Why Representation Matters: The Importance of Seeing Plus-Size Bodies in Indian Fashion

Plus-Size Indian Clothing and Why it Matters

India is a country known for its diversity—of culture, ethnicity, and landscape. But when it comes to fashion, that same inclusivity hasn’t always translated into size representation. While Indian clothing has a variety of silhouettes and styles, it has lacked inclusivity for people of all body types for far too long. If you scroll most of the popular Indian clothing websites, you barely find a model that’s over a size Medium, let alone sizing that goes above XL. This has left so many plus-size customers with few—if any—options.

Back in 2017, when I started HARLEEN KAUR in New York City, I envisioned a brand that felt inclusive and empowering—where people of any skin tone, background, or size could see themselves in our designs. But the reality was more challenging than I expected. At the time, it was difficult enough to find Indian models—let alone plus-size Indian models. I knew firsthand how many friends and family members had walked into Indian clothing stores only to walk right back out because nothing fit. I wanted to change that.

In school and early industry jobs, I was used to working with sample sizes—usually size 2 or 4 for women. That mindset was so deeply ingrained in the industry that expanding beyond it felt like an uphill battle. Even with the rise of plus-size models like Ashley Graham, it was still nearly impossible to find models above a size small. Most agencies didn’t represent them, and my personal network came up short too. As much as I wanted to launch with a full range of sizes, I ended up relying on standard-size models in the early years.

There’s also a real cost to size inclusivity. Creating plus-size samples requires more than just scaling up patterns—the shape and fit need to be reengineered, which means additional development time and resources. It was an investment I was willing to make, but I wanted to make sure the garments would be worn and seen on bodies they were made for.

Over the years, I was fortunate to connect with incredible models of different sizes, shapes, heights, and genders. Slowly but surely, we began diversifying our campaigns—starting on social media and our website, and eventually, on the runway.

Now, we’re proud to offer sizes in our NYC showroom that range from XS to 6X in select styles—so every customer can try something on, no matter their size. I can’t count how many brides have come in and shared how difficult it was to find Indian clothing that actually fit them. Those stories push us to keep doing better.

We’re continuing to expand our plus-size inventory and are committed to growing our offering every year because representation matters.

When plus-size bodies are seen, celebrated, and empowered in fashion, it sends a message that beauty doesn’t look just one way—it exists in all shapes and sizes. I’m so excited to see this community growing in such a positive way, and I truly hope this is just the beginning! 

I absolutely love when customers share suggestions and ideas to help us move the needle even further. Drop us a line at info@harleenkaur.us - we’d love to hear from you!

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