TMU professor and technical designer release first textbook on plus-size patternmaking
TMU fashion professor Leila Kelleher and technical designer Gabby Brown saw a major gap in the fashion industry — and decided to do something about it.
For decades, traditional fashion curricula have focused primarily on thin bodies, leaving students and professionals underprepared to design clothing for all body types. Despite growing demand for size-inclusive fashion, formal training in plus-size patternmaking has remained largely absent from fashion schools.
Kelleher and Brown set out to change that. Together, they co-authored Plus-Size Patternmaking for Womenswear (external link) , the first textbook dedicated entirely to plus-size patternmaking.
“We are really excited to be able to offer students and industry professionals drafting instructions designed specifically for plus-size bodies,” says Kelleher. “Up until now, this knowledge has been siloed and not passed on in fashion schools. We hope that this will improve the quality of fit of clothing available for plus-size folks.”
With the new textbook, fashion schools can easily integrate plus-size patternmaking into the curriculum.
From Instagram conversations to a groundbreaking textbook
Co-author Leila Kelleher (left) is a fashion scholar and designer whose work focuses on size-inclusive design, sustainable fashion and the application of biomechanics in apparel development. Co-author Gabby Brown is a technical designer and consultant in the American fashion industry.
Kelleher and Brown first connected through the sewing community on Instagram, bonding over their shared passion for plus-size fashion and patternmaking. Their long conversations naturally led them to begin recording their knowledge and experiences into a book.
“We had been having great conversations about the lack of plus size fashion knowledge, and where it existed, and who had access,” says Brown. “We realized it wasn’t where it needed to be, which is in schools.”
Shifting the fashion industry
Leila Kelleher and Gabby Brown signing books at the book launch hosted at the Rogers Communication Centre.
The textbook aims to change how the fashion industry trains its next generation of professionals.
Plus-Size Patternmaking for Womenswear covers every step of the pattern-drafting process, from developing a size chart to considering mobility and wearing ease, to adapting smaller dress forms for use with plus-sizes.
For Kelleher, the book goes beyond technical instruction.
“I hope people understand the intent of the book and how it's more than just a patternmaking book, but also a text that has the potential to be a part of the shift that has been happening in society. We want to live in a place where all bodies are valued and there is a shift away from a bodily hierarchy,” she says.
Launching the conversation
May Friedman (left) moderated a discussion with Gabby Brown and Leila Kelleher at the book launch.
A book launch and panel discussion took place on Feb. 27 at TMU’s Rogers Communications Centre. In conversation with TMU social work professor, May Friedman, the co-authors spoke about fatphobia, respectful practices and the ways fashion can shape the everyday experiences of plus-size people.
“We wholeheartedly believe that everyone should have access to clothing that fits and expresses their personality.” says Kelleher.
What’s next
Publisher Bloomsbury is marketing the book to professors, where they can adopt the text for their classes and integrate it into the fashion curriculum.
For Kelleher and Brown, the goal is for the textbook to make its way into many fashion programs to improve students' skills and knowledge as they enter the fashion industry.
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