Isabelle Torossian is an Australian fashion designer and the creator of Torossian, a line of clothes for women that are tailored to fit each woman’s body shape. She has been married three times, most recently to a man called Nick Cave who she describes as “not so much a husband as a friend”. She is thirty years old in her mid thirties and describes herself as “a full figured woman”.
Isabelle started her career at the age of sixteen, when she was studying for an art degree at college. After graduating she decided to give up her career and concentrate on her hand to eye accuracy sewing. This led her to begin creating her first clothing designs at the age of twenty-one. Although a talented designer, her career path was one characterized by short heights and wide shoulders, something not common in the fashion industry at the time. Despite her obvious talents, she says she always lacked confidence, feeling like a size zero.
As a result of her insecurity she spent many years trying to hide her disfigurement. She would only wear skirts, which only accentuated her shorter stature, for fear of being ridiculed. At the age of forty she decided to undergo surgery in order to improve her looks, but this was not an option she thought would be wise considering the negative effect it could have on her career. Fortunately, by this time she had worked out her insecurity and improved her self-esteem, and in recent years has managed to develop a strong sense of confidence and an amazing sense of self worth. Isabelle’s success can be put down to the fact that she studied art, and that in her early twenties she chose a profession that focused on creating clothes that were for people of average height, something very different than what most designers of large proportions do today.