Self-defined as a megaphone for the unheard, Viva Voce is positioning itself as a new kind of fashion community—one betting big on being visible, valid and valued. While it was “built by and for those who have long been excluded from mainstream fashion,” the plus-size marketplace officially launched this week with a mission to reframe who fashion serves—and how.
“Viva Voce is more than a platform; it’s a movement grounded in purpose,” said founder Kate Zigrang. “For too long, many of us have felt invisible in spaces that should celebrate who we are.”
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Rooted in Zigrang’s lived experience as a self-described tall, fat woman, she landed on the Latin phrase for “with living voice” to reflect her intent to amplify marginalized perspectives and authentic expression within an industry “long overdue for transformation.”
The timing may be right.
According to GlobalData, the U.S. plus-size apparel market was worth an estimated $81 billion in 2023, representing roughly 20 percent of total women’s apparel sales. Yet fewer than 10 percent of brands offer consistent sizing beyond 2X, according to the 2020 “Sizing Wars” report out of the Center for Talent Innovation (CTI).
Viva Voce’s answer is to blend community, commerce and content.
The brand described its platform as a social space “intentionally built away from the noise of algorithms and the pressure of performative posting.” Alongside forums and storytelling features, its e-commerce arm launched with apparel from “independent and value-driven brands” such as Reistor and Baacal by Cynthia Vincent, offering sizes XS through 6X.
Behind the brand is TAU Investment Management, a New York- and Hong Kong-based private equity firm known for its focus on sustainability and social impact in the global apparel supply chain. TAU is a founding partner and equity stakeholder in Viva Voce, describing its role as “both a growth investor and thematic operator.”
“It was always clear that Viva Voce had the ingredients for long-term success—a purposeful mission, a community and a strong operational foundation,” said Oliver Niedermaier, TAU’s founder and CEO. “As a growth investor in mission-driven fashion ventures like TomboyX, we know what it takes to build lasting value; Kate is reshaping how brands connect with their community.”
Beyond the digital platform, Viva Voce is popping into physical retail. Following a successful Atlanta activation this summer, the company’s next pop-up shop opens Oct. 16 in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood and will run through February 2026.
The space will feature a rotating selection of apparel alongside “weekly activations and community-driven events,” in line with Zigrang’s intentions to prove that inclusion and profitability can coexist.
“Viva Voce is here to change that by providing a space where everyone is invited to show up fully and freely,” she said. “It’s a home for self-expression and a community where every voice—and every body—at every stage, is seen, heard and valued.”
