Bethany Calvin launched Sheeek! By Bee in September 2014 after growing frustrated with the limited, unflattering options pushed to the back of stores for plus size women. The self-taught Houston designer builds bold, unapologetic, edgy-chic collections — rich in prints, color, and leather — constructed to accentuate the full-figured body, hence the name “Sheeek.” A…
Ndiritzy Bridal Couture is the custom design house of Kate Nnonyelu, creating handcrafted, luxury wedding gowns and special-occasion dresses tailored to flatter every curve. Every piece is made to order in any size between 0 and 8X, addressing the chronic lack of beautiful, well-fitting bridal options for plus size and full-figured brides. A Black, woman-owned…
Onion Cut & Sewn was created by Whitney Mero, a very curvy woman who struggled to find beautifully made, well-fitting clothing in standard retail sizing. The brand makes refined, wear-everywhere essentials — dresses and more — entirely to order, tailored to each client’s exact measurements across an inclusive range of sizes 0–28, with custom lengths…
Hannah Nodskov began Hannah Caroline Couture in 2012 while still in high school, teaching herself to sew after struggling to find clothing that fit her own plus size frame. The Omaha-based brand specializes in custom and bespoke wedding gowns and formalwear for brides of all sizes — offering a size-inclusive range from 0 to 36…
Founded in 2019 by sisters Keyondra (a singer-songwriter) and Kimberly Lockett (a wardrobe stylist), Jolie Noire grew out of a desire to see themselves represented in fashion — as both Black and plus size women. The Atlanta brand describes its line as “elevated essential wear”: comfortable, size-inclusive athleisure, graphic tees, and sweatshirts in sizes XS–6XL,…
Curvy Bombshells set out to challenge the assumption that plus size shoppers only want affordable basics, building a premium swimwear and lingerie label designed exclusively for curvy women in sizes 14–28. The founder-led, direct-to-consumer brand applies luxury-level fit precision and craftsmanship to bold, eye-catching pieces — supportive bikinis, sculpting one-pieces, lace bodysuits, and bridal lingerie…
Founded in 2014 by Atlanta-based plus size model and designer Francie Maupin, The Diva Kurves Collection delivers high-quality, durable clothing that mixes chic with fierce for the full-figured woman who loves to show off her confidence. The brand is especially known for its bold #SwimThick swimwear alongside statement dresses and holiday pieces, sized up to…
Diarra Blu is the fashion line of designer Diarra Bousso, who fuses her love of fashion and mathematics by deriving the brand’s intricate signature patterns from mathematical equations. The size-inclusive label serves women from 0 to 3X and goes a step further by custom-fitting pieces to each customer’s height, addressing fit gaps that off-the-rack plus…
CURVYKINI was born from its founder’s frustration at being offered only matronly swim dresses in plus sizes, and her belief that not every curvy woman wants to cover up. The brand designs luxury, high-quality swimwear and resortwear — vintage-inspired bikinis, supportive underwire styles, and sculpting one-pieces — in an inclusive range of about sizes 10–24,…
Courtney Smith founded Courtney Noelle in 2013 to push the boundaries of plus size design, building a Brooklyn-based, made-to-order design house for bold, fashion-forward curvy women in sizes 10–28. The label is recognized for its daring prints, glamorous silhouettes, and playful themed collections (including ones inspired by Living Single and Girlfriends), and its custom designer…
Founded in 2006 by designer Kenyatta, Bella Rene’ set out to prove that plus size women deserved their own high-fashion label, debuting a contemporary signature line in 2010 and building a reputation for avant-garde, head-turning runway collections. In 2018 the Georgia-based, Black woman-owned brand became the first exclusively plus size label to show at New…
Anifa Mvuemba launched Hanifa in 2011, building a self-taught, independent label committed to celebrating women of all shapes through vibrant color and strong, sculptural tailoring. The brand became a size-inclusive standout (sizes 0–20) and drew global attention in May 2020 with its “Pink Label Congo” collection, presented on invisible 3D avatars in a pioneering virtual…