Top Designer Seeks Plus Size Retail Collaboration

While the name Michael Costello may not ring a bell, his dresses have certainly left a mark in celebrity fashion and pop culture. His work has been seen on the likes of Kim Kardashian, Caitlyn Jenner, Laverne Cox. Queen Latifah, Jennifer Lopez, and many more. , in an interview with Yahoo Style, Costello credits himself as one of the few designers to embrace body diversity as a designer and stylist:

"Those damn copycats — they saw it first on my page! I have to be a little catty here, but the Michael Costello Instagram page is definitely one to follow, because we set trends. No one was dabbling into size, no one was dressing anyone who was trans, no one was dressing anyone with curves. It was all about the skinny supermodel or the skinny starlet. Ever since we started doing it, so many people are getting the opportunity for it. But I’m not jealous, I’m actually really happy that fashion is able to push the boundaries that we’ve been close to for so many years. We see people like Ashley Graham getting these covers that have never been able to be reached by women who are size 14,16, 18. I want to see more of that. So if designers are jumping on the bandwagon and following the trends that plus-size is in, then please, do it, because at the end of the day, you’re going to be making a lot of women very happy."

Like designer Christian Siriano, Costello doesn't see curves as an obstacle in fashion design. Unlike the "Project Runway" winner, Costello has yet to work with major plus size retailers like Lane Bryant on a capsule collection. And not because he's too busy:

"If somebody called us, Lane Bryant or another company, and they wanted to do something with us, I’d be more than happy to do it. But to go back to something you said, in 2008 to 2013, the U.S. American average plus-size woman and number one size that was out there was a size 14. When 2014 to the present happened, that size 14 turned into a size 14/16, so if that’s where today’s women are, then us as designers really need to start targeting that and start helping them more."

What are you waiting for, plus size retailers?! Michael Costello is available—just call him!