This startup is taking plus-size fashion to new heights

Meet Charlotte Oxnam: entrepreneur, industrial engineer, fashion guru - and most recently, Northwestern University’s VentureCat Grand Prize Winner for her work as Founder & CEO of Cue The Curves.

Taking home $150,000 in non-dilutive funding is a big win, but for Charlotte, the most rewarding aspect of founding her company is the community of women she’s built on the plus-size shopping app. She recently sat down on the CBS Morning Show to share more about her journey - watch below!

The first time Charlotte decided something needed to change in the plus-size fashion industry was when she was just 17 years old, traveling miles to find the perfect plus-size senior prom dress. “It felt like no matter what I did, I couldn’t find clothing that made me feel comfortable in my own skin - and this experience isn’t a unique one,” shared Charlotte. 

Charlotte started Cue the Curves during her freshman year, spending countless hours building her startup at The Garage. She participated in both Residency and Jumpstart programs, led the Propel program, and provided support for The Garage as a student aide. During her time at the university, Cue the Curves slowly began to take the shape of what it is today.

“I had spent enough time waiting for someone else to fix my experience with fashion. I decided enough was enough and I didn’t need to have 20 years of work experience to fix the problem right in front of me,” shared Charlotte.

Amongst the market of 83 million plus-size women in the United States, one sentiment rings true to most: shopping for clothes is at best an annoying chore and at worst an emotionally damaging experience. In regards to plus-size offerings, “right now, my style is whatever comes in my size that I don’t hate,” shared a Cue the Curves community member.

Only 8% of the major fashion brands offer inclusive sizing options, leaving the $24 million-dollar US plus-size fashion market relatively untouched - but Cue the Curves is here to change that.

The Cue the Curves app is intentionally designed in three categories: Brands, Style, and Inspo. 

Brand pages allow users to discover new labels, read reviews, and get a sense of where they want to shop. Style pages let users discover looks and brands that fit their personal aesthetic, taking back control of their shopping experience. Lastly, the Inspo feed allows users to share their own sense of style and be inspired by others in a safe space. 

But it doesn’t stop at the consumer - Cue the Curves recently released Drops: a feature that allows brands to offer exclusive items to the community using pre-orders with a minimum order sizes, de-risking the entrance into a new market. “This is an important feature because it gives plus-size women active control in shaping the future of plus-size fashion,” says Charlotte.

Users are flocking to the online community, with some going as far as saying that the app is changing the way they approach fashion. “My plus-size friends and I have always complained about shopping, but we feel so understood by [the Cue the Curves] community and mission,” shared Emily, a Cue the Curves shopper.

For Charlotte, this is only the first step in evolving the plus-size fashion industry. “To me, it doesn’t matter that I’m 21 years old or that I had to pull some late nights while finishing my engineering degree - I couldn’t stand quietly by while I watched myself and the majority of women in America be told time and time again that they weren’t worthy of feeling good in their own skin.” 

With 3,000+ users on the app today, plus a social media community of over 20,000 followers, Cue the Curves is just getting started. Cue the self love and download the app today at cuethecurves.com.