Dia & Co is getting into luxury? You have to admit, with this pandemic, City Chic buying CoEdition, and Torrid going public, there has been a lot of interesting things happening in the plus size fashion space. The latest news? Is that Dia & Co acquired 11 Honoré, the luxury plus size retailer- which is sure to shake up the luxe plus size space.
Our minds immediately go to an opportunity in positively impacting the access to plus size fashion, which is at the core of Dia & Co.’s ethos. This is curious…
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“In my two decades as a plus size shopper, the promise of being able to joyfully shop the brands I love for everything from $25 t-shirts to $2,500 dresses, made to fit my body, seamlessly in one place, has been the ultimate dream,” said Dia & Co. CEO Nadia Boujarwah. “Joining forces with 11 Honoré has made that dream a reality on our platform and will fundamentally transform the shopping experience for our customers.”
We are hopeful and curious, now that Dia & Co Acquired 11 Honoré. This acquisition could bring out the best of for each brand. Could we see more designer collections, because of Dia & Co.’s supply chain? Will there be more access to styling services and seasonal personal boxes or will we get a rental option ala Rent the Runway? Could we see more high-end designers going beyond a 22? Into a 4X at minimum?
We have all the questions and are extremely hyped about the possibilities!
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“Patrick and I have met a lot of times in the last couple of years and I think what became very clear was that the offering that we can build together — truly offering our customers everything from Madewell to Carolina Herrera in one place — is in a very fundamental way (and I say this speaking as both a plus-size consumer and the CEO of a plus-size business) the ultimate dream shopping experience come true,” Nadia Boujarwah, cofounder and chief executive officer of Dia & Co., told WWD in an exclusive interview. “In coming together we can bring experiences to life for consumers that the category hasn’t been able to deliver, up until this point.”
You see where we are going here?
And Nadia was not alone in this sentiment. Patrick Herning added in this interview: “Where we complement each other is bringing a brand point of view that will be newer to the [Dia] platform, this marriage of size, scale and brand. What this is now creating is the destination vehicle for distribution. That’s where we enter, as this fully integrated partner, where we can speak to brands across all price points now and have that vehicle to get product in front of the right audience is a match made in heaven.”
At a time where the plus size community has lost access to more in store options: with Catherines and Avenue shuttering doors and moving online, Lane Bryant reducing their stores, Eloquii closing all their physical stores, knowing where to buy your plus size clothing poses its unique challenges.
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But this is where the digital community and online plus size resources come in.
On how the pandemic has created this opportunity, Nadia tells WWD: “The positive news coming out of the pandemic is that the conversation about representation and inclusivity has never been clearer and that’s wonderful… I think the flip side of the equation though is that the reality of what happened to plus-size options during the pandemic, is that they were actually meaningfully reduced.”
It makes sense to gain a stronger foundation and offering to the community, than to completely lose out on a retailer or brand, right?
This may be a little daunting or concerning to go through so much change with this climate, but on the other side, we could see stronger options, service, and fashion- right? Now that Dia & Co Acquired 11 Honoré, there are more options, yes?! Options? Possibilities?
Hopefully!
With this news, we learn how they are approaching this deal, with strategy at the top of mind. There are so many goodies that this acquisition could yield us. Our mind immediately starts to think about the various designers who could leverage the supply channel and marketing access that Dia & Co. carry.
This is also inclusive of sizing and fit, something Nadia notes in her interview with WWD:
“One of the things that we’ve really focused on — and this acquisition is really a testament to that strategy — is the idea that we need to be able to have a way for brands to succeed in the plus [category], without them having to do everything — from fit, tech and design, all the way to distribution and marketing. That playbook has played out multiple times and the truth is that it’s a very tall order for most brands to be able to get right.
“Instead of having brands go down the path of trying to go from zero to 100 on their own, [the brands can] work with a partner like Dia and 11 Honoré that are really able to specialize in that value proposition for the customer and [then the] brands can focus on producing the absolute best product and the most beautiful assortment possible. And we can really help with the marketing and distribution of that product.”
Yes, Nadia.
Do you know what this also opens space for? Melissa Mercedes. Jibri. Christian Omeshun. Courtney Noelle. Barkwood Clothing. Hilary MacMillan. Baacal. And Sooooooo Many More.
News that Dia & Co Acquired 11 Honoré creates a space for more indie contemporary plus size designers who fit the 11 Honoré aesthetic. Perhaps this deal opens up channels to actively provide support to the plus size indie designers who bring innovation, style, and what is missing in the plus size space.
Can you see it? Can you?
Well, make sure to stay subscribed, because we will definitely be sharing new and updates as they come down the pipeline!
In the meantime, 11 Honoré will continue on at 11honore.com, until fully integrated at www.dia.com in the near future.
What do you think of this news that Dia & Co Acquired 11 Honoré?
Does this make you curious?
Does this excite?
How are you feeling about all these changes in the plus size fashion space? Let us know in the comments below!
Is Dia & Co still subscription only? I signed up early on and wasn’t overly impress with the options they selected for me. Might have to give it another shot.
No – they’re not. You need an account to shop individual items or rent or have curated boxes. It’s really evolving and I’m excited to see what it all looks like going forward.
Not sure how I feel about this. I am a loyal 11 Honoré fan because I liked the exclusivity of finding well-made, high quality plus size pieces that everybody else wasn’t wearing. I noticed that they started watering down their quality and their new designs were trash, not the staple pieces they started out with. I feel like this merger was just to bail out 11 Honoré being passed off as “opportunity”. This feels like when Eloquii announced they were entering Walmart.
So disappointed by their new fall line after their relaunch. The pieces have prints seen in the likes of wet seal and forever 21 in the early 2000s. The silhouettes are uninspired, the overall designs lacking the sophistication and elevated look of previous pieces.
Not good. You have just combined a Target with Saks.
I just went to check out 11 Honore collection on Dia – I liked quite a few things! However almost ALL the high end designers were gone when I filtered for my size 22/24. It was City Chic and a few others , that’s it ! Now for me the former 11 Honore would have been an indulgence, but what happened to all the gorgeous high end garments to lust after and possibly make a splurge? Did they all leave? I’m so disappointed. It was the one place to see ACTUAL style and quality materials ( not all polyester garbage!) in one place and be inspired. Do you know what happened?
I am not sure but I am hopig it is part of the transition and that we will still get to experience some of the magic we had with them! Fingers crossed!