news of this merchant coming to television. Though the press release talks about the TLC and Stacy London connection on this blog we are more concerned with how Lisa and her husband Jim’s plus size boutique is depicted on the show. What are your thoughts on this matter?
It’s plus-size fashion without the minuses of mainstream retail traditions in TLC’s newest series. Executive produced by WHAT NOT TO WEAR’s fashion authority, Stacy London, with BBC Worldwide Productions, this eight-part series set to premiere in May 2012 will follow husband and wife business owners Lisa and Jim Dolan, as they revise and revolutionize the norms of plus-size shopping experiences in their clothing store, Lee Lee’s Valise. Each episode will focus on three different customers as their intimate shopping experience at the store, combined with Lisa’s distinctive clothing line, helps transform their lives.
The average size of an American woman is 14, but no average-sized American woman experiences a normal shopping experience at a typical fashion retailer as only 18% of clothes are a size 14 or over. At Lee Lee’s Valise, women of all shapes and sizes feel confident, fashionable and sexy through Lisa’s custom-made designs, tailored business approach and bold NY personality. Through drama, laughs and a few tears, Lisa and her team will transform their customers’ wardrobe from shab to fab — all through the simple and personalized accommodations to fit and flaunt each unique body type.
Running a successful business with a unique focus may seem like a walk in Central Park, but for this outspoken duo, drama is inevitable. While Lisa and Jim have a strong opinion about each and every item in Lee Lee’s Valise, they always put the customer first. Often times the customer’s feedback and personal shopping experience plays a vital role in how Lisa designs her line and stocks her shop.
The series is produced by BBC Worldwide Productions for TLC. Executive Producers are Scott Shatsky with Stacy London and Julie Merson executive producing for Super Long Play. Elli Hakami and Jane Tranter are executive producers for BBC Worldwide Productions.
About Lee Lee’s Valise
As a plus-size consumer, Lisa Dolan has traversed the boutiques of Brownstone Brooklyn, in search of contemporary clothing in her size. It became very apparent that all of these boutiques have ignored the “normal sized” women. As you might know, the majority of American women average a size 14, and it was impossible to find anything bigger that a 12 in any of the boutiques and shops that have sprung up in the neighborhood. So when the “perfect” space opened up in a historic spot on Court Street, we decided to open a shop that would specialize in sizes 10 to 28.
