By Mario Toneguzzi

Canadian retailer ADDITION ELLE has been making its mark on the national fashion industry for years and recently it has launched a new direction by offering more popular brands in store such as Levis, Champion, Birkenstock, Girlfriend Collective, Calvin Klein and Body Glove.

It has also expanded its size offerings starting at a 10 to 32 and it has launched its fall campaign that conveys the message “Fashion can be bigger.”

The retailer’s success is built on making the statement that size inclusivity should be seen across the board from different brands and styles.

“The purpose of the campaign is really to have a voice out there to tell our customers that in fact it’s about diversity and bringing her product so that it is available to her,” said Rosalba Iannuzzi, vice-president of merchandising for ADDITION ELLE. “So basically what we’ve talked about is why could designers do all these crazy things in terms of styling and being out there with styles but really they can’t do a simple thing as plus fiving.

“So to be able to give this customer a choice and to bring brands to her too that’s really the importance of our house brands but brands like Champion, Levis, and so on. To have this choice for her. That’s really the voice of the campaign.”

Iannuzzi said the message resonates with consumers, giving them an opportunity to have a one-stop shop where they have choices available.

“And choice has not been available to the plus customer for a very long time. What we want to be able to say with this campaign is that we are the ones that are allowing fashion to be bigger and to be able to give her all these choices,” she said.

“So the reason why it resonates is that they can come to us and they can find the availability of product done for them. We are a one-stop shop and we can dress her from head to toe. The availability of finding the right undergarments and the right shoes for that total outfit and head to toe is really a first on the market and something that is very dear to us because we want to be able to have this offer for her. That’s really what it is. The diversification of a woman and addressing that. And doing it through brands. Bringing brands to her.

“We’re working with these brands in order to have the right assortment and the right sizing for them. It is also a challenge. We’ve had to work with brands and in some cases we have to convince them and in some cases we work with them for the right specs. So it’s about bringing her that availability that is not offered to her especially not in one place.”

Sarah Anne, a Toronto-based plus size fashion blogger and a body positive activist, is part of supporting the ADDITION ELLE fall campaign.

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Outfit in motion. Ps, I’m wearing head to toe @additionelle here 😍. . . . . . . . #plussizefashion #plussizeblogger #whatiwore #yyzblogger #torontofashionblogger #plussizeootd #fallootd #fallfashion #pinktartan #additionelle

A post shared by Sarah Anne (@tonsablush) on Sep 13, 2019 at 7:33am PDT

“I have been a fan of ADDITION ELLE since my teens and in the recent year or so I’ve just fallen in love with them all over again because of what they’re doing with the brand. I’m involved with them not only because I’m a fashion blogger to show my audience what’s available out there for plus size clothing but as a fan who legitimately loves and wears the clothing and it’s super exciting to see what they’re doing,” said Sarah Anne.

“I was lucky enough to be asked to be involved in the campaign and also just as someone who is so excited to be a part of plus fashion that is more like now high-end fashion and to be associated with that is just a huge honour.”

She said ADDITION ELLE is filling a void in the market that needs to be filled these days.

“It’s offering full-size fashion in a way that we very rarely see and also at a price point that isn’t going to break the bank. I think that’s so revolutionary because it’s not only fashion but it just shows plus-size individuals that there’s something now for our fashion dreams and desires,” said Sarah Anne.

Earlier this year, ADDITION ELLE launched a new re-imagined flagship store at the brand’s Carrefour Laval location in Montreal.

The newly redesigned Carrefour Laval store will be the first of its kind for ADDITION ELLE, which has 80 stores in Canada and the company will be looking at how it will be expanding the concept of the Montreal store to more and more people across the country.

ADDITION ELLE has also invested in its digital flagship with a redesigned ecommerce platform.

Mario Toneguzzi, based in Calgary has 37 years of experience as a daily newspaper writer, columnist and editor. He worked for 35 years at the Calgary Herald covering sports, crime, politics, health, city and breaking news, and business. For 12 years as a business writer, his main beats were commercial and residential real estate, retail, small business and general economic news. He nows works on his own as a freelance writer and consultant in communications and media relations/training. Email: mdtoneguzzi@gmail.com.

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