Melissa McCarthy's New Clothing Line

[summer]

www.yahoo.com/style/melissa-mccarthy-wants-to-work-on-building-women-126682880738.html




From Gilmore Girls to Bridesmaids and beyond, Melissa McCarthy is a new brand of American Sweetheart—one who could be your best friend or your “screw the haters” life coach. One who makes you laugh so hard, you almost forget your own name.



But the Ohio native isn’t just an Oscar-nominated actress and comedian—she’s also a trained fashion designer who studied, pre-stardom, at the prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology. So when she announced the imminent launch of her clothing line, Melissa McCarthy Seven7 Collection, we suspected it wasn’t just another Hollywood licensing deal, but instead, the real deal.



Turns out, we were right. The range, for women sizes 4 through 24, is an actual wardrobe that you can wear to work, to parties, or even to watch Mike & Molly reruns on the couch. So we rang McCarthy—on break from filming the hotly anticipated Ghostbustersremake with Kristin Wiig—to talk about the project. And yes, afterwards, we wanted to be her best friend, but I guess we’ll settle for getting the jeans…



YS: People don’t know much about your fashion design days. Didn’t you live with Brian Atwood in Manhattan?



MM: Brian Atwood was one of my closest friends since high school! He’s why I moved to New York City. I wanted to finish college at FIT, so I moved in with him, somewhere in Murray Hill. He did not tell me until I got to the city that he was crashing on someone’s couch. I was like, “Brian, is this your apartment?” It was one of those things you could only get away with when you’re 20 years old—he had me move to NYC to stay on someone else’s couch! That girl he was staying with, by the way, hated my guts. And then the second day I was there, I did stand-up in the city, and that was it. Forty-eight hours into my New York fashion career, I said, “Mom, I’m not going back to college. I’m doing stand-up comedy.”




YS: And your mom promptly flew to New York to get you.



MM: No! Strangely, my parents said “okay.” It’s weird you mention that, because it wasn’t until three or four months ago, when I finally said to my mom, “Why on earth did you not say, ‘Uh, no, you’re going to college.’ Her answer was, ‘I thought the fashion business was unstable.’ But stand-up comedy was real rock solid, mom!



YS: What kind of fashion designer did you want to be?



MM: The kind that had big theatrical runway shows of clothes you can’t wear. I made whole scrapbooks that I still have of Gaultier. He was absolutely my favorite. I was obsessed with the thought of dysfunctional, wearable art. I loved the theatrics of it, which makes more sense now that I’m an actress and I love costumes so much.



YS: And now?



MM: Now, I want to make clothing for women, all women, which is why I did this line. We don’t stop at a certain size or shape. I find it very bizarre that there are stores for women that are one size and shape, and separate stores for another. It’s like saying, “I’m making men’s clothing but only for Southerners, and only for Southerners who like this kind of music.”



YS: Oh, there is a line for that. It’s called Lacoste.



MM: Ha! That is an excellent point. But isn’t it weird?



YS: My favorite thing about the line is, because it’s in sizes 4–24, you can shop with your friends. Like, if I’m a size 18 and my friend is a size 6, we can still go shopping together.



MM: Exactly. I’ve been a 6. I’ve been a 12. And it’s like, I can’t shop with my friends?! If you’re above a 10, you can’t find anything in a store—and 65% of women are a 14. It doesn’t even work mathematically, besides ethically, or any way. To take the main group of women out there, and tell them, “you’re not worth making something for?” That’s so insane. It’s a systematic tearing down of women. It’s just as easy to build women up. And I want to work on the incline of women, not the decline.



YS: As an actress, how much input do you have in your own costumes?



MM: I think something important is how you can build a character on clothing. I always start with a wig and with clothing. Then the voice comes. Then the movement comes… It all starts with the look. I work really closely with the designers on films—what the character wears is such a part of who she is. What’s funny is, I’m wearing a bunch of my clothes from this line in Ghostbusters. I was in my jeans and one of my sweaters, laying on my back with my proton pack, fighting ghosts. I was like, “This is so surreal! I’m fighting a ghost in my own sweater?”



YS: Can you tell us anything else about the Ghostbusters costumes?



MM: Like, are we in those iconic jumpsuits? Yes. We are in those iconic jumpsuits. We put them on the first day, and we were all beside ourselves. We were like, “This is real! We are so legit! We are the Ghostbusters!” And fashion-wise, anything that brings about a jumpsuit situation, I’m all for. Three years ago, when I was first talking to people about doing a line, I said to a company that was interested, “I want to do jumpsuits primarily.” They said, “Get out.” But I’m still serious.



YS: You made a dress with Jon Stewart’s face on it for your final appearance on The Daily Show. Did you send it to him?



MM: No, that dress is still in my house in LA. Sometimes, I take it out, I kiss Jon’s face, and I put it back. When they start showing Daily Show reruns, I’m going to sit in the dress, watch the reruns, and cry. Just know, Jon. I’m in LA, crying, watching you!

[WOT?*]

Aug 15, 2015 5:32:51 GMT -5 summer said:

www.yahoo.com/style/melissa-mccarthy-wants-to-work-on-building-women-126682880738.html






YS: My favorite thing about the line is, because it’s in sizes 4–24, you can shop with your friends. Like, if I’m a size 18 and my friend is a size 6, we can still go shopping together.



MM: Exactly. I’ve been a 6. I’ve been a 12. And it’s like, I can’t shop with my friends?! If you’re above a 10, you can’t find anything in a store—and 65% of women are a 14. It doesn’t even work mathematically, besides ethically, or any way. To take the main group of women out there, and tell them, “you’re not worth making something for?” That’s so insane. It’s a systematic tearing down of women. It’s just as easy to build women up. And I want to work on the incline of women, not the decline.

(heart)

So glad that if she has to be related to Jenny, she's kicking ass all-around.

[mbcdefg]

I like her a lot, and the clothes look nice.

Any info about where the clothes will be sold?

How about where they are made?

[penguingrrl]

I love her! Everything about her is amazing! And I was dying at the Jon-head dress!

[orangeblossom]

I love her.

[teflepi]

Nordstroms (where sold) and QVC, I think

[Elsa]

I love her. She is just amazing. And those clothes look freaking fab

[Velar Fricative]

I had no idea she has a background in fashion. These outfits looks great! Love the colors.

[laurenpetro]

I love love love that polka dot top on the left and the gray sweater second from the right.

[decemberwedding07]

Aug 15, 2015 8:42:23 GMT -5 laurenpetro said:

I love love love that polka dot top on the left and the gray sweater second from the right.

Those were my favorites, too. Those models are also wearing some cute shoes. 

[decemberwedding07]

Also, her makeup looks awesome in those photos. She looks done, but still fairly natural. I want her makeup.

[AJL]

Best part of this line is the size range. I hope every single piece is available in every single size.

[redwino]

I love the look of her clothes. The size range is amazing. This is the first time in in years that I'm excited to buy something from a specific clothing line.

[secretlyevil]

Super fun! She is so awesome.

[taratru]

I LOVE that blue/black skirt on the right.

She is so awesome.

[eclaires]

Nordstrom has a lot of it online but it looks like they only have the plus size options. HSN has some available now too - more size range. I liked the ones on Nordstrom better though.

[ESF]

Super cute clothes.

They look well made too.

[eclaires]

Price point is great too!

[pantsparty]

I love her so much!

[MeMyselfandI]

I've seen her jeans at Lane Bryant. They were $100. I just can't pay $100 for jeans. But, I'm cheap.

[MarmeeNoir]

Too expensive.

[RoxMonster]

I really like the top Melissa is wearing in the first photo, but it's 89 bucks on Nordstrom's website. I just can't stomach spending almost $100 (after tax) for a long-sleeve blouse.

But the stuff is really cute.

[tacosforlife]

My only gripe is one I have work tons of plus sized clothes - all the tops look very billowy. I tend to prefer things that define my waist better.

[jln]

She's adorable. And the clothes look like something I'd actually be comfortable wearing. Too bad they're so expensive. Maybe they'll be less on HSN.

[lilibet]

I want that polka dot sweater. I love her, even though she will always be Sookie to me.

[bourbonfan]

I love Melissa McCarthy so much! and I love the clothes!

I don't want to derail this thread, so if this is worth discussing let me know and I can move it to it's own thread, but I always wonder if she's been typecast by Hollywood because of her body type? Like, if she decided to lose weight for whatever reason, would that affect her career and the roles she's offered? Sort of how the girl who played Baby in Dirty Dancing saw her career tank after her nose job? Or would she continue to receive the same funny characters?

Edited to add: if I could pick any two ladies to be my celebrity BFFs it would be her and Mindy Kaling.

[Deleted]

Aug 15, 2015 22:41:58 GMT -5 bourbonfan said:

I love Melissa McCarthy so much! and I love the clothes!

I don't want to derail this thread, so if this is worth discussing let me know and I can move it to it's own thread, but I always wonder if she's been typecast by Hollywood because of her body type? Like, if she decided to lose weight for whatever reason, would that affect her career and the roles she's offered? Sort of how the girl who played Baby in Dirty Dancing saw her career tank after her nose job? Or would she continue to receive the same funny characters?

Edited to add: if I could pick any two ladies to be my celebrity BFFs it would be her and Mindy Kaling.

I recently read an article about how for a minute there she was picking roles in funny-stupid movies and heading on a Will Ferell trajectory and was in danger of not being taken seriously. I think in the article they listed identity theif as an example. But then whatever she did after that - unsure - they said she was back showing her good comedy chops and had made a smart choice. Sorry that was a bad synopsis.

[secretlyevil]

Spy was so good, it was a comedy but overall it was a girl power movie. I think she is just getting started.