We had the chance to interview our favourite real housewife of Toronto, Roxy Earle. Today, June 6th 2018 Roxy’s collection at LE CHÂTEAU will launch and we are super pumped! The reality TV star and body positivity activist targets this collection at women ranging from size 0-22 and offers more than 40 clothing designs and 18 different styles of accessories.
Roxy is known for her #MySizeRox movement aimed to inspire change, empower women and make sure that shopping is a positive experience for women of all shapes and sizes!
Check out Lechateau.com and stores across Canada today to shop Roxy’s latest collection. But, before you do that, get to know Roxy with our exclusive interview below.
Q: In three words how would you describe the latest collection with LE CHÂTEAU?
A: My dream has always been that two friends can walk into a store and shop the same collection regardless of size – with the Roxy Earle x LE CHÂTEAU Collection, which includes sizing from 0 -22W, that dream is now a reality. If I were to describe the Collection in just three words, I’d say it’s revolutionary, fabulous and inclusive. The clothes have been thoughtfully designed to celebrate a woman’s body and are obviously very heavily inspired by my personal style.
Q: How does it make you feel when you see people using the hashtag #MySizeRox?
A: I created the #MySizeRox movement with the intention of empowering women through body confidence and the ability to find stylish clothes in all sizes, without labeling anyone. It is my message to the world and my call to action for women everywhere to gather their tribe, band together and demand more from the fashion industry. When I see people using the hashtag and read their powerful and moving messages, it makes me incredibly happy to know that my movement is resonating with all kinds of women. The response has been overwhelming! I think it points to the fact that now is the time for a change.
Q: Do you see men using this hashtag as well?
A: Although the #MySizeRox hashtag is more heavily used by women, my hope is it inspires everyone to join the conversation and embrace who they are with confidence – whether through fashion or in other ways.
Q: When did you start embracing #MySizeRox? Were you always so confident?
A: I’ve learned to embrace who I am over the years and I’ve found being confident has been my greatest asset in life – it’s opened up doors for me in so many ways. The most beautiful thing a woman can wear is her confidence. When you do that, other people believe in you, too.
Q: Your size definitely Rox, no doubt about that, but do you find it important as well to maintain a healthy lifestyle? What does a typical day of eating and activity look like for you?
A: To truly love yourself, you need love yourself enough to take care of yourself. A healthy diet and exercise routine is extremely important to me in order to help me feel my best and take care of my health. A typical day of eating for me begins with a tea and green smoothie. I love to cook and experiment with new healthy recipes – I’ve actually started sharing more of these on my Instagram account. Lately, I’ve been really focused on eating whole foods that are nutritious and give me energy without sacrificing taste. I’m lucky enough to split my time between LA and Toronto and my favourite way to start the day is with some exercise – whether a dip in the ocean or a walk in the forest. Spending time in nature has a very positive impact on me.
Q: Which item from the new collection with Le Chateau is your favourite and why?
A: I love them all so much, but my wedding gown “The Meghan” (named after Meghan Markle) is my favourite. I named it after her because she is a huge inspiration to me and represents power, diversity, and change. This gown was my response to a very negative moment I had when shopping for wedding gowns before my special day. Instead of that experience being a time to celebrate, it became a negative experience because of my size. It was important for me to include bridal as part of our line and “The Meghan” is one of our star pieces. I also love the snakeskin pleated gown.
Q: For someone who does not necessarily believe that their size “Rox”, what are some tips for those people to learn to embrace their bodies?
A: My advice is to focus on feeling good from the inside first and to find those things, and those people, in your life that make you feel strong and happy. It’s not always easy and it’s taken me a long time – and the support of many amazing women – to realize that #MySizeRox. My hope is that Roxy Earle x LE CHÂTEAU Collection will help women realize theirs does too. I also try to make my Instagram feed a place where I can help women feel good about themselves every day and share positive messages.
Are you going to check out the new collection at LE CHÂTEAU? Let us know in the comments!
The Real Housewives of Toronto’s Ann Kaplan is best known for her eclectic and enviable style. Not one for buying a gown and wearing it as is, she layers pieces, mix and matches with dresses on top of pants, throwing a big belt over the whole look, wearing in-season newly sourced heels, and has even added on materials she sources on her own to designer pieces.
In a new series for StyleDemocracy, we take you into the closet of the multi-hyphenate (Finance CEO, wife, mother to 8, TV personality, style icon) lady whose lust-worthy clothes and pieces all tell a tale about her relationships, her travels and the inner workings of her always-active mind.
I was greeted by Ann at her breathtaking home in the Bridal Path area, a couple doors down from where Drake is building his new home. She just moved in last month. After we have salad out in her garden and catch up, I ask her to lead me to her closet. “Which one?” she asked, and I laughed, because her humour is one of my favourite things about her. Sharp. Witty. Sarcastic. But she wasn’t kidding.
Ann’s breathtaking Bridal Path home (Image: Kayla Rocca)
We started off down in the basement where she has a closet specifically for costumes. According to Ann, “Any occasion that there’s a theme for,” is her favourite ‘event’ to get dressed up for. She told me that her and her girlfriends often get together for themed nights at their homes, including a once-a-year tradition where they get dressed up to watch and sing along to Mamma Mia! This costume closet was filled with bags, each with various (and impressive) costumes that she and her kids have worn, and some which they haven’t yet.
Then we headed to her main hallway closet, filled with jaw-dropping jackets, furs and the like for the colder seasons. “This piece I bought after a particular argument with my husband,” she laughs as she pulls out a luxurious Russian Sable coat by RinDi.
Image: Sarah May for StyleDemocracy
Image: Sarah May for StyleDemocracy
Her upstairs hallway closet houses garment bag upon garment bag filled with the most beautiful evening wear gowns, many from her go-to store in Toronto, The Room, where she’s shopped for years (she loves their sales), and an equal amount from her travels. “I’m not someone who likes to just buy a dress and wear it,” she says. “I have to change it and add to it.” My eye is drawn to an off-white dress that she saw in Seattle. She didn’t buy it but when she got back home, she was still thinking about it so called the store, bought it and had it delivered to Toronto. “I loved the dress, but I added netting to it over the shoulders,” Ann said, showing me how she changed it up. “Sometimes my friends ask why I’d ruin a perfectly good designer dress, but I don’t see it as ruining. I just tell them that it’s my dress and I’ll do what I want with it.”
Ann shows off one of many gowns (Image: Sarah May for StyleDemocracy)
Image: Sarah May for StyleDemocracy
We head to the master bedroom and she walks me into her most precious closet, the one she shares with her husband (though, based on what I saw, it’s mostly hers.) Everything is remarkably organized. She has all her various shoes together. “A pop of colour in shoes make such a difference in the outfit,” she says as she holds up a pair of fun, playful Dolce and Gabbana shoes from this season. Then she has a section dedicated to business looks for the office, which are all in black (think pant suits and more conservative wear for her job in finance), surrounded by a seemingly never ending collection of skirts, blouses, tops, dresses, belts, purses, hats, etc.
Image: Sarah May for StyleDemocracy
Image: Sarah May for StyleDemocracy
Her signature look, which is very over the top, but in all the right ways, is a big, full skirt with tighter tops. As we’re playing in her closet she’s picking up various pieces and telling me stories about where they came from and why she chose them.
Image: Sarah May for StyleDemocracy
Image: Sarah May for StyleDemocracy
Image: Sarah May for StyleDemocracy
For a woman who loves fashion, the art of clothing and getting ready, she’s incredibly humble and generous. She said that after she wears some pieces she thinks of who told her they loved it and who she thinks would feel really good about a specific piece, then gifts them with it. A big joy for her is having friends of hers getting to experience what it feels like to put on a piece of art, and how what we wear really has an effect on our psyche and self-confidence.
Image: Sarah May for StyleDemocracy
Image: Sarah May for StyleDemocracy
Her role model when it comes to getting ready is Jennifer Lopez. “I look at people like Jennifer Lopez: her makeup, her jewellery, her hair. It’s all part of the same look. She’s an inspiration because she is always changing it up and creating a whole new look each time. She doesn’t do her makeup first. She has the outfit and goes from there, having her makeup and hair match the outfit and whole look, instead of the other way around.” Ann does the same, by first choosing and putting together pieces that she wants to wear, for herself. “I’ve never tried to look like anything. People are always commenting on how I’m always dressed up, but it’s just a part of who I am,” she says.
Image: Kayla Rocca
With the colder months ahead, she says the only thing we can expect from her in terms of fashion is wearing various pairs of gloves and jackets with belts laid over them, but in terms of big fashion moments or pieces that she’ll be debuting, she’s going to keep us on her toes, as she always does.
Featured Image: Kayla Rocca
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