Leslie Liwanag has worked in fashion for a number of years. As such, she had developed an eye for it and knows what is needed and how clothes should fit. She is now in the process of creating her own fashion line, Petite Epoque, to be launched just in time for the summer. I recently down Ms. Liwanag and had a great talk about her new venture and why she decided to start it.

Pierre: So how did you start this boutique and why?

Leslie: I started this boutique as an idea, ever since I was in high school. Because I was so short back then and everyone outgrew me, it was really hard to find apparel that fit me the way I wanted it to fit. Being in high school and having to shop in the junior’s and kid’s department, it was embarrassing. I was in high school and I wanted to wear high school stuff. But nothing could really fit me because I was short and everything was really long. At that point, I decided that when I get older, I was going to start my own clothing line catering to short, petite women. So that’s how it all kind of started. When I was in my late 20s, it became kind of apparent I had to start this because there was nothing I was looking for.

Pierre: You haven’t found any other lines that make clothes for short, petite women?

Leslie: They call themselves petite, but it’s not proportioned to a petite woman’s body. Women still have to get things taken in, make their clothes shorter.

Pierre: So “petite” really meant thin women, not shorter.

Leslie: Exactly. When they say petite, they really mean tall, skinny women, and not for short women. “Petite” standard sizes are for women who are 5’6. When I say petite, if I’m creating a petite line, I’m going to use a fit model who is 5’2.

(Marilyn Trench)

Pierre: I understand what you’re saying, and it’s not fair to people who are ACTUALLY petite. Since you’re starting your boutique online, how did you decide to start it online first?

Leslie: Well first, I am starting online because the costs are less than if I were to actually open up a store. I don’t have the capital to do that yet. I figured that if I were to start online, it would cut a lot of costs down. I did start to create the line on Kickstarter first, however, that was kind of an experiment at the time. I wasn’t really sure how to tackle it. I think my initial campaign wasn’t successful because of that. But now, I have a whole team backing me up and helping me get Petite Epoque the next level and making this successful.

Pierre: Who’s your team?

Leslie: I’m working with a fashion coach who has been in the business a long time, Christine Christine Daal. She has a lot of connections and has really been helping me out through this whole process. I have a videographer, Tim Strader, who has helped me out with my promotional video and has guided me on my campaign. He’s also raised money on Kickstarter, so he knows a lot about how that works. I’m also working with a factory, 244 Fashion. They have been around a long time and work with a lot of designers who are out there in the fashion industry. I’m working with Yvonne and she works with a lot of famous designers who do domestic manufacturing here in the garment district in the city.

(Jezebel Dress)

Pierre: How do you feel about the process of starting your own business in New York City?

Leslie: It’s been a very hard process, just because my money is limited. Although, there are a lot of resources that I’ve found that have been helpful.

Pierre: Because you are in New York City?

Leslie: Yes, I think New York City does a lot of encouraging of start-up companies and there are a lot of fashion events and expos, if you’re looking for fabric, or if you’re looking for trim, for example. Also, every summer and winter, there is this convention for start-up companies with low minimums, DG Expo. There are a few of them. So you can go there, and they cater to people who don’t have much money to start with.

Pierre: Okay. So when you’re designing your clothes, what is your vision for what you want your clothing line to look like?

Leslie: Well, I try to imagine what a petite woman would want to wear. And things that would emphasize a petite’s woman body to make it look longer or things that make a petite woman comfortable in their clothing. So that’s what I really think about when I’m designing things, “What would I want to wear?” Since I’m petite, I think about what is it that I would want to wear that I don’t see out there and that fits me the way I want it to fit.

Pierre: So do you have clothing specific for when you want to look nice and pretty, when you want to look presentable, business attire, or for when you want to be sexy and have a night out on the town, and things like that?

Leslie: Yes, definitely. Right now, my clothing collection is a small collection, but all the pieces are timeless. They’re timeless pieces, so they’ll never go out of fashion. That’s one. Second, they’re transitional pieces so you can wear them to work, and then go out at night. They’re not for just one particular event. It’s very transitional and very versatile.

(Roxanne Crop Top and Naga Leggings)

Pierre: That’s great! Does your clothing line compliment different body types and skin tones? Can anyone wear it, regardless of body type and ethnic background?

Leslie: Anybody can wear my clothing and the colors, and in terms of skin color, it matches with everybody. Each style is good for different body types. For example, if you are a busty petite woman, there is a dress in my line that emphasizes your body and doesn’t make your chest look so big at the top. There’s also pieces that if you happen to not be very busty or are flat-chested, it will emphasize your chest more. If you happen to have a voluptuous bottom, there’s a dress for that too. Every body type has something they can choose from in my clothing line, that will help them look better, and emphasize their body in an elegant, tasteful way.

(Savannah Dress)

Pierre: What are your plans for the future of your clothing line?

Leslie: For the first year, I want to get my stuff out there in boutiques. Hopefully, in the second and third year, I want to be more in department stores. After that, in the next four to five years, I can go international. I would like to international right away because I think there are a lot of petites worldwide, especially in Asia and South America. I think my line would do really well in those parts of the world. I’m not excluding other countries, but that IS where a lot of petite women are, especially in Asian countries. Asian people have a lot of buying power, they’re the ones that always want to buy something. There are a lot of petites there, but it is hard for them to find clothing that fits them, unfortunately.

Pierre: What’s the name of the website your line will be on?

Leslie: Right now, I’m going to be on IndieGogo. That’s the platform I chose to raise money for my production and really go forward with my line. A lot of entrepreneurs try to go there who want to raise money for their businesses, to continue their businesses, or start their businesses. Since I’ve had this business for a few years, I think I have some credibility, as well as people that I’m working with who have really good credentials where people will look at it and see that it is a good clothing line specifically targeting petite women. I am making a video that will launch June 1 after Memorial Day, and everyone will be able to see the video and it will explain the whole process of my line, details about the line, every piece that’s in it, the fabrics that we used, the prices, and every other detail you can imagine.

Pierre: That’s really awesome. Do you think this is something that you can really get out there? Because I have to say, I don’t think a lot of people are thinking, “I’m going to make a clothing line for small, petite women." Do you think there is a niche for Petite Epoque?

Leslie: I believe that there is a huge niche for the petite market! Look at the way the plus-size market has exploded. I feel like with the petite market, there are so many petite women out there, but no one is really doing anything, they’re just dealing with it. “Oh, I’m just going to have to do this, or I’m just going to buy it there and get it fixed at some other place." No one is trying to solve the issue and I think once the word is out that there is inclusivity in the fashion market and a specific market for these petite women, I think they will really gravitate to Petite Epoque. Once they see the styles and once they see the collection, I think they will really like it!

Pierre: I agree.

Leslie: You know? I want them to feel like “You know what, I’m loyal to this line because it really is who I am." It represents every type of petite market in every size. I would like in the future to have a bigger selection of things. Right now, I’m just starting out and I had to make my collection smaller.

Pierre: I wish you luck in this process. I think you and PetiteEpoque will do really well!

(Bridget Dress)

Petite Epoque can be purchased from the website PetiteEpoque.com as well as through Indigogo. All styles featured in this article are available for purchase