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We celebrate every May Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Monthand so we wanted to shine a spotlight Plus size Asian creators We are very excited to share our community and conversation, which is an important and valuable voice. Doyeon Yoni Yu related to C’est D today.
We first discovered Yoni through him. TikTok and C’est D’s designs as well as the natural empowering message behind their content became an instant standout. He talks a little bit about his experiences as someone who has here it is considered medium size in the United States (while considered a plus size in his hometown of Korea!)social and familial obesity was an important aspect of her experiences growing up, and most importantly – how she learned to hate herself so much to embrace herself in all her glory!
We had the opportunity to chat with Yoni on Zoom recently and it was a very enjoyable conversation. We talked about fashions covering the body, body positivityKorean entertainment industry beauty standards and why more plus-size voices aren’t heard from the AAPI community.
And of course we discussed her MULTI size clothing line, C’est D (Available in sizes XXS – 6XL), and now spilled tea on the inspiration behind the spring/summer collection!
@yoni0323 Wear anything that makes you feel ‘GOOD’ 💅🏻 #wear whatever you want #stylenotsize #bodypos #bodyconfi #midsizefashion #middle boysstyle #love yourself #personal care #inclusivefashion ♬ original audio – Tik Toker
Meet plus size Yoni – inclusive fashion brand C’est D!
A: How would you describe C’est D to someone who has never heard of your brand?
A: I would say the big motto of my brand is Inclusivity and Diversity. These are my brand’s two main goals – through fashion, of course. Fashion is a very important part of our life. In our daily life, we feel ourselves in our most comfortable clothes.
My brand’s mission is to support and empower people to embrace themselves as they are. This is pretty tough these days because social media sets a standard for being a certain image. I hope my brand gives them a breakthrough so they can take a step towards becoming their true selves.
A: Fear of obesity and lack of outsize representation are pretty universal, but I feel there is a huge inconsistency, especially in the Asian community. There isn’t a huge wealth of plus size representation out there. Why do you think this is so? And why don’t you think more people like you have the authority to be a sign of change?
A: Certainly Asian society, comparing my childhood with the present, is gradually supporting change, but it is not enough. They are still very strict about enforcing unrealistic body standards (like the “Idol” image). It has been repaired for so long that it is very difficult to break the mold. Compared to Western culture, Asian culture tends to view society as a group. If you’re not part of this group, you’re a black sheep and they don’t want to hang out with you.
I feel like you are different or unique in the US, people want to look at you and control you and they exclude you less. This is how the Body Positivity and Empowerment movement was embraced. It happens in Asia, but the majority of viewers seem reluctant to admit it.
Based on my personal experience in Korea, K-Pop idols and Korean celebrities follow a very strict body image. To be successful, you must have a certain body shape. I feel this is a major shortcoming. If they show more body diversity, more plus size people in Asian countries will feel empowered to stand up and be seen.
@yoni0323 I am my own aesthetic ✌🏼 #whenwomenwin #love yourself #confidence #bodyposi #bodyconfi #midsizefashion #midsizeblogger #effyourbodystandartlari #body diversity #자존감 #플러스사이즈 #통통녀코디 ♬ Head vs Heart – kyo
A: When you created your TikTok, was it your intention to be this voice for body positivity and engagement? Or was it just a happy accident?
A: I built my TikTok mainly to market my brand. But while creating this content, I shared my experiences in Korea and people really started to pay attention to it and relate to it.
It lit a light in my brain that I wasn’t the only one who had these experiences. I wished I had someone like that when I was younger and thought I could keep talking about these things to empower them and show them that they are not alone.
A: How do you think your business at C’est D has developed since you established your brand?
A: Ooh. This is a very complex question (laughs). When I first established the brand. I was planning to gradually enlarge and expand. So I set a limited size range (XL – 3X) to have more management workload.
After this launch, I decided to go all the way. I increased the size range to 6XL which was a big step for me. I was a little scared, but I managed. I’ve since expanded from XXS to 6XL. My future plan is to show more design diversity. I hope to be able to create more design variations in the future.
A: What inspires your aesthetic? It definitely means a lot to me when talking about your brand.”uninformed” vibes: Skater, Punk, Preppy, Party and Glamorous!
A: Everything I wanted to wear in the past and everything I want to wear now. Growing up, while studying fashion and working in the fashion industry, there was a void I always wanted to fill. This is the main focus of my brand.
I wanted to make different kinds of clothes that I wanted to wear. I wanted to embed these dynamics and diversity into my brand so that my audience can shop and find something to wear for every occasion.
@yoni0323 All very comfortable! Link in bio ✨ #inclusivefashion #What to wear #pantshaul #pleated skirt #runner style #middle boysstyle #plussizemoda #통통녀코디 ♬ Yonce – Atsuko Okatsuka
A: One of my favorite TikToks is doing the Beyonce fall challenge to show how flexible and comfortable your butt is. When shopping for clothes, this is a situation that many plus size people worry about, especially when buying bottoms. I love that you thought of it and came up with an effective way to showcase your fashions in a fun and engaging way!
A: I try to showcase my designs in different ways and then show you how designs work because these are factors you consider when shopping. I try to be as transparent as possible because that’s how I love shopping!
A: Last year, during NY Fashion Week, you released a collection that you covered extensively on TikTok and social media, giving us a behind-the-scenes look at everything that went into the process. Can you tell us more about the experience and share if you plan to do it again this year?
A: Fashion Week was definitely a lot of pressure and lots of big and small things to do. There was a lot to deal with. It was a turning point for my brand as it was the first show I showcased what I sell. At previous fashion shows, I showed a piece that was flashy. More fashion-y pieces you’d hesitate to wear in your daily life. This past show had more accessible and affordable pieces. I felt closer to my audience and that meant a lot to me.
A lot of people were supportive and happy about it, but I noticed one of my everyday pieces went viral on Twitter because people were being judgmental and fat-phobic towards the plus-size model. The funny thing is that no one has said anything bad about the smaller models wearing the same things.
FLOR SET (COMES WITH BOTH GLASS AND BLAZER) – Available in sizes xxs – 6xl – $83.00
I realize we have a long way to go and that’s why we have to keep pushing body diversity on the podium. Models should represent us and I hope more young designers can help bring about change to open more eyes.
I won’t be showcasing at New York Fashion Week this year. Instead, I’m trying to build on my newly released Spring/Summer collection and maybe showcase it again next year with more Avant Garde designs.
FT S Top (BLACK) – AVAILABLE IN SIZES XS – 6XL – $42.00
FT S Top (GREEN) – AVAILABLE IN SIZES XXS – 6XL – $42.00
A: What inspires you now? What trends are you keen to follow? What drives you when it comes to the design process?
A: Y2K vibes. I’m so in love with it, but I obviously don’t want to do it. So I’m trying to figure out how I want to explore it. It comes in many different fabrics and textures. The things that I want to design and that I am interested in are changing every day.
A: That’s good though, I think you’ll never run out of ideas!
A: Yes, a well that never dries up. I have so many ideas I want to execute but I will do it slowly.
@yoni0323 Reply to @anotherblux welcome to my kitchen concert 🎤 #effyourbeautystandartlari #love yourself #confidence #bodyposi #bodyconfi #midsizefashion #diversityand inclusion #자존감 #자신감 ♬ I Don’t Want To Be – Gavin DeGraw
A: Finally, we talked a little bit about fat phobia on social media and the bad information, misinformation, and judgments that greatness creators face. You are absolutely no stranger to this. What motivates you to continue despite the amount of hate you get for your content?
A: People tell me that having an inclusive clothing brand is “promoting obesity” or “promoting an unhealthy lifestyle.” Everyone of all sizes needs clothes and deserves clothes that make them feel beautiful… wherever they are on their journey to self-love.
Size doesn’t matter – we all need clothes to wear. We can’t go around naked. It’s really simple logic: Whatever your size, you need clothes to go to school or work.
A: Absolutely, clothing is a means of self-expression and every body deserves the right to express itself through fashion!
A: No one wants to wear ugly clothes when they are on a journey of some kind of self-love. It is very important to feel cute or beautiful. The greatest motivation and beautiful clothes help this. Fat shaming is not motivating. It does nothing but make people depressed.
This is the prejudice I want to break. Everyone deserves to dress the way they want!
Be sure to visit c’est d. www.cestd.com!
Know any AAPI plus size designers we should know about? Turn off the sound in the comments!
Do you love Yoni & c’est d as much as we do?
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