Today Dia&Co launched their #movefashionforward campaign and it’s a major call to action to the fashion industry.

The bold campaign aims to bridge the gap between major fashion designers and the 67% of women in the United States who wear plus size clothing.

The brand told us exclusively that the #movefashionforward campaign’s mission is to move the ongoing conversation on size inclusivity from talk to action, by offering designers practical support based on the expertise they’ve gained from working with over one million plus size women over the past 2 years.

The brand recently conducted a consumer survey to better understand the relationship that plus-size women have with fashion. Key findings included:

• 72% said they do not believe that fashion designers create their designs with the average American woman in mind.
• 78% would be willing to spend more money on clothing if more designers offered plus-size options.
• The #1 designer that plus-size women wish would create clothing in their size is Kate Spade, followed by Tommy Hilfiger, Kenneth Cole, and Diane von Furstenberg.

The Dia&Co Designer Fashion Study was conducted by OnePoll in January 2017. It surveyed 1,500 American women aged 18 and up, who reported wearing sizes 14+ and also self-identified as plus-size.

These survey results are what inspired the #movefashionforward campaign as they saw there was a need to not just talk about the lack of size inclusivity in the industry but take action.

As part of the campaign, the brand has taken out a full-page ad in the New York Times Thursday Style section in today’s paper. The ad issues a call directly to designers in town for New York Fashion Week, challenging them to create styles for all sizes with the brand’s support.

You can view the NYT ad here: Dia&Co NYTimes ad_2.9.17 (1)

This move from Dia&Co shows how committed the brand is to making fashion accessible to all women. 

Nadia Boujarwah, CEO and Co-Founder of Dia&Co said in an official statement:

“We founded Dia&Co because we believe in the power of style. We’ve seen firsthand that style can transform how we feel about ourselves, and it can serve as an expression of identity. All women deserve equal opportunity to express their style. At Dia&Co, we’re committed to partnering with industry leaders to break down any barriers that may prevent them from serving plus-size women exceptionally.”

Other key elements of the campaign include:

• Social Campaign : Dia&Co has called upon its community to join the movement on social media by sharing their most coveted designers and asking them to #movefashionforward.
• Event Sponsorship : Dia&Co also announced today its 2017 title sponsorship of theCURVYcon, the premier event for plus-size brands, fashionistas, bloggers and influencers. The third annual event will be held in New York City during Fashion Week in September 2017. Dia&Co returns for its third consecutive year as a sponsor, but its first as title sponsor. This year, Dia&Co will host theCURVYcon’s first plus-size runway show — and the company is reserving a spot for the designers who accept its challenge.

And it doesn’t end there. In addition to offering designers a spot on theCURVYcon runway, Dia&Co is also planning to offer designers who accept the #movefashionforward challenge access to the expertise, proprietary technology, and distribution networks developed through its extensive work with plus-size women.

Boujarwah adds:

“We’ve seen exciting moments of progress for plus-size women in recent years, but the most significant action is still ahead of us. It’s time to take bolder steps toward true inclusivity in fashion. We’re ready to do our part, and we hope this challenge will inspire more designers to celebrate all women.”

What do you think about this new campaign from Dia&Co? You can join the conversation by using the hashtag #movefashionforward and following Dia&Co on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @diaandco.

You can visit Dia&Co here.