The "More Than Just a Pop-up" store, created by Te Pukenga Otago Polytechnic fashion graduate Tegan Rose Vickery, opened in Dunedin’s Wall St Mall yesterday, during iD Dunedin Fashion Week.
It was a platform to give emerging designers the chance to display and sell their garments, only featuring clothing sizes 14 to 26, to challenge the fashion industry’s image of the "ideal woman", Ms Vickery said.
"Even a curvy body, there’s an ideal curvy body, which that in itself is misrepresented as well.
"So, just trying to make people comfortable and happy and feel good about themselves."
As an ex-model and someone who had lived with an eating disorder, Ms Vickery said she had gone "from one spectrum to the other" in either being too thin, or too big for modelling.
The average size in New Zealand was also 16 to 18.
The pop-up was an extension of last year’s "More Than Just a Fashion Show", which raised awareness for mental health.
Fashion had a lot of influence, Ms Vickery said.
"You’ve got influencers, you’ve got social media, and things like that have a lot to answer for, for people’s mental health.
"When people see someone who looks amazing in something, and then they go into a shop and be like, ‘oh, I don’t look great’, again, it’s misrepresentation."
A lot of the garments at the pop-up also used all-natural fibres, which made them more
long-lasting.
Even if they did not walk away with something, Ms Vickery said she hoped people could enter the changing rooms "and feel good" trying stuff on.
"As long as everyone leaves with a smile, we’ll be happy."
The pop-up is displayed in the Wall St Mall until Sunday.
