Marie Denee I have made this list before. Interestingly enough, a few still remain on this list for varied reasons and a new one for practicality.
With the emergence of more contemporary plus size designers, coupled with the strides and barriers broken or challenged in plus size fashion, I feel that these brands could easily slide into plus size fashion. I mean, some of these brands have entered into every other retail category except for plus size fashion and with how capitalized these brands are, I feel with the right strategy and execution, launching or even extending their brand into plus size fashion is warranted and long expected (at least for me, it is).
So before I break down a bit more why I feel these brands could venture into plus sizes, let me share with you the five I think could turn the plus size fashion out! Seriously…
FOUR Designers I Wish Would Get Into Plus Sizes
BCBG
DKNY
DVF
Theory
Now here comes the Why…
With expansions into shoes, handbags, jewelry, and home products, DVF and DKNY slay in the contemporary space. With accessible pricepoints and comparable designers, I feel that these two household names and designers could SLAY the market in unprecedented ways. I mean Rachel Pally and Monif C are already leading this!
DKNY, NOT to be confused with the DKNYC (diffusion range); just put up two curvier women on the runway for fashion week and it was fabulous. In its house of brands, DKNY jeans and DKNYC cater to the plus size woman, but I WANT THE MAIN LINE. I want the PURE collection in my life. I am biased here, as once upon a time, I used to be a specialist for the brand and I identify with this aesthetic SO HARD.
DVF, the mother of the wrap dress already goes up to a size 14 (if you get lucky) but the powerhouse and iconic brand who is for women’s empowerment speaks to my heart and soul for sooo many reasons. If they need a brand that could tell them this market is viable, look to Anna Scholz.
With Vincent Camuto giving us inspiration from DKNY in its plus size ranges, I already know that there is a market here for the contemporary plus size shopper who doesn’t mind investing in herself and her closet.
Theory, for me, is known for its amazing suiting. Contemporary fits, seasonless appeal, and with a cult-like following, there isn’t a brand in plus size fashion offering this option for her. Finding plus size suiting that is sharp, edgy, contemporary, and that can mix and match, like it’s current brand is like finding a needle in a haystack. There are a few places to shop for amazing wear-to-work options, but not so readily. Hell, you could partner with Blooomingdales or Nordstrom to test this out… watch how well you would do!
BCBG. How I love you and your life. How I long for and imagine a day I could walk into your store and drop a few hundred on your pieces… Comparable to our Eloquii, Vince Camuto, with the feminine edge opposite CarmaKoma, BCBG has a HUGE range of brands and aesthetics that could easily fit into our closet. From classic to unique edgy pieces, I am sure that this range has its place here.
Overall
The current climate of plus size fashion has changed. We are not One size fits all, we have varying personalities, not afraid of celebrating life and our bodies. We are not One STYLE fits all. Stats show that “Plus-size sales are poised to jump 5.2% annually in the next five years while overall apparel sales will climb a modest 2.7%,” according to research firm IbisWorld. “The category is expected to hit $9.7 billion by 2017, up from an estimated $7.5 billion this year and $6.6 billion in 2009.”
From a business perspective, look to ModCloth who is racking it up when it comes to the plus size consumer. Rachel Pally, Nordstrom Encore Department, Single Dress, Fuzzi, ABS by Allen Scwartz, Tadashi Shoji, you can look to these brands too! And this is only a partial list…
As shared in my Rise of the Plus Size Shopper Post:
ModCloth realized and deduced that new plus-size customers spend 25% more per order, buy 17% more items per order than regular-sized shoppers, and are 66% more likely to spread the ModCloth gospel via social media.
It looks like I am not alone too! Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour writes of the magazine’s June cover model Kate Upton, “if the high-fashion world seems incapable of figuring out what to do with her … then that’s it’s loss.”
I really do believe in these brands, I stalk them, sigh over them, gasp over them, and swoon at the idea of having them available in plus sizes. One day. One day they will and I will relish the day it happens.
