Nadia Boujarwah and Lydia Gilbert (both MBA 2013) cofounded Dia & Co right out of HBS, producing fashion and online services for plus-size women. In this interview, they talk about the inspiration for the idea and the need it serves.

“Dia & Co derives from Dia, which is the second syllable of both of our first names––Nadia and Lydia––and Co really represents our community,” says Gilbert.

“In the US, about 70 percent of women wear plus-size apparel, and yet only about 17 percent of apparel dollars are sold in those sizes,” says Boujarwah. “We both have a ton of personal experience in this space, and just fundamentally believe that there must be something wrong on the supply side. It cannot possibly be that such an incredible community of women is any less interested in looking and feeling her best, and so we set out to build a company that would really bring her to parity.”

“Since Day One, we have taken an approach where we have to earn the trust of our customers continually,” adds Gilbert. “We got to know our first 500 customers by name. We knew the names of their children. We knew exactly what it was that they were looking for from Dia & Co. And I think through that, we were able to really internalize into the core DNA of the company our approach.

“The way that the service works today, through our flagship styling product, is she comes to our site and tells us a little bit about what she's looking for. Whether that's what she's looking for from a lifestyle perspective, her budget, what she's looking for around her shape, her style – and our stylist will actually listen to that and curate a box of garments for her.”

“Our mission is to spark radical self-love through style,” says Boujarwah, “and for us, that's because style really is a lot more than just the clothes you wear. Style is the way that you carry yourself. It's the way that you take on new challenges at work. It's the way that you invest in your relationships with your significant other, your children, your parents, whatever it may be. And being able to look and feel our best really does spill over into all the other parts of our lives, and style is this really powerful vehicle through which we can have that impact on our customers.”

Gilbert also noted, “I think that HBS has been fundamental to our business. It's not only given us the raw skills and given us the ideas and the momentum to build a company, but it also is where we met. We were section mates in section E, 2013. The best part of HBS is the people that you meet and the opportunities that that provides you.”

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