By Heather Collins
Sierra Holmes has spent the last 10 years in fashion and retail helping women of all shapes and sizes feel more confident.
The Carmel resident said her position as store manager at Selma Intimates, an intimate apparel brand in the Keystone Fashion Mall, was the foundation for launching her own positive-body business in 2015.
“When you work with women, let’s just say you get really close with women,” Holmes said.
While assisting women in the dressing rooms, Holmes discovered how many issues and insecurities women had with their bodies and how uncomfortable plus-sized women felt dressing their curves. From that, Eclectic Kurves was born, a business and blog dedicated to creating body positive vibes, celebrating women of all sizes and providing a safe platform for emotional issues, including body shaming, size envy and grief weight.
“As women, we are so hard on ourselves, finding flaws in our outer appearance and allowing them to dictate how we feel,” Holmes said. “There is a true lack of support for positive body image, and when you’re standing in a fitting room, just in lingerie, years of not being your own best friend controls the experience.”
Through Eclectic Kurves, Holmes host events, social media giveaways and offers personal styling services, including closet purging, image building and special event attire. Holmes wants to create an empire for plus-size women and encourages all women to join the Kurvy Nation.
“For me, beauty comes in all shapes and sizes with colorful backgrounds and diverse stories. That’s what Eclectic Kurves is all about,” Holmes said.
Holmes, 31, said the blog has been therapeutic and helped her to embrace her size 22, apple-shaped body.
“I didn’t always have this super strong confidence,” Holmes said. “Over time, I learned to embrace my curves and embrace my personal style.”
Holmes said she is true to the name of the blog with eclectic fashion, whether it be bold prints, Betsy Johnson attire or a yellow coy fish-patterned dress with holographic platform sandals.
For Holmes, style runs in the family. Her late grandmother, Bernice Blaine, a 1960s fashionista who often donned hats, furs, brooches and beautiful dresses, was featured in the Indianapolis Star as one of the Top 10 Best Dressed Women in Indianapolis.
“I remember watching her get dressed in the morning. She was so polished and poised,” Holmes said. “I know I get the fashion gene from her. Her closet was a wonderland. I should’ve known she was a game changer then, not just in fashion, but in the community.”
Holmes is following in her grandmother’s footsteps by inspiring women to embrace their bodies, shape and style.
Indianapolis fashion photographer, mother of two and Eclectic Kurves fan Vanessa Soto said the blog helped inspire her to not settle for leggings and a sweatshirt but rather take the time to do her hair, put cute outfits together and not give up on herself.
“(Holmes’) message is so vital for women because she’s giving them a place to turn when the ‘norm’ is telling them that they have to fit into a specific size,” Soto said. “(Holmes) works hard, daily, to show curvy women that you can rock a crop top and you can wear bold stripes and you can be curvy and still look amazing.”
Holmes recently launched the ‘I am More’ project through Eclectic Kurves, a series that explores real woman and how they are more than meets the eye.
Holmes lives in Carmel with her husband and two children and is also the talent acquisition manager at Opportunities for Positive Growth in Fishers and style guru for Love U Magazine.
To connect with Eclectic Kurves, visit eclectickurves.com or follow @EclecticKurves on Instagram.
Sierra Holmes’ top picks
Brands handpicked by Eclectic Kurves for positive approaches to plus-size clothing include:
Local brands
- Endeavor Boutique
- So Anxious Clothing
- Runway Diva Boutique
- Little Gypsy Boutique
- Gratitude Boutique
National brands
- Eloquii
- Target’s Who What Wear collection
- Lane Bryant
- ASOS Curve
- Forever 21
- Talbots
- Zelie for She
