• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, September 14, 2015

In the midst of New York Fashion Week, Lane Bryant is demanding equal fashion rights for plus-sized women, recruiting fans to walk through Times Square as part of its new #PlusIsEqual campaign. 

The Columbus, Ohio-based retailer first teased the campaign, created by Laird + Partners, in September Vogue, with an unsigned ad showing plus-size women in silhouette. The full effort, including a video shot by Cass Bird, is rolling it out now in social media, print ads running in Vogue and Glamour, on fashion sites like Refinery29 and PopSugar, and with TV spots on the E! Network and the 67^th Emmy Awards.

The new fall campaign builds on the success of its #ImNoAngel campaign launched earlier this year, which the company says has earned it some 16 billion media impressions. But the latest effort has a more activist edge, reminding its fans that while 67% of American women range in size from 14 to 24, the media still fails to represent them. It’s asking them to post messages on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram and Pinterest, hashtagging the three fashion bibles (and presumably worst offenders): Vogue, Glamour and Harper’s Bazaar.

“Inequality exists and we're continuing to balance the equation,” says Linda Heasley, its CEO and president, in its press release. “Plus is Equal. Our women are not only equal, they are sexy and fabulous!"

Lane Bryant is owned by Ascena Retail Group, which says in its most recent quarterly results that Lane Bryant sales rose 4% to $278.7 million.

But it’s not the only plus-sized brand making noise this week. Actress Melissa McCarthy’s new Seven7 line, with fashions across the size spectrum, landed her on the cover of this week’s People. Ashley Stewart, a Lane Bryant competitor, is rolling out a frisky #LoveYourCurves campaign. And Target has been pushing its fall Ava + Viv collection hard through social channels, as well.

NPD Group says American women spend about $17.5 billion annually on plus-size fashion.