Target Launches Ava and Viv Plus-Size Clothing Line

Target(NEW YORK) — Plus-size fashion is popping up everywhere.

This year, Sports Illustrated magazine featured a plus-size model, Robyn Lawley, in its swimsuit edition for the first time ever.

“The average size of the American woman is size 14 and that accounts for a large portion of our population,” said Lori Bergamotto, style director for Good Housekeeping magazine. “But it’s been largely ignored by a lot of our retailers despite the fact that it’s actually a multi-billion dollar industry.”

Now, Target, one of the nation’s biggest retailers, is catering to the plus-size market with its new line, Ava and Viv.

Target went directly to some well-known plus-size fashion bloggers, Gabi Gregg and Nicolette Mason, to get the inside scoop on what women want.

The department store also reached out to style writer Chastity Garner for her input after she wrote a letter to the retailer taking it to task for not offering plus sizes in one of its new designer collections. With her call for plus sizes in designer chic clothes answered, their relationship is now on the mend.

“It looks beautiful in my body type, in my shape,” said Garner. “I’m just loving the clothes.”

“It’s really wonderful as a consumer to know that a brand is listening,” said Mason.

The line was created by Target’s internal design team and features nearly 90 pieces — including tops, pants, skirts, sweaters, dresses, swimwear and outerwear. The items range in price from $10 to $79.

The line was launched on Feb. 9. Some pieces in the line will be available on March 1.

Follow @ABCNewsRadio
Copyright © 2015, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.