Designer creates jewelry for full-figured market
By Sandy Cohen
Copley News Service

Half of all American women wear size 14 or larger, and nearly two-thirds are considered "plus-size." So how can the standard bracelet still be a measly 7 inches long?

While fashion designers finally make stylish clothes for the plus-size population, most jewelers still haven't caught on. Necklaces, bracelets and rings are still sized for the slim.
"A larger woman has almost zero potential for instant gratification" in a jewelry store, said Cynthia Sliwa of Hermosa Beach, Calif. "An extender on a necklace is not a good choice, and bracelets are impossible."

So the full-figured fashionista decided to change things. Relying on her passion for fashion and lifelong love of jewelry, Sliwa left her job as a corporate attorney to launch Apprecia Fine Jewelry, a line of gold earrings, necklaces, bracelets and brooches "specially sized and proportioned to flatter the generous curves of a full-figured woman."

Jewelry and fashion industry leaders instantly took notice. Sliwa's designs were featured in Good Housekeeping and InStyle magazines just months after Apprecia hit the market.
"She's definitely a trend-setter in plus-size fine jewelry," said Helena Krodel, media liaison for the Jewelry Information Center, a trade association based in New York. "She's the only one doing it, yet there's a huge gap in the marketplace and a huge opportunity for jewelry designers.

"You don't have to be any certain size to wear jewelry. But ring samples are a size 6, where plus-size would be an 8, 9 or 10." Apprecia's ring samples are size 8.

But it's not just size that matters. Proportion is equally important, Sliwa said. Larger pieces tend to flatter larger figures. When she first began studying fashion 10 years ago, Sliwa was determined to serve the plus-size market. She understood the challenge of finding attractive clothing in size 14 and beyond. It just wasn't available.

She would dress up her outfits with vintage costume jewelry, which she'd made a hobby of collecting. She sold a few pieces on eBay when the idea for a plus-size jewelry line struck. "I thought I could pull together a collection appropriate in size and design for full-figured women," she said.

With a background in law, not fashion, Sliwa sent herself back to school. She took image consulting classes to discover which styles of jewelry best flatter various features, and she enrolled in a retail management program at the Gemological Institute of America. Halfway through the 10-week course, she quit working as a lawyer and dedicated herself to starting a business.
"I decided the time was right," she said. "I gave notice, started making connections with jewelers and worked on making my dream come true."

Less than a year later, Apprecia Fine Jewelry was born. Two collections are already available on the Apprecia Web site, and a third will be introduced later this year.

Caroline Stanley, a Southern California jewelry consultant who works with Sliwa, saw the company grow from an idea into reality. "The response has been phenomenal," Stanley said. "The big difference is that other companies might see a part of the market and create a division to serve it. But Cynthia lives the division. She is the company. And she's dedicated to the plus-size consumer."

All of Sliwa's design are sized and scaled for full-figured wearers. She opts for curvy motifs - from blooming flowers to "sensuous swirls" - to complement curvaceous bodies. She also incorporates "negative space" into her designs to add lightness to the pieces, which are adorned with rubies, sapphires and other precious gems. Brooches are scaled up, earrings are shaped to flatter fuller faces and each piece is custom-made to ensure a perfect fit.

Sliwa brings new awareness of an overlooked customer to the jewelry industry, Krodel said.

"It's a brilliant thing she's doing and it's great for the market," Krodel said. "People are beginning to realize that they're losing out on a huge growth opportunity if they're not
carrying choices for full-figured customers."

Sliwa is speaking straight to the industry, too. She addressed the audience at the Gem Trade Association's Gem Fair in February and contributed articles to Professional Jeweler magazine about how to serve the plus-size market.

But she's not done yet. Sliwa is creating a more affordable, costume jewelry line she plans to introduce by year end. She's offering regular fashion advice on www.venusimaging.com, a plus-size Web site, and she and Stanley are collaborating on a book about jewelry. Sliwa dreams of expanding the collection to include watches and handbags, and she hopes to one day see her designs available in retail stores nationwide.

"I would love Oprah to notice me," she added.

Leaping from law into the world of jewelry has been life-changing, she said.

"I'm passionate about the plus-size market," she said. "Women of all sizes can and should appreciate and maximize our own beauty. That's where Apprecia came from. It's about appreciating yourself."

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