Marc Jacobs is to create a plus-sized clothing line.

The designer will become the first top fashion label to create clothes for women above a US size 12, as he feels females with bigger body shapes should be able to have as much choice as those with slimmer frames.

“We are in talks now. For plus sizes. Listen, we are in the very beginning stages of talking to a partner about plus sizes. I’m a big guy 6ft 4in, 210 lbs. It’s not easy for me to find clothes. Of course I can have them made. I know how everyone feels. I try to diet but… I don’t like the phrase plus-sizes. Any suggestions? “We gotta do larger sizes. I’m with you. As soon as I get back to NY. I’m on it! It will take me about a year. But stay with us. (sic)” Robert Duffy - president of the Marc Jacobs label - told followers of his Twitter page.

If Marc and Robert’s plans are successful, experts says they could cash in on a “huge and untapped” market.

“The market can’t be ignored - it’s growing bigger every year and it would be crazy not to think about trying to tap into it. Labels which take the plunge first will get some very positive publicity from making larger sizes acceptable and fashionable. Brands such as Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein are in a position to follow and could produce very successful plus-size clothes but heavily styled European labels, such as Gucci and Dolce & Gabanna, which are so reliant on a particular shape, could find it harder to translate their key look,” Karl McKeever, founder of retail consultancy Visual Thinking, said.

(FYI - You can also follow Chic Dish on Twitter.)