Mala MTL brings being bad to plus-size fashion
Leather mini-skirts, mesh pants and a faux-fur coat that would entice even Cruella de Vil — with every hanger she places on the rack, Sandra Munoz Diaz is creating her own fashion rules.
Her boutique, Mala MTL, is one of few in Montreal devoted to vintage and second-hand clothing in plus sizes.
"It's very difficult to shop as a plus-size person and feel welcome, and free to try on anything you want," says Diaz.
Carving out a safe space for plus-size fashion
The fashion design graduate went into business in 2018, after noticing the demand on plus-size Facebook groups.
Five years later, Diaz's boutique is nestled in the Cadbury Lofts, a 1909 industrial building in the eastern section of the Plateau neighbourhood.
The location is a bit off the beaten path, and that is deliberate. Diaz wants to foster a safe space for clients to explore styles rarely seen in mainstream plus-size fashion.
"You can try on colourful prints, clothes that are short or long, clothes that show your belly, because I will not judge you, right?"
"I'm someone who is very confident in my body. That opens it up for my clients to feel good about their bodies, as well," she says.
A long road to body acceptance
That confidence didn't always come easy. Diaz spent much of her childhood unable to wear the same styles as her classmates, trying diet after diet.
"At some point, I realized I was always trying to perform. Trying to be a 'good fatty.' That's what we call someone who is always trying to lose weight, to look slimmer, trying to be the most 'acceptable' way you can be, as a fat person."
Diaz's reflection helped her shed those constraints and experiment with punk and DIY fashion as a teenager.
It also inspired her tongue-in-cheek business name: mala means bad in her first language, Spanish.
"When I stopped doing all that, I became a 'bad fatty,' right?" laughed Diaz. "A bad fat person, because you're not trying to hide yourself, or become smaller. You're taking up the space you need."
Hope for change, amid an uncertain climate
Despite the demand for size-inclusive clothing, Diaz says the plus-size shopping scene has taken a hit in recent years.
In August of 2020, Montreal-based company Reitmans closed its stores under the plus-size Addition Elle banner. Diaz says many other retailers only carry plus sizes online, leaving customers with no choice but to buy before they try.
"It's sad for us to not be able to go in-store, to shop. That shouldn't be happening. Why? That's a good question. I don't have an answer, sadly," said Diaz.
Perhaps a sign of change on the horizon, some independent fashion brands are patching the gap. Proudly displayed in the middle of Diaz's shop is a rack of intimates from Montreal-based labels like Arako and Drama Club Lingerie.
Drama Club's owner, Marika Porlier, isn't plus-size herself, but went all-in on size-inclusivity after learning about the difficulties faced by plus-size customers.
"I've had really good feedback. This week, one of Sandra's clients said it was her first time feeling sexy in lingerie. I live for that. It feels like I'm doing the right thing."
As a designer that carries sizes XS to 5XL, Porlier focuses on how she wants clients to feel in her clothing.
"I want to offer the same look that straight sizes get. It's not about hiding the body. It's about having access to something that everyone else can have," Porlier says.
It's about more than just the clothes
Running an independent business in today's retail landscape isn't always smooth sailing. Diaz only went full time with Mala MTL this past year, and challenges herself to keep prices affordable for her clients, who can bring in clothing in exchange for store credit.
As she works to change the fashion scene, Diaz also hopes to help other plus-size people see their bodies in a different light.
"A lot of people tell me, 'Oh, I love that on you, but I would never wear it.' So how do you step up from that?" asks Diaz.
"It's to look at yourself in the mirror with kindness. To say, 'I look great today. I like my sparkling eyes. I like my curly hair.' At some point, it will just come naturally to like yourself, and feel free."
Or, to offer an alternate mirror affirmation ripped from the lyrics of singer, songwriter, and flautist extraordinaire Lizzo, whose image is featured behind Mala MTL's cash register:
"I do my hair toss, check my nails. 'Baby, how you feelin'?' Feelin' good as hell!"
