Where are the Curvy Girl Trendsetters?

I came across a picture of a dress by Alexander McQueen and immediately recognized it as the Lola Colorblock Swoop Dress by Monif C. First off, I am not attacking Monif C. I have no proof that her dress is a knock off, I just found the similarity between her dress and this one uncanny. This actually made me wonder if it's true that the plus fashion world has no innovators....only trend followers.

I've heard it time and time again that plus size women wait to see what straight size women are wearing and then follow the trends they wear instead of creating their own looks. It seems the plus fashion world follows a trend even if it's 1-2 years after it has graced the straight sized runway. Kind of like ....discount stores that rip the runway a couple of seasons after the major designers create the trends. Do we ever want to be the first with a look? What if a plus size designer created a line that even the straight sized women wanted? Something that no one else had yet....would we support that? I have a friend who is a plus size designer who was told by a mainstream designer that she "shouldn’t worry her pretty little head about being creative because her consumer only wants only what has already been done". Is that true? Do we need or want the straight sized industry to determine our trends as well? Wouldn't a plus size designer know what cuts work best for curvy bodies even if they weren't "what everyone else was already wearing?"

What does the curvy "fashionista" really want? Do you want plus size designers to make straight size fashion in plus size or do you want them to create their own looks from their creativity with the chance that a piece or look may not be in mainstream fashion? I have heard answers from both sides. I would love your feedback.