When it comes to fashion, only a few brands truly cater to plus-sizes. Many don't come close — or even care to try — at luxury shop Intermix, many large sizes stop at a size 8.

But there is one fashion brand that’s tapped into that unmet niche — the fashion-forward plus-sized market. Universal Standard is arguably one of the most successful brands at designing and marketing fashion-forward clothing beyond size 12.

And now that company has received $7 million in Series A funding from new backers, notably ones are not plus-sized customers, like Gwyneth Paltrow, the Oscar-winning actress and the founder of lifestyle blog Goop. The investment will fund its expansion to so-called “straight sizing,” where they will offer clothing as small as a size 6.

Noel Duan is a culture writer for Quartzy, the lifestyle edition of Quartz, and she recently wrote about Universal Standard’s expansion and what it means for the plus-sized industry. I spoke with her more about it and what she learned when she talked to the brand’s founders.