New York Fashion Week wrapped on Monday. On catwalks that see less than one percent of plus-size people and in a world of ever-increasing interest in weight loss pills and diet culture, there is light in the sea of skinny: designers who refuse to back down from fatness.
67% of American women are considered plus-size, meaning they wear a size 14 or higher, according to a 2016 study done by the International Journal of Fashion Design Technology and Education.
Meanwhile, the latest Vogue Business inclusivity report released in March 2025 states that only 24 of the 8703 runway looks, .03%, would fit the average American woman. That’s actually down from the first report done by Vogue Business in 2023, where .06% of looks would fit her.
“This is about more than fashion. Our customer is treated differently because of her size,” Julie Carnevale, Co-founder of plus-size brand ELOQUII, told Forbes. “We are going to do everything in our power to equalize her and bring equality into fashion because sadly it’s 2025, and (the fashion industry) still is not there.”
If anything, the fashion industry has done a backslide. In the non-luxury market, plus-size retailer Torrid is shuttering stores.
Brands like H&M, Old Navy, and Ava and Viv at Target are shrinking their in-store sections and limiting sizes offered. Forever 21 even deleted its Instagram for its plus-size clothing counterpart in 2024. But as brands trim the fat, only the consumer suffers, and bigger-bodied people are not going anywhere.
At NYFW, designers like Christian Siriano and Prabal Gurung are featured in the main NYFW lineup and have plus-size models in their lineup, but shows dedicated to what the average American woman represents were few and far between.
Eloquii, which launched in 2011 and may feature sizes up to 32, made its NYFW debut – and the only show with all plus-size models.
In a fashion week of drab colors and, as Washington Post columnist Rachel Tashjian put it, “nice trousers and sort-of-interesting tops for upper-middle-class women on the go,” and “blazers just oversize enough to convey ‘mystery,’” Eloquii brings more than that.
They are bold not just for being for plus-size people, but for choosing to not hide the bodies they design for.
Typically, clothing for bigger women features cold-shoulder cutouts, designs of skulls and flowers, and/or animal print, unflattering, oversized silhouettes … nothing like the fringe and feathers and funky flare of Eloquii.
Similar is Nina Parker, who also made her NYFW debut. The television host-slash-designer’s line had lots of co-ords: a striped shirt/tie/trouser combo, skirts, and shirts with lace panels. Dresses ranged from fitted to flowy that can be worn for work or play.
For both Eloquii and Nina Parker, of course, keeping up with the straight-size trend, there were some of those oversized mysterious blazers and nice trousers, but the outfits weren’t limited to being understated.
There are drop waists, form-fitting maxi dresses, and bustier tops. These are silhouettes that are usually saved for skinnier bodies.
“My mission is to deliver exceptional fit with elevated fashion that celebrates, rather than compromises, our individuality,” Yesenia Torres, creative director for Eloquii, told Forbes. “Every detail is intentional because I know firsthand the power that comes from wearing clothing made with you in mind. Plus-size fashion should never be an afterthought, it deserves to be the focus.”
That sentiment is echoed by Renee Cafaro Atelier. Featuring plus-size, queer, and drag models, the website describes the brand as a “haute couture design house exclusively for those who feel left out by the high fashion industry.”
Her designs have graced Oscar winners, musicians, and even drag queens on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.
“In a time when governments are trying to strip us of individuality and demand us to be smaller, this art-forward collection insists on being larger than life,” Renee Cafaro told Forbes. “This is my most inclusive and outlandish runway yet because I feel we must be our loudest when others want us to be quiet.”
This couture collection, titled “Out of Scale,” was a series of daring, creative clothing with almost a whimsical edge to it.
According to Forbes, Carafo says the inspiration was drawn from today’s period of social and global unease, along with internal personal reflections.
In a world – beyond fashion – that yells to be smaller in whatever way possible, these designers are advocates to be more, be bigger, louder, and prouder. They remind us that fashion has no size limit.
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Victoria Mione
When she's not reading or fighting writer's block, Victoria works in the news industry helping stations get ready for their morning shows. Check out her work: victoriamionewrites.wordpress.com mercurialwrites.substack.com Instagram: @victoriamionewrites