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Thursday, December 4, 2014

Gene Simmons' designer daughter Sophie on why she refuses to allow her photos to be retouched - and how she learned to embrace her father's 'crass' attitude

  • The size eight 22-year-old has her own fashion label, Sophie x The Style Club, which is aimed at women who are 'average sized' 
  • Sophie's mother is former Playmate of the Year Shannon Tweed 
Designer Sophie Tweed-Simmons has revealed that she refuses to let images of herself be retouched before they are shown to the public. 
In an age when almost every photo featured in the pages of the world's favorite fashion magazines has been subject to at least a few photoshop tricks and tweaks, the 22-year-old insists that people should be able to see her exactly as she is, without any unrealistic enhancements.
Speaking to Yahoo Style, the designer, who admits to changing dress sizes on a regular basis, confessed that size eight is her 'happy place', adding: 'I like eating cookies and food.
'I like the treadmill, but I don't want to kill myself.'
Posing in a stunning set of images for the fashion site, the designer insisted that none of the photos, which were taken in New York City, should undergo any 'cosmetic' alterations. 
And it's not just this shoot on which Sophie has taken such a stance.
Indeed after completing her first photoshoot for her fashion range, Sophie x The Style Club, the burgeoning fashion star noticed that the images had later been retouched - and she promptly sent them back and asked them to be returned to their former natural glory.
'My legs looked too good,' she recalls.
'I want to give girls confidence': Sophie's fashion label doesn't discriminate by size, and she hopes that her designs will suit all women, no matter what their shape 
Having faced her fair share of the spotlight before reaching the age of 18, beginning when she first starred in her family's reality series, Gene Simmons: Family Jewels, at the age of 11, Sophie admits she was eager to step away from the shadow that both of her parents had cast and make a name for herself as a designer.
'When I'm singing, I'm Gene Simmons's daughter,' she said. 'When I'm acting, I'm Shannon Tweed's daughter. With fashion, I'm just me. I'm not just "daughter of blank".'
That said, Sophie confesses she was happy to trade on her well-known name to a certain extent - provided she could use it to help her make a change within the industry.
'I felt like I really had the chance to give girls confidence with affordable clothing,' she added. 
'If you have a platform, you should use it.'


And it's not just her parents' creative talents that Sophie has inherited. The designer admits that, while she was often embarrassed by her father's over-the-top and in-your-face behavior when she was a child, now she sees it as a blessing. 
'When I was little, I'd think: "Can't you just be nice?"' she said of the 65-year-old rocker.
'He taught me that there's being nice and then there's lying. It's better to be blunt and un-liked than shade the truth. I appreciate people who are honest.'
Her straight-talking attitude no doubt helped when it came to making a name for herself within the fashion industry, marking her out from those designers who only cater to the small, select group of women who can fit into their clothing.
'I'm not a high-fashion model, and I'm not plus size,' Sophie says of her own body. 'Which is weird for fashion, but not for life.
'A lot of designers that I love don't fit me. I wanted to do cuts that would be flattering to girls who have some shape.'
Earlier this year, Sophie, who is based in Los Angeles, revealed that her first 18-piece collaboration with The Style Club was tailored to suit her own body type - particularly in the derriere. 
'The cuts of the pieces are all flattering,' Sophie explained. 'All the waistbands are elastic, which I prefer. Essentially, the collection is based around my butt...
'We don't want to limit who buys the collection based on sizing; the cuts will look good on everyone.
'We want our shoppers to be part of the process with us. So give us feedback and tell us what's working on your body. Just because it works on my butt doesn't mean it works for everyone.'  

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