For years, plus-size fashion has often meant compromising on one thing to get another: fit over style, comfort over trends or availability over personal expression. Anjali Anand knows that frustration first-hand.
The actor and co-creator of VIRGIO’s Beyond The Curve has spent years navigating a fashion industry that often treated curvy bodies as an afterthought. Her experience eventually became the starting point for a fashion line designed specifically with curvier bodies in mind, rather than simply sizing up existing designs.
“Curvy women have never been the main character. We've always been the friend of the main character,” Anand tells HT Shop Now. “And I was like, you know what, you can be curvy and the main character.”
Beyond The Curve, which launched in 2025 as a co-created line by VIRGIO and Anand, focuses on trend-led clothing for women beyond traditional sizing. The collection currently spans XL to 6XL, according to VIRGIO. Anand has also been involved in the design process, including fittings and fabric trials.
A year after its launch, the brand says Beyond The Curve has served more than 30,000 customers and built an Instagram community of more than 100,000 followers, signalling the commercial demand for contemporary plus-size fashion in India.
HT Shop Now spoke to Anjali Anand about the gaps she saw in Indian fashion, why simply extending a size chart isn't enough, the style rules she refuses to follow and the five wardrobe essentials she recommends for curvy women.
Q. You've spoken about growing up curvy in an industry that often told you what you could and couldn't wear. What was the moment you realised you wanted to change that narrative?
Anjali Anand: Honestly? I didn't want to change the narrative; I wanted to step into it.
Curvy women have never been the main character. We've always been the friend of the main character, because we don't look a certain type. And I was like, you know what, you can be curvy and the main character. That was the shift for me.
Q. What were curvy women telling you they actually needed from fashion that the industry wasn't giving them?
Anjali Anand: Just boring, dull clothes. The attitude was very much whatever's left, just take it. And no one was even asking why.
I remember after people saw my dance videos on Instagram, they'd message me saying, “Wow, you have lace at the edge of your pants, so unique!” And I'd laugh, because those pants were actually short on me.
I'm curvy, but I'm also tall, so I had to get lace added to make them long enough. Similarly, I used to get side panels extended on tops just to make them fit.
But not everyone has those resources, that knowledge or even the time to do all of that. That's the gap I wanted to fill.
Q. Beyond The Curve goes beyond simply extending sizes. What did you have to rethink about fit, silhouettes and fabrics while creating the collection?
Anjali Anand: Everything, really.
After a size large, or probably XL, measurements start varying enormously. One person might carry weight in their chest, another in the waist, another in the hips, or all three at once. So one “size 42” will not fit everyone the same way.
But in most stores, beyond large, every XL is identical. We had to completely rethink how we grade sizes, because the standard approach just doesn't serve this body type at all.
The idea is central to Beyond The Curve's design philosophy. VIRGIO says the collection was created around diverse body types and includes silhouettes ranging from dresses and co-ords to workwear and jumpsuits, rather than treating extended sizing as an afterthought.
Q. What are some fashion “rules” that curvy women have been told to follow that you completely disagree with?
Anjali Anand: All of them, honestly.
Just wear whatever you want. I don't avoid tight clothes because I'm curvy; I avoid them because that's just not my personal style. Even my thin friends don't like wearing tight clothes. It has nothing to do with body type.
Wear whatever makes you feel good. Because clothes have a lot of power, and that power should belong to you.
Q. If you had to build a five-piece wardrobe for a curvy woman that feels trend-forward but still versatile, what would those five pieces be?
Anjali Anand: A white shirt, a black bodysuit, a pair of jeans, a skirt and a dress.
Those five alone give you so many combinations; you can mix and match endlessly and create great outfits for every occasion. They're classic, they're current, and they work on every kind of curvy body.
1. A white shirt
A timeless wardrobe staple that can be dressed up or down. Wear it open over a bodysuit, tucked into a skirt or layered over jeans.
2. A black bodysuit
A versatile base layer that works under shirts, jackets, skirts and trousers while creating a clean, polished silhouette.
3. A great pair of jeans
The right pair of jeans can become an everyday wardrobe hero. The key is finding a cut and rise that feels comfortable and works with your proportions.
4. A skirt
A midi or maxi skirt can completely change the feel of an outfit while giving you plenty of styling options.
5. A dress
The ultimate one-and-done outfit. Choose a silhouette that makes you feel comfortable and confident rather than one dictated by conventional “flattering” rules.
Q. If you could tell every young curvy woman who has been made to feel that certain clothes “aren't for her” one thing, what would it be?
Anjali Anand: Don't listen to anyone.
Not trends, not rules, not social media. Just listen to what your heart says. That's it. Full stop.
Why Beyond The Curve matters to India's plus-size fashion conversation
The rise of brands focusing on extended sizing reflects a broader change in how fashion is being discussed in India. The conversation is increasingly moving beyond simply asking whether a garment is available in a larger size and towards whether the garment was designed with different bodies in mind from the beginning.
That distinction is at the heart of Beyond The Curve.
VIRGIO launched the line as an invite-only collection in 2025, positioning it around trend-led design, community feedback and on-demand production.
A year later, the brand says it has crossed 30,000 customers and ₹25 crore in annual recurring revenue, while its Instagram community has grown beyond 100,000 followers.
For Anand, however, the bigger shift is cultural.
The question is no longer simply, “What can a curvy woman wear?”
It is: “What does she actually want to wear?”
And perhaps that's the most important change happening in plus-size fashion right now.
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- What is Beyond The Curve by Anjali Anand?
Beyond The Curve is a size-inclusive fashion line co-created by actor Anjali Anand and VIRGIO. The collection focuses on trend-led clothing designed specifically for curvier body types, rather than simply extending conventional sizes.
- What fashion rules does Anjali Anand think curvy women should ignore?
Anand believes curvy women should not feel restricted by traditional fashion rules about what they can or cannot wear. Her advice is to wear clothes that make you feel good rather than dressing according to trends, body-type “rules” or other people's expectations.
- What are Anjali Anand's five wardrobe essentials for curvy women?
Anjali Anand recommends five versatile staples: a white shirt, a black bodysuit, a pair of jeans, a skirt and a dress. She says these pieces can be mixed and matched to create a variety of outfits.
- What sizes does Beyond The Curve offer?
Beyond The Curve currently offers sizes from XL to 6XL, according to VIRGIO. The collection includes a range of fashion categories and silhouettes designed with curvier bodies in mind.
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