This Plus Brand’s Best Customer Is Now Fronting Its Lookbook

Everyone loves a comeback story. The idea of someone bringing themselves from failure to success is enough to warm even the iciest of hearts. So, when the folded clothing brand ELOQUII returned to the web after an emphatic plea from the plus-size community, the delight was palpable.

Everything this company has done since its revival has been a huge improvement on its original ethos. From taking risks with its on-trend designs (that tend to go against all those eye-rolling “fashion rules” we've heard for years) to its unparalleled responsive customer service, ELOQUII is a shining example of fashion done right. But, its latest push might just top all of the brand's other efforts.

While we tend to cringe over the term “real women” (because how can one woman be more “real” than the next?), ELOQUII has acknowledged the requests of many of its customers and added a “real” woman as a model in its latest lookbook, making this a step in the right direction for even greater body diversity. When ELOQUII tapped Alnisa McNealy, a 38-year-old New Jersey woman who works for a health insurance company while also taking care of her 17-year-old son and obtaining a college degree in business management, to model for its latest collection, she was stunned. “I’ve always had dreams of being a plus model, so the fact that this actually happened was surreal,” McNealy exclaimed. “I felt absolutely honored, excited, and confident modeling for ELOQUII.”

The team behind ELOQUII was enamored of McNealy when she attended a brand event in summer 2014, so when the idea to include customers was first concocted, she was the natural choice. “We were all so impressed with not only how beautiful and stylish she was but how much she loved ELOQUII,” explained creative director Jodi Arnold. “She knew all of the style names and even the model names and was so connected to the brand.”

ELOQUII — which, as of today, was named one of Fast Company's Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Style — plans to continue this trend by including more of its customer base into lookbooks and editorials, proving the patron really is its priority. Unlike the many brands that assume they “know” their customers without actually acknowledging their importance, ELOQUII says it's thankful for its vocal and loyal fan base. “We have had such an amazing year since our launch in February 2014, and we owe it to all of the amazing, supportive customers who brought the line back and have supported us this first year.”