About Lea
Hi Dolls!
I'm Lea, the owner and designer of Classy Fabulous Daydreams! As far back as I can remember, I've wanted to be a fashion designer. My favorite memories are when my mom dressed me up in the cutest little dresses, complete with gathered skirts, puff sleeves, and peter pan collars. I was clearly influenced as a kid; many of my designs today include lots of these romantic little details
When I wasn't twirling around in dresses, you could find me outside skiing, hiking and exploring. Growing up in Colorado was a perfect backdrop to inspire an environmentally conscious lifestyle! Of course, I didn't know what that meant back then but I recognized the power of nature and how healing it was to experience the beauty of the Earth.
I moved to Los Angeles for college, with my real education starting in fashion. I may have majored in English Literature but it was working in LA's colorful boutiques that I truly learned the in's and out's of the industry and discovered my soon-to-be obsession with vintage fashion. I loved styling women and learned so much about fitting all kinds of women's bodies. I made it my mission to find out what my customers wanted and what types of garments they could never seem to find.
After styling hundreds of women, I came upon a common theme...
The Bigger Her Cup Size, the More Challenging It Is To Find Clothing That Fits and Flatters Her Figure
The average American woman's bra size is a 34DD but that's not reflected in how the majority of brands fit the bustline. The industry definitely caters to the smaller cup size.
I wanted to make a difference so I took a chance on my dream & enrolled in fashion school. After graduating, I designed for many notable brands sold at Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, Urban Outfitters, and others.
As a corporate fashion designer, I was surprised by how little consideration fashion brands give to fitting fuller cup sizes. In my experience, the clothes were fit on a small-busted model and that's it. Rarely, if ever, were garments cross-fit on a larger bust to make sure she would be able to wear it as well. Speaking up in fittings and asking how the customer was supposed to wear a bra with a particular style, was usually met with a dismissive "she can just wear a strapless".
I started traveling overseas for work and meeting with factories in Asia. The experience really opened my eyes to the devastating environmental impact of the fashion industry. I became increasingly bothered and dismayed by the sheer amount of environmental waste produced and the egregious human rights violations against the people actually making the clothes. The industry's obsession with cheap and fast fashion has created a dangerously unstable model where retailers are trying to cut prices so extreme that it's completely impossible to produce clothing without harm to the workers or Mother Earth.
BUT IT DOESNT HAVE TO BE THIS WAY
I STARTED CLASSY FABULOUS DAYDREAMS WITH 3 GOALS:
- Create gorgeous, timeless garments that are constructed to last so that women can cherish them for years.
- Produce fashion in a way that was better for the planet, reduced overall waste, and used ethical product standards & values.
- Design a line that would fit me, accomodate my non-industry standard DD cup size & help all the other women who have struggled to find garments that fit their gorgeous tatas.