Anna Scholz Blog

Fans got a sneak preview of Anna’s Autumn-Winter 2012 collection last month at a special runway show in Amsterdam. The catwalk show was presented by Daphne Ooms, our agent for the Benelux region, as a forum for showcasing the plus size clothing labels she represents. Anna traveled to Amsterdam to attend the show and was thrilled with the styling of the models.

We’re loving this new online magazine, Vol.Up.2, published by Velvet d’Amour, who is the Editor, Creator, Art Director and Photographer (as well as being a good friend of Anna’s). The theme of this edition of the magazine is “Ecstasy”. The numerous editorials in the magazine celebrate not only the sex appeal of the curvier figure, but all kinds beauty in non-”mainstream” packaging.

Anna did a sexy photo shoot at her house with Velvet for the issue:

Some of Anna’s designs also were featured in an editorial entitled “Rock The Boat”:

See more of Vol.Up.2

This past Saturday, Anna Schlolz was pleased to host a fashion preview for the Plus London Two blogger conference.

Plus London Two was organised by Clare Marchant-Williams in order to bring together “fatshion” bloggers from the UK and Europe so that they could meet and share ideas. Their busy itinerary included an afternoon with Anna Scholz, trying on the Spring-Summer 2012 collection and meeting the designer herself.

We all had a great time modeling clothes, eating cupcakes and gabbing. As ever, it was great fun to see these ultra fashionable women modeling Anna’s latest looks.

There also was a Q&A session with Anna where all the bloggers were able to discuss the plus size fashion industry and to ask Anna questions.

mingling

Q&A with Anna

Q&A

With Anna's Goody Bags

Watch this space for more photos from the event and for links to the attendees’ blogs!

Some pieces from Anna’s Autumn-Winter 2011 collection were featured in the November issue of SLiNK magazine in an editorial about how to look glam from day into the evening.

Louise wears Anna's digital jersey t-shirt dress

Laura wears Anna's velvet jersey pleat dress

See the entire November issue of SLiNK magazine

We’ve been dying to share more photos with you from the Curves in Couture show that featured Anna’s Spring-Summer 2012 White Label Collection last month. It was presented by the oranisation Models of Diversity and also benefitted The Advance Centre charity.

The fabulous Vogue Curvy blog –a favourite of Anna’s –  published some lovely photos from Anna’s catwalk show.

Our friend Em X who writes the fab blog Oh, the Places You’ll Go! joined us at the fashion show and published some great photos of her own!

To see more photos from the Curves in Couture charity fashion show, visit Oh, the Places You’ll Go! or Vogue Curvy

Last night, we had a fabulous time at the Curves in Couture Fashion Show at the Tabernacle in Notting Hill, London! It was a charity catwalk show presented by Models of Diversity, featuring plus-size designers and a diverse range of models. Also supported by the British Fashion Council, the event was  a fundraiser for The Advance Centre, a wonderful organisation that helps the families of brain-damaged children.

Anna’s Spring-Summer 2012 White Label collection looked fierce on the catwalk. The models wearing Anna’s upcoming styles included the lovely Robyn Lawley, who recently graced the cover of Italian Vogue and is the face of Anna Scholz’s White Label collection for next season. Also walking was the well-known American model, Toccara Jones, as well as the gorgeous Gina Swire, who you all know from the Anna Scholz website. All the ladies looked amazing.

Here are a few photos from the evening with more to come. Watch this space!

Models: (from left) Marlous, Harriet, Robyn, Tanya*, Zoe, Toccara, Sophie*, Anoushka

Robyn Lawley

Toccara Jones and the show's stylist, Francesca Salih; Michelle and Olivia from Models of Diversity

Anna with Velvet D'Amour; Anna with her business partner, Cliff, and his wife, Sharon

Members of the Anna Scholz team: (from left) Anna, Stefanie, Tania, Liz, Winnie

Anna with Harriet, who stars in the campaign imagery for Anna's Spring-Summer 2012 Black Label collection

Models of Diversity is a London-based non-profit organization which advocates  diversity in the fashion and marketing industries.

The Advance Centre is a teaching institute for parents with brain-damaged children. From its creation in 1996, the charity has dedicated itself to finding a way to not only advance the abilities of brain damaged children, but to actually reverse abnormalities and increase functioning.

*Tanya is the face of Anna’s Autumn-Winter 2011 White Label campaign imagery, shot in Italy; Sophie will be modeling pieces from the upcoming season on the Anna Scholz website

The recent Huffington Post entitled “Naked: Plus Models in Magazines” was very thought-provoking. In it, journalist Leona Palmer ponders why whenever plus models are featured in mainstream magazines, they are pictured nude or at least partially clothed.

Crystal Renn in Glamour Magazine

The answer is not straightforward, but Palmer outlines a number of possible reasons for the “risqué” nature of many photo shoots involving plus models. One suggestion is that, because fashion generally fixates on extremes, showing a clothed thin model and a semi-nude curvy model creates overt contrast. Another possible reason is that controversial or edgy content attracts advertisers, which are the bread and butter (rather than subscription rates) for magazines. Or, sadly, it could finally just be for shock value: a kind of “Oh my God, look at that, I can’t believe it,” sentiment, one plus model agent mourns.

Magazine editors and stylists also claim, Palmer says, that there simply aren’t enough plus-size designers and clothing samples available to outfit curvier models.  In the past few years, this has been less and less true. Our friend Aimee Cheshire of the New York-based plus-size fashion blog and shopping site, Madison Plus, says the designers are out there. She gets numerous requests to supply plus samples by contemporary designers (such as Anna Scholz) to magazines and television programs.

However, Aimee concedes, plus-size design houses often represent a smaller, independent niche within the fashion industry. They don’t always have the budget for multiple sets of samples. Many plus designers also are based outside of the U.S., and have a hard time rushing samples overseas in time to meet the often last-minute decisions of editors. This certainly has been the case for us at Anna Scholz.

Aimee Cheshire herself has begun working with a handful of plus-size designers outside of the U.S. to act as a showroom and press agent for their collections.  She says she is excited about the rapid growth in the past few years of a viable plus-size fashion industry. She’s hoping that young, talented designers will start filling the void in this market.

Read the full online article in Huffington Post

Tell us what you think: Why are so many plus models featured in various levels of undress in the media? Is this right?

We were thrilled to be prominently featured in a special insert included in the latest issue of Brigitte magazine, Germany’s most popular women’s magazine.

The insert is a great mini magazine focusing on plus-size fashion, featuring great dresses, underwear and style tips for women of all sizes for the autumn season. The insert also includes an interview with Anna Scholz and lots of information about better serving the women of the plus-size market fashion with all their purchasing power.

Brigitte has a policy of only using real women as models. So, as usual, it is refreshing to see real women showing us how to wear clothes with style.

The Editor-in-Chief of Brigitte, Susanne Gundlach, is even pictured wearing Anna’s black velvet jersey wrap dress from her Autumn-Winter 2011 Black Label collection.

Velvet Jersey Wrap Dress

Georgette Leopard Drape Dress

Lace Zip Dress

Digital Jersey T-Shirt Dress

Silk Satin Slash Neck Top, Wool Shift Dress

Anna’s earth-tone bird of paradise print is big news this season. The great thing about this print is how versatile it is. It can look retro or thoroughly modern. There are as many ways wear this print and preen your plumage as there are birds in the sky.  We particularly love the way these two different publications have styled Anna’s bird print pieces.

PLUS Model magazine created a story with the model Kailee O’Sullivan, who has worked with Anna before.  Kailee’s rocking Anna’s silk bird print wrap dress with some fierce hair and accessories.

The ever slick and stylish SLiNK magazine has included Anna’s silk bird print frill tunic in a spread on 70s style. Don’t step on those blue suede boots!

Flick through PLUS Model magazine or SLiNK magazine online for more style  inspiration.

Anna Scholz has made it into the pages of The Wall Street Journal! Very exciting and a fascinating article as well! Reporter Sarah Nassauer recently interviewed Anna for a piece which discusses the “secrets” plus-size designers employ for a perfect fit.

Specifically, Anna’s dynasty pleat shift dress is cited as a best seller because of its innovative design. It creates an hourglass shape by nipping in at the empire line, and then a layered, pleated skirt is sexy while smoothing out the figure. Anna’s 2012 collections will include even more stellar dresses with these amazing design “tricks” which have established her as a master of the trade.

Read the full online article and find out more about the “transformational moment” plus designers strive for where fit and fashion meet in perfect union.