Mahrzad Lari’s Wide the Brand is using fashion to champion body positivity for plus-size men
In March 2020 when Covid forced the world to hit pause, Mahrzad Lari started looking for his next project. A fashion designer, entrepreneur and real estate broker, the proud Montrealer likes having multiple ventures on the go. “I was always looking for that one project that was going to excite me.”
Wide the Brand, a clothing brand designed exclusively for plus-sized men, became that project. It is also becoming a movement, championing body positivity and representation for plus-size men through fashion.
Finding clothes that fit a wider body is a challenge Lari has faced his entire life and says it’s likely why he became a fashion designer. He spent 10 years at luxury womenswear brand Marie Saint Pierre before launching Wide the Brand.
“As I gained experience and became more myself, I realized there was a big gap in the market. There was no fashion-forward, confident brand that I could associate with plus-size men,” he says.
“Making clothes for plus-size men goes beyond just going up a size. It’s about how the clothes fit on different body shapes. Proportion, cut, fabric and the aesthetic are everything. We want to give wide men confidence; a sense of pride. We want them to look at our brand and feel inspired.”
In May 2021, having just launched a successful Kickstarter campaign and armed with a branding campaign but no operating business, Lari entered Dragons’ Den and landed an on-air deal. In August, the ecommerce site went live. One year later, Wide the Brand is enjoying increasing month over month sales across North America and the company is preparing to expand its offerings with a denim line and underwear line set for release this year.
“Until we changed the narrative, plus-sized clothing for men was an afterthought – even the ad campaigns featured regular-sized models,” says Lari. “Representation is everything. We want to make sure our wide men feel seen and confident and that it's a 360 degree experience.”
To make that happen, Wide the Brand’s campaigns only feature big and tall models. Lari’s efforts to find these models led Montreal modeling agencies to create a division for big and tall male models – something Lari says didn't exist in the city when he was creating his marketing materials.
The message is resonating. Wide the Brand has an active and growing community on its social media channels. Also growing: the team. The company is turning to Indeed, a trusted partner that shares a commitment to inclusion. “We hired amazing, high-quality interns with Indeed when we were just starting and now we’re hiring our first full-time employees with Indeed,” says Lari.
“It is fun to work with a company that is inclusive and diverse, that has no biases and that understands what we as a company need. The platform offers everyone a chance to apply and be considered.”
As focused as he is on growing the business, Lari is equally focused on building the Wide the Brand community. “I want plus size men to be portrayed just as confidently as regular sized men are and to start the conversation about body positivity. The clothes are an avenue to talk to our community but our main mission is to build confidence.”