The Right Fit For The Curvy Indian Body

We explore the road less travelled to find the right fit for the curvy Indian body.

- Rushmika Banerjee

When we started ideating for inclusivity in fashion, I steered clear of driving the conversation towards plus-size fashion, as over the years, the industry has accepted the need to bring a much-needed change about sizes that go beyond small, medium, and large. When fashion houses like Christian Siriano and Chromat cast 10 and nine plus-size models, respectively, for New York Fashion Week (NYFW) Fall/Winter 2018 early this year, it looked like, body positivity was finally on the forefront internationally. Even at Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2018, held in August this year, two shows were dedicated to diverse sizing.

A meeting with my editor busted that myth, when she told me how difficult it is for her to find clothes on-the-rack. We returned to that topic, and realised that in India, it is indeed a market that has not been explored to its full potential. Hetal Kotak, CEO, aLL-The Plus Size Store, says, “The industry is opening up and gearing to create fashion for fuller frames. There are a few online and offline players, who are experimenting with plus-size fashion. Since it is a niche category, a certain level of expertise, in terms of fashion, manufacturing, and retail, is required, but overall it is a great industry to operate in”. This set us on a path to find out if the industry indeed practices what it preaches by making an effective inclusive space for plus-size women.

SETTING THE FOUNDATION