Let It Flow

Her understanding that style is as much about comfort and fluidity as it is about looking good has endeared designer Angela Dean to many celebrity clients. Through the DeanZign (www.deanzign.com) boutique she established in the mid-80s in Los Angeles, Dean has fitted every womanly form from Oprah Winfrey to Paris Hilton. And now she’s introduced a ready-to-wear collection to appeal to “real women with real bodies.”

Designed to move and flow with the body and ranging in price from $300 to $850, the jersey collection’s main attraction will be its stretch. “High-end designers consider

stretch garments almost taboo, not elegant,” Dean explains. “But women love stretch, and women with diverse lifestyles need clothing that accommodates that and is easy to care for. These dresses don’t require a lot of accessories; they can be worn with sandals during the day or with heels for cocktails. They are also easy to travel with.”

Dean attributes her success as a designer to managing every detail of a perfect fit, including using the right undergarments, which she also sells. Her Hollywood Secrets undergarment line reshapes the body and enhances attributes. “I’ve always been successful at making a variety of body types look beautiful,” Dean says. “I know how to take the best parts of a shape and enhance it and camouflage areas that are challenging.”

This article originally appeared in the May 2010 issue of Black Enterprise magazine.