Meet the Liverpool girl on a mission to make her home town the UK’s curvy capital

She’s launched the city’s first bridal store dedicated to curvy women and now Marisa Rooney is determined to abolish plus size for life size, forever.

We’ve all been there, trying on clothes in the changing rooms and disappointed with the fit, too big, too small, too long, too short, too tight, the list goes on and one Liverpool designer has begun a campaign to change the labels that define and confuse us at the same time.

Marisa Rooney, Owner of Liverpool’s first bridal boutique dedicated to curvy girls, Beautiful Brides, is a LJMU fashion graduate and has first hand experience of how the fashion industry has played its part in damaging our self confidence.

Drawing from her own experience of yo-yo dieting and resorting to gastric-band surgery, Marisa is a now a happy size 16 and hell bent on changing attitudes towards size. We caught up with her for a chat about becoming a curvy advocate, campaigner and why she’s breaking out her sewing machine again.

Marisa said: “The point of my Life-Size campaigning is to share my story so that I can encourage more people to believe in themselves and love their bodies just as they are.  I run a curvy blogging platform as well as running my bridal boutique, this is where I share fashion and curvy knowledge on what’s trending and how to style your size.

“I’m a designer who is inclusive not exclusive and so I open my doors to anyone who wants to shop with me regardless of age, size, gender, nationality, sexual preference etc. its about seeing beauty in diversity and this is why I’ve never felt happier.”

Built on her own experience, Marisa is now branching out nationally with backing from the likes of Professor Caryn Franklin who has inspired her work since her debut university collection of life size bridal gowns. 2018 will see her participate in the Miss British Curve competition where she intends on using the platform to showcase how inclusive Liverpool is as a city.

Marisa has also been nominated for a diversity award at the inaugural Positive Awards, she explained: “I think my campaigning for body positivity and my passion for diversity and inclusion within the fashion and bridal industries is what has got me the nomination.  I can only use my own personal experiences to tackle this issue and when I share my story with people they always show support to me and tell me I have a positive impact on them, so much so one of my brides has chosen not to go through with gastric surgery, this is why I have dedicated to my life to bringing this to the forefront in the industries I work in.”

Not content with stocking some of the most beautiful bridal gowns we’ve ever laid eyes on, Marisa has her heart set on getting back to the sewing machine and launching her own brand in the new year. In the mean time she’s busy  podcasting, writing style columns for bridal magazines and preparing to take her campaign to Kent to bring that Miss British Curve crown back to Merseyside and help spread the world that Liverpool is Life-Size. ​

You can browse the current season wedding gowns on offer at Beautiful Brides Liverpool here and join Marisa’s campaign to make Liverpool the UK’s curvy capital by checking out her blog www.thecurvyqueen.co.uk