Television Host Nina Parker Reveals That She Custom-Designed Her Oscars Gown Due To Lack Of Plus-Size Options
Nina Parker spoke out about the lack of plus-size inclusivity she faced when picking out a gown for the Oscars on Sunday, February 9.
The television host, who has appeared on both E! News and Entertainment Tonight, attended this year’s ceremony as a red carpet correspondent. During the night, E! reports that Parker shared that she worked closely with a designer to custom design her gown for the night. She shared via her personal Twitter account that she had to work with designer Lynne Carter Atelier because of the lack of gowns that were available for plus-size women.
“I designed and created my own Oscars dress this year due to very limited plus-size options,” Parker tweeted.
“I’ll create a lane of my own. You CAN have couture AND curves! #Oscars #ERedCarpet.”
Parker also posted her look on her Instagram page. The gown was a royal blue color with long sleeves. Parker is seen crouching down as she wears the dress, which allows the bottom half of the gown to flow to the ground. She also wore her hair in a half-up, half-down hairdo for the evening. The day before she debuted her Oscars dress, Parker shared on her Instagram page a dress she and Atelier worked on for the Grammys back in January. She said she and her stylist designed the gown after her frustration with not having enough options for plus-size couture.
“I’ve been extremely frustrated with the lack of options in the plus-size space for red carpet gowns and decided finally to just MAKE what they wouldn’t!!!” Parker wrote.
“Sometimes you have to create instead of WAIT. And if you know me, you know I don’t wait for anything. Tomo for #Oscars we’ll be debuting another original. I am no longer waiting for permission. We pave our own roads over here.”
Parker isn’t the only notable name that has had an issue finding a dress that fits her body type for an event like the Oscars. According to Marketplace, many actresses like Octavia Spencer, Christina Hendricks, and Melissa McCarthy have shared that they struggle to find dresses that fit their curves. The outlet shared that many celebs have even gone to department stores in order to save themselves the hassle of finding a designer to loan them a dress.
Following her tweet, Parker received praise from several celebrities, including Meghan McCain, model Tess Holiday, and actress Yvette Nicole Brown. McCain even proposed that Parker add on to her entertainment host duties and begin a career in fashion design. She also shared her own struggles with finding a dress for “anyone over a size 12” for red carpet events.
Other designers like Christian Siriano and Marina Renaldi have also worked to make their lines more inclusive to plus-size women in the past.
