CDCD Productions: A Plus-Size Friendly NYFW Show

11th April 2022 Bryce Quartz

What it’s like attending a Plus-Size friendly NYFW Show? On February 12, 2022, there was light snow on the ground by the afternoon in New York City. It’s New York Fashion Week, and today is the day I attend my first fashion show ever here in the city for the iconic seasonal fashion week. I put on some of my most fashionable and warm clothes, laced up my sneakers, and hit the subway towards NoHo for the CDCD NYFW show from where I stay in BedStuy, Brooklyn.

Upon my exit from the subway station, the snow was still gracing the city gently and beautifully, essentially confirming that today was going to be a good day. I arrived at the venue and was greeted by a group of other press representatives, all of us waiting ever so patiently to enter and find a seat. We were greeted by one of the models and taken to our seats, where we all chatted amongst ourselves until the show began.

The lights started to dim a bit, and Candice Christian’s voice, the owner of CDCD Productions, warmly welcomed everyone to the show before introducing the first fashion line walking. There were 8 different designers in the first show of two for the afternoon, ranging from lines created for children, to lines created for adults of all shapes and sizes.

One of my favorite lines from this show was “ISeeYourClothing,” where a wide range of body sizes from men and women were showcased through elegant silk dresses for the women and sleek dress clothing for the men. Each model walked with grace and power, as they owned the room in each outfit they were wearing.

Another favorite of mine was Esprlia, a bright and flashy swimsuit fashion line where every body type was represented! Every single color on the flowers of each design popped, making this line one of the most memorable for me. I am a sucker for floral designs and bright colors! Each model really owned every single look and ate up the runway to show how beautiful they are!

Little Black Designs was another walk that I enjoyed, showcasing designs with masks to go along with the outfits too. I really appreciated the addition of masks on the runway as well as the models taking them off as a reveal, showing natural beauty too. This emphasis on fashion in the COVID-19 era we are in felt necessary to show that wearing a mask can be fashionable.

Nova Threads had very high class designs, with dresses and skirts for several different body shapes and sizes, as well as impressively creative designs that I felt were very high fashion. One of them looked like hand stitched hair braids sewn into a dress, and a beautifully contrasted black and white dress that I felt looked absolutely stunning. So many looks from this designer that I found gorgeous!

Built By Stacy was another favorite of mine, with slick all black designs for the men and women. This line also starred our cover feature this month as a model, Roulette Delgato, looking like he just hopped off a private jet. I also really enjoyed the fringe on some of the women’s outfits, making the elegance of the fits really pop.

CurvySense was one of the best collections represented, with a wide range of colorful outfits for men and women. A lot of these outfits looked very comfortable, but also casually stunning. I feel as if I’ve seen some of these designs on the streets of NYC. There was glitz and glam throughout the entire walk. Our cover feature Roulette also walked in this collection.

The most memorable fashion walk between the two shows was the Kween Kloset and King Kollection designs. The audience was blessed with a stellar live music performance from Dre Ben Frank, who happens to also be the co-owner or CDCD Productions as well as the designer for the King Kollection. Wearing an all red robe outfit with jewelry, matching shoes, and red tinted shades, Dre performed the house down with the models walking around him to showcase the designs.

The men, women, and children for both of these designs really killed it on their walk, owning the stage with Dre as he performed, complimenting each other as if it were a fashion waltz. This was truly a performance and fashion show I will never forget, and an amazing first time experience for myself being new to the city and the fashion scene.

After the show, I was able to catch up with some of the models and the owner of the event, Candice Christian. In between the first and second show, Candice gave a speech telling the audience a bit about her story and how she created this platform for herself and many others. I was personally moved by this, and felt compelled to ask Candice at least a few questions for our readers at home. Check out her answers to the questions below!

***Candice Christian, CEO and Creative Director of CDCD Productions***

Bryce Quartz: How did you get into modeling?

Candice Christian: Growing up as a dancer, I was always acclimated to being on stage or in front of cameras. My first photo shoot job was when I was just 3 years old. I was a Hungry Howie’s Pizza Calendar girl! I didn’t do much work until I was 17, a local photographer asked to take some photos of me. After that one shoot, I had about 5 other photographers reach out.

I knew at that point this was something I needed to pursue. I moved to NYC and booked my first job to launch the plus size line with Rainbow Clothing at just 18! I was was the first size 18 to walk in an official NYFW show. My life had been completely changed by just one Photoshoot.

BQ: What are some challenges you faced as a young plus size model?

CC: The hardest thing for me was not knowing where I stood as a model. It was a time where a size 6-12 was considered plus size. So I started the industry as a size 12/14. The “larger” side of plus models at the time. Then the industry started opening up to REAL plus bodies. I was considered a “smaller” plus then being a size 16/18. It didn’t really make sense to me.

Then, I had some plus size designers tell me I was “too small” for their collections as a size 18. I really had to sit back for a second and realize that it was me that was inconsistent, it was the industry. They didn’t know what plus size was! We had to show them. We had to be the ones to say, “HEY, look at me! I’m a size 18 and I’m a fat and gorgeous model!!”

BQ: What sparked your motivation to create CDCD Productions?

CC: CDCD Productions and Talent Management is the brainchild of myself and Dre Ben Frank, my partner. We both came from entertainment industry backgrounds and had both worked with managers who were a bit shady. We knew we wanted to develop something different from all of the awful experiences we had to participate in. We started CDCD Productions as a fashion show production company but quickly realized we had an amazing thing going and a huge group of clients who were completely satisfied with our events.

Now, we are not only a production company, but we also do talent management and development, and we have 17 talents signed to our program. Our clients have followed us through and through and we are so thankful to have been able to produce a company that truly embraces everyone, every body, and every background!

CDCD Productions team from left: Khyesha — Executive Assistant, Backstage Manager, Talent Scout | Candice Christian — CEO, Creative Director, Model Manager | Dre Ben Frank — CEO, Creative Director, Entertainment & Talent Manager | Lily — Brand Ambassador | Allison — CFO, Executive Director of Operations, Talent Scout

BQ: What has been one of the most rewarding moments in the fashion industry thus far?

CC: This last show in February was my baby. It was an officially recognized New York Fashion Week show by Fashion Week Online. We produced it 100% on our own and it was amazing. We had over 40 models, 10 different designers, and almost completely sold out! I’m proud to say we have created an atmosphere where people come to do what they love without having to deal with drama.

We really have tried to create the ultimate utopia of fashion events. Getting to see all of the models, designers, guests, media, makeup artists, and musicians doing what they love is honestly the most rewarding thing ever. I love to help others achieve their goals, I did, so now I show others how.

BQ: How can we keep up with what’s next for CDCD Productions?

CC: We are of course headed back to NYFW in September, we have some casting calls and workshops coming up as well. To keep up with everything that’s happening you can follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and check on our website as well! If you’re interested in joining us at NYFW, one of our workshops, or joining our talent management team, feel free to email us at Info.cdcdproductions@gmail.com!

BQ: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer those questions for us, Candice! The work that you have put in truly shines bright in so many ways, and it was a pleasure to attend this show. All of us at Bear World Magazine are excited to see what you have prepared next, and look forward to hearing from you soon!

Through and through, I thoroughly enjoyed this entire experience. The show was one of a kind, it was inclusive, it was fun, andmost importantly, it felt truly magical. I strongly encourage you all to try to attend and support any future fashion shows that showcase all different body shapes and sizes so you, too, can experience a community of the inclusive love for fashion. Until next time, Bear World Mag fam!