January 25th, 2013 | Lisa Dolan

Dolce or Lee Lee's? Look like a Celeb in our Stacy Lace Dress!The Stacy Lace Dress

Everyone from Dolce & Gabbana to Lee Lee’s Valise decided to use lace in their line this season. Some speculate this lace obsession stems from Kate Middleton’s McQueen Lace Wedding Dress. Whatever the reason, we are seeing lace dresses all over the runways, the red carpet, and right into Spring. I wonder if the First Lady will be wearing lace for the upcoming Inaugural Ball? 

I always try to take what is happening in the fashion world and translate into plus to be on trend and fashion forward. I decided to create a lace dress with the right amount of Hollywood glamour showing the right amount of skin and then named it after Stacy London. Stacy was the executive producer of my reality show TLC’s “Big Brooklyn Style” as well as a good friend. She was in my store the second day it was open and has always supported the store and plus fashion in general. Normally I name all of my dresses after family members so it fits right in when I named my lace dress “The Stacy in London Glitter.” I feel like she is part of the family.

As a designer, I found that it is not easy making a well-fitting SEXY lace dress. When the lining in the neckline was too high I looked like a Grandma. When it was too low I looked like I was interviewing for positions in the red light district! It took six samples and hours upon hours of fittings before I got it right. It was ready just in time to wear it to Stacy’s Book Launch Party for “The Truth About Style.”  No one in the world had seen this dress. Not even my daughter! I was taking on this dress solo and taking no prisoners. You may think it’s a kamikaze mission to wear a brand new design which I received no feedback on to a fashion guru’s book launch party; but ehh… I’ve got balls. I’m from Brooklyn!  Besides, I knew this dress was hot! There was no need, nor the time to second guess myself…I hoped.

The reviews for the book were great and Stacy’s review of her namesake dress was equally as splendid! I pulled it off! My LBLD (little black lace dress) was a complete success! #Hallelujah! It better be so because when you name a dress after Stacy London you have to answer to Stacy London.  If I didn’t get that dress right she would have challenged me to a cage match with no ref!

Some things to think about when shopping for a lace dress:

1.   The Lace: Does it stretch, how does it feel? Does it feel luxurious? Is there a texture to the lace?

2.   Fit: Is it too tight, or too boxy? Does it have a sleeve? If not, what are you wearing over it?

3.   Accessories: Will your new crystal bracelet catch? Is it contemporary? The wrong jewelry can make it or break it.

4.   Is the pattern of the lace too see through, too opaque or are you thinking tablecloth?

5.   Length: Did you achieve the “Baby Bear” length? If it’s too short you look cheap. If its look long, it can age you and look dumpy/frumpy! My sweet spot length is just above my knee….Find Yours.

January 16th, 2013 | Lisa Dolan

Lee Lee’s Valise is happy to announce that Lisa Dolan will be a featured writer for Sulia.com! (A subject-based social network)

Look forward to posts on Fashion, Brooklyn and Reality TV to name a few…!

Lisa Dolan/Lee Lee's Valise

Lisa Dolan/Lee Lee's Valise

June 29th, 2012 | Lisa Dolan
Big Brooklyn Style Makes Customers Feel Beautiful

Big Brooklyn Style Makes Customers Feel Beautiful

‘Big Brooklyn Style’ makes customers feel beautiful

DAVID HINCKLEY
Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Lisa Dolan is a clothing designer who seems to be descended as much from Oprah as from Anne Klein.

So visiting Lee Lee’s Valise, Dolan’s clothing boutique in Brooklyn, feels like visiting a therapist, except here you come out with a better-looking new dress.

“Big Brooklyn Style,” an eight-episode TLC reality show, at times plays like an infomercial for Lee Lee’s.

But most of the time it’s more interesting than that. In the reality show game, where the idea often is to make someone look silly, the goal here is to make people feel good, and en route to that goal, things can get unexpectedly emotional.

Lee Lee’s Valise specializes in plus-size clothes. More unusual, Lisa Dolan designs them herself.

She just got tired, she explains, of shopping and shopping and finding no major designer was creating clothes in which she could look and feel good.

So she started making them herself. She designs clothes in popular colors. She uses paisley and other busy fabrics so they keep the eye moving and don’t let it stop and dwell on anything unflattering.

Her dresses have sleeves, because arms can be an issue.

She explains all this throughout the show. But the real focus here is customers, and the way Dolan works with them.

The goal is to include three clients per show, and if the first show is any indication, that will give each episode a full emotional basket.

All three here have stories about how they don’t like dresses because they look in the mirror and the dress makes them feel bad rather than pretty.

A woman from California who works in phone sales says she hasn’t worn a dress in years, but realizes that if she doesn’t, she will always be relegated to back-office jobs.

Another woman, just out of school, needs something that will make her look professional for an interview.

The third woman says her husband hasn’t seen her dressed up since their wedding, in 1998.

Dolan tells them she’s been there and helps steer them to something that could address the issues.

In the opening show, she also ends up inviting the customers to model dresses for her website — which they gallantly agree to do, even though it’s winter in Brooklyn and 30 degrees outside.

Dolan says she got into the business five years ago, seeding it with all the money she and her husband, Jim, had saved, “to make everyone feel as good as I do.”

Somewhere, Oprah is smiling.

dhinckley@nydailynews.com

 

 

June 11th, 2012 | Lisa Dolan
TLC's Big Brooklyn Style is now on at 3pm EST

TLC's Big Brooklyn Style is now on at 3pm EST

 

Many of you may have already watched the past four episodes of Big Brooklyn Style, on TLC. We need you to note the new time for this Tuesday, June 12th & next Tuesday, June 19th. Two back to back episodes each week. One at three and one at three-thirty!The NEW time is 3PM EST!

We will continue LIVE tweeting from each episode, so be sure to tweet with us and join the fun!

We we also be posting exclusive images to our new Facebook page Big Brooklyn Style !!<<<Join!!

We are still trying to answer all the emails.  We have moved to a new dedicated server! It will make your shopping experience go much smoother and faster! Plus we will be adding many new styles and prints!

Thanks again for your patience & thank you again for being a part of the Lee Lee’s Valise Family!

Happy Shopping!

May 13th, 2012 | Lisa Dolan

Big Brooklyn Style Promo

Check out our first promo for Big Brooklyn Style!

Premieres Tuesday, May 29 @ 10/9c

Big Brooklyn Style follows Lisa and Jim Dolan as they redefine the norms of plus-size shopping in their Brooklyn clothing store, Lee Lee’s Valise.

Each episode focuses on three different customers and how their intimate shopping experience at the store helps transform their lives.

 

May 7th, 2012 | Lisa Dolan

Lee Lee's Valise in Italian Vogue!

 

While the small screen is awash with style makeover shows catering to a broad selection of women, Big Brooklyn Style enjoys the distinction of being the first major series to target curvy ladies.

The new reality show is focused around Lee Lee’s Valise, a boutique that caters to women sizes 10 to 28, according to their website. With executive producer Stacy London of What Not To Wear calling the shots, the show will have a similar theme as the other TLC hit, as it focuses on three customers per episode as they embrace and celebrate their size and shape with a new wardrobe from Valise’s — including owner Lisa Dolan‘s own clothing collection.

The show, which will also star Dolan’s husband and business partner, Jim, has drawn excited anticipation, as it will represent a broader range of women in the fitting room.

Big Brooklyn Style premieres May 29 on TLC.

 

 

 

 

Photo © Lisa Dolan – Lee Lee’s Valise

Ryan Smith

Published:
05/04/2012