This Aidy Bryant-Loved Indie Brand Launched Extended Sizes

There are many reasons to love SNL and Shrill actress Aidy Bryant: a sly and bawdy sense of humour that belies her super-sweet appearance; infectious, rock-star-level self-confidence, and of course, her girly, slightly kooky and ultimately enviably cool style that never keeps her cool and never too serious. “She likes to wear colours and keep it cheery and happy,” says Bryant’s stylist Rebecca Grice. “She is very self-assured and knows what she wants.”

Bryant is also an avid supporter of independent brands like Batsheva, Ganni, Rachel Comey, and Sandy Liang. “If you’re not a size 2, it can be a little daunting out there, but these designers have gone the extra mile to make things happen,” Rebecca told us. Another brand to add to this canon is Wray, a New York-based line that recently entered Bryant’s orbit — and the timing couldn’t be better.

It was this close to Christmas when designer Wray Serna received a slightly sweat-inducing direct message on Instagram: it was Rebecca, wondering if the New York-based designer could make versions of two dresses she’d posted in her Stories tailored for the Shrill actress. “They were bright and fun, with a sense of whimsy and feminine cool — they ticked all the right boxes,” Rebecca told Refinery29. They’d just need the pieces in about two weeks — despite the fact that they were about to enter a holiday break.

“Everyone was like, ‘You’re just going to have to turn this request down,’” says the tenacious designer, “but if I need it to happen, it’s going to happen.” With a burst of entrepreneurial moxie and a flurry of communication with her manufacturers, she says, “I got them to make the dress. Fast. It was the most hustling I’ve ever done because I love Aidy.”

There was another factor working in her favour: the collection was already getting “graded”, as they say, in extended sizes, as Serna was planning to add a more inclusive range to the launch of her Spring/Summer ‘20 line. “I was really excited that this was happening, because we were planning on making plus sizes anyway in production,” explained the designer. “It felt like it was fate.”

Even better? The collection in question launched yesterday on Wray’s website — including the two chic-and-cheerful styles Bryant could be seen wearing around New York in the days leading up to the Season 2 premiere of Shrill. Click below to shop the entire stylish collection in newly expanded sizes ranging from XS - 3X. Prices in USD and available to ship to Canada.