The plus-sized fashion market is no longer an afterthought parked in the basement corners of department stores. And with 67% of American women wearing size 14 and above it shouldn’t be. The plus size apparel category has grown by 17% in the past three years generating $20.4 billion in annual sales, and this year high fashion is paying attention. The Spring 18 runway season showed the most model diversity the industry has seen in a long time. According to the Diversity Report from The Fashion Spot a record 93 plus-sized models walked the runways, up from 30 last season and 16 in Spring 17. This inclusion of all body types has also brought the topic of the label ‘plus-size’ and ‘curve’ to the forefront of product design and advertising (plus sized women only account for 1-2% of the bodies represented in mainstream media). The fashion industry has a responsibility to recognize that it can’t look at women and beauty in a one-note way, this report highlights leading brands and influencers pushing this conversation and business forward.

Leading Influencers

These top curve models and social media influencers are impacting women with personal experiences, giving a generation of girls and women self confidence through a positive body image. The women below are not only walking high-fashion runways, they are also the faces for well known brands like H&M, Sports Illustrated, Glossier and Fenty Beauty.

Additional Markets

Here we focus on how plus-sized fashion is playing out in different areas of women’s fashion including swimwear, lingerie and fast fashion. The designers of these brands are dedicated to make sure colors, prints, fabrics and trends fit curvy silhouettes. Many of these pieces can be found in subscription boxes by companies like Dia and PLVSH, a popular shopping method for plus-sized women due to their personal styling suggestions and the comfort of trying outfits on at home.

Fashion Runways

The increased visibility of plus size models during the Spring 18 runway season, especially in New York was met with major praise not only by the public but by Anna Anna Wintour herself. Designers including Chromat, Michael Kors, Prabal Gurung and Christian Siriano featured multiple plus size models.

-Heather Picquot