Writer and actor Lena Dunham is encouraging curves to be celebrated by announcing her own plus-size fashion range.
The Girls creator has collaborated with designer plus-size shopping website 11 Honoré to create a five-piece collection, with prices ranging from $98 to $298.
The collection will be available in sizes 12 to 26 beginning Tuesday, April 6th.
Among the designs are a matching navy pinstriped blazer and miniskirt, a sunny yellow shirt, a printed dress and a white mock-neck tank.
The dress for the collection features a floral print designed by her father, contemporary artist Carroll Dunham.
The star named each look after her favorite spots around SoHo, where Dunham grew up in the 1980s and 90s.
Lena Dunham on curves, ‘There’s so much judgment’
While promoting her new clothing line in an interview with The New York Times, Dunham claimed she wants to push back at the stigma surrounding “bigger bodies.”
“There’s so much judgment around bigger bodies and I think one of those judgments is that bigger women are stupider,” explained Dunham.
“They eat too much and don’t know how to stop. Thin women must be discerning and able to use their willpower. Bigger women must be limited in their understanding of the world, and they keep doing things that are bad for them.” The actress continued.
“The amount of people who have written to me [saying] ‘You’re promoting obesity. Don’t you understand you’re killing yourself? Are you stupid? Why are you doing that?’”
Dunham also made sure to include no loungewear, as she told the news outlet, “If a thin girl wears sweatpants, it’s kind of cute — like, ‘I’m having a rough day!’ But for a chubby girl it’s, ‘You’ve made a lifestyle choice to give up.’”
Being curvy ‘is not a problem to fix or cover up’
During the interview, Lena opened up about her battle with body positivity, and how curves should be celebrated.
“We don’t stop loving clothes or having unique styles just because the world desexualizes and dehumanizes plus bodies,” she said, adding that there was still “a huge barrier to entry for plus women even enjoying fashion”.
Dunham added her new range aims to “send the message that being curvy is something to celebrate, not simply handle – it’s not a problem to fix or cover-up, but rather a really beautiful celebration of having a lot to give.”
She continued, “It took me a long time, but I love the fact that my body tells a story of vastness, of ampleness, of presence. And it’s mine and I’m not going to spend a lifetime apologizing for it – I’m going to celebrate it in clothing that says, ‘Here I am.’”