Anna Scholz Blog

Vogue.com recently invited body language expert Lillian Glass, Ph.D. to interpret the way the models held their bags in a number of runway shows from Fall 2011.

While what happens on the catwalk is usually a far cry from daily reality, it is still fun to dissect what statements the designers and stylists are making with the placement of accessories, as every detail in a fashion show is most certainly calculated.

“They’re holding those bags like they’re holding a puppy!” Glass remarked of the runway images from Prada’s Fall 2011 catwalk show. Glass speculates that the models are cradling their bags close because “bags are no longer just an accessory—they are a vital part of our lives!” They hold everything from a lipstick to a wallet to an iPad. They hold all aspects of our lives.

Alternatively, to me, the gesture of snuggling the bag shows that the woman sees her Prada bag as something precious and pet-like. It’s a plush little friend, rather than a bag you sling over your shoulder or hold aloofly down at your side. It also signifies ownership and closeness with luxury.

At Marc Jacobs’s Louis Vuitton show, models held the coveted structured purses in hands that were cuffed behind their backs. Glass thinks this pose represents safety and security, not being careless with your possessions. She also thinks that despite this gesture of nervousness, “hands in back show an extreme amount of confidence and security. [...] It also shows a lot of self-confidence and self-assuredness. When you place your arms in back of you, as opposed to placing them in front, it says you have nothing to hide. Also, it lets the bag stands on its own, without distracting from the entire outfit.”

I think this gesture is also a saucy way of poking fun at fashion obsession.  The pose could be saying, “I’m a prisoner of fashion. I’m a victim.” Or it could be saying, “No matter what happens, I’ll have my fabulous little handbag with me. Even in the wake of disaster, I have my priorities.”

The models at Celine carried their bags from underneath like a sack of groceries, not even using the handles. Glass says, “What I am picking up from this is that in this day and age, women are carrying around a lot more things. It’s like a virtual office in their purses, and the handles make things feels heavier, so this new way of holding the purse may be more practical and less cumbersome.”

To me, this particular gesture seems mostly about the need to come up with some new spin on bag-holding. But it could also be about breaking the rules, about being in a casual relationship with luxury, or about creating interesting, complementary angles with the clean lines of the clothes themselves.

What are your thoughts on what these bag-holding gestures mean? Do you have any other thoughts on the meanings behind certain ways of holding bags? Or is it all just a sack of sugar?

Scott Schuman who helms the widely read fashion blog, The Sartorialist, recently came under fire for describing another blogger as “curvy.”

Schuman wrote of fellow fashion blogger, Angelica Ardasheva, “I loved that she’s a bigger, curvier girl than most of the other bloggers who you see in the press and tend to represent the genre.” He added, “The subtle thing she achieves so successfully in these two looks is to complement the sturdy but beautiful shape of her legs with an equally strong shoe.”

The entry prompted over a thousand responses. Some readers were offended:

Your patronising comments on her style, calling her ‘bigger’, ‘curvier’ and back handed compliment on her dress sense just serve to further alienate readers who are not a sample size, which I would assume is the larger portion of your audience.

Other readers had no issue:

i am a woman with a very similar body type, if not more curvy, and find it hard it exhausting how badly everyone is taking your comments. i don’t see what you said as offensive, if anything i think the fact that you said you loved it is being overlooked. it must be hard to comment on a woman’s body type at all with all of us feeling constant personal evaluation.

Schuman himself rebutted:

A number of the commenters are upset by the word “curvy.” They feel I should have used the word “normal.” However, normal is relative. There is a young lady on my team who is 5′0″, and another who is 5′9″. Which would be “normal”? [...] Remember, curvy is a body shape, not a weight. To be honest, you can’t really see in these photographs most of the curves – chest, stomach, hip – this woman has.

What do you think about what Schuman said? Offensive, or just off-the-cuff?

Read  Schuman’s original post on The Sartorialist

Read other articles about the conversation Schuman’s comment started at The Huffington Post or Jezebel

The last two days of Emma’s Anna Scholz Week on her blog, Oh, The Places You’ll Go built to a fine curvaceous crescendo.

We’ve loved seeing the different ways Emma has styled Anna’s clothes this past week. It’s always interesting and informative to read her thoughts about what makes the garments work for her figure and what to wear them with.

For her finale, she featured Anna’s double silk pleat shift dress in the eye-popping zoomorphic parrot print from the White Label collection. And she sported the black lace cropped jacket and the check print jersey plait strap dress, both from the Black Label collection.

Emma describes the parrot print silk pleat shift dress as having a kind of glow in the sunshine. “It radiates a vibrancy and energy of colour that literally made me keep looking down at my body and going, WOW. … This is a shape, that feels MADE FOR MY BODY. It caters to my breast, pulls in for a high waist and then flows from the hip. If you are new to Anna Scholz and want to jump straight in the deep end for style and class – this is the way to go!”

“You can wear this lace cropped jacket done up or undone,” Emma continues. “You could wear it over dresses or over a plain little cami – like I have. … The tailoring on this jacket is completely spot on and the detail in the lace is really delightful. … If you want coverage, want to feel feminine and need a piece that can transition between both class and sexiness…THIS is the item.”

Today, part of her special Anna Scholz Week, Emma is reviewing Anna’s print jersey band top on her blog, Oh, the Places You’ll Go.

The top is part of the Black Label collection in Anna’s Spring-Summer 2011 line and comes in a cool floral cross stitch print. As usual, Emma has styled the top beautifully!

“I very rarely wear tops,” Emma reports, “so it is actually very strange for me to put them on. I really like this. It falls well from my shoulders, skims my breast and fits perfectly around my waist. You could wear this top two ways actually. I preferred it sitting on my hip, but the banding at the bottom of the top means you could also wear it very long and look particularly hot in a pair of fitted pants or skinny jeans.”

“You can see the flattering baby pleats that run from the neckline down the body, again working with curves and shape. I have tried Anna Scholz tops and tunics before and just like those amazing items, this one fits well and looks pretty and feminine. I also really like the print.”

Visit Emma’s blog all this week for more reports on Anna’s latest collection!

Clare sent us this photo with her husband at a colleague’s wedding in Hong Kong, where she lives, “wearing my gorgeous AS dress and shrug with my favorite Laboutins!”

On her fab fashion blog, Oh, the Places You’ll Go, our friend Emma is having an Anna Scholz week. Each day she is reviewing a different piece from Anna’s Spring-Summer 2011 collection.

We love Emma’s style and her personal take on fashion. It’s always fun to read her blog, and to see how she styles garments.

Today, she’s featuring Anna’s Digital Jersey Elasticated Tunic in the mega fire flower print from the White Label collection.

“This tunic completely surprised me,” Emma writes. “I have said before that I LOVE a structured dress so I was unsure about this, BUT, this garment finds its line perfectly from the exquisite cut and elasticated empire line which nips the garment in before it falls in a flattering A-line. I seriously think this is an EVERYONE dress – in that every single person – of every single shape – would look GORGEOUS in it.

“This is SO light. I wore this with leggings, but would also EASILY wear it with my bare legs on warmer days. This fabric feels floaty and almost weightless. You can also see my shape.  Look at the elasticated neck line, it matches the waist very well – and both have a light pleating running from under them… this pleating is an excellent way to flatter curves and it offers a loose, floaty fit that still shows off the feminine curve of your body.

“I think that curves and patterns work and this dress is such an excellent illustration of that fact. When I popped this on, I went with minimal make-up, but reckon, it would look phenomenal with a beautiful bit of eyeliner.”

Check out Emma’s blog all this week for more Anna Scholz reviews and generally great fashion info!

Our friend Emma is having an Anna Scholz Week on her fashion blog, Oh, The Places You’ll Go. Every day this week, she will review different pieces from Anna’s Spring-Summer 2011 collection.

Emma has great personal style and it’s always fun to see what Anna’s clothes look like on her and what pieces she favours.

Today, she highlighted the khaki Utility Button Dress from Anna’s Black Label collection.

“The Black Label Utility Button Dress by Anna Scholz is like a floaty dream,” Emma writes. “The fabric feels parachutey – it is light, airy and completely soft. It has a high-waisted tie, which nips the dress in, emphasising a high-waist and the yellow piping is a really elegant touch. Under the waist, the dress falls in an A-line and with very subtle side pleating which compliments the curve of your hip.”

“Of all the garments I tried for this Anna Scholz week, this was my photographer/boyfriend’s favorite outfit. You can see it looks natural and really summery… despite my wearing a double layer, it is also VERY light. … I paired this dress with the Black Label Lime Coloured Silk Cotton Fitted Shrug, inspired by how good this looks on the Anna Scholz site. This shrug fit me like a dream. … The silk cotton feels GORGEOUS on the skin and is VERY light. This shrug, with its long sleeves will be no problem in summer. It affords excellent coverage but is breathable and feels more like you’re wearing air, than fabric!”

“To be honest, this clothing combination is a little different for me. I wear prints, but rarely try colour combinations with such a light emphasis. This pairing looks great online and I think really works on my figure as well as my skin and hair. … I love this as a dress for the season and think it pairs perfectly with the shrug.”

Emma looks great in the Stretch Tailoring Cut-Out Dress as well.

Tune into Emma’s blog, all this week for her reviews of Anna’s latest collection.

We’re having a lot of fun with our latest blog feature in which we bring interesting people closer to you!

Recently, Gary Dakin lent his usual mix of humour and humanity to Anna’s questionnaire.

Gary Dakin runs Ford 12+ with Ford Models in New York– the most famous plus-size division in the world! He represents Crystal Renn (he even walked her down the aisle at her wedding) and Tara Lynn, among others, and is responsible for their increased visibility in mainstream media.

He has always championed plus models in the fashion industry, and equality in the world overall.

Gary With His Girls

What is your favourite part of your body?
Does my voice count? If not, then my lips.

Gary Oscars: Favourite male actor/ favourite female actress?
Colin Firth this year and, of course, Natalie Portman.

Where will you be in 5 years?
Ushering in the next stars of the industry during the week and relaxing on the beach on the weekends.

What would be your dream date?
Ice skating in Central Park followed by a nice walk through the snow toward Bethesda Fountain. (Actually happened!)

What superpower would you like to possess?
Invisibility

What is your favourite movie?
Dangerous Liasons

What is your favourite restaurant?
LaConde Verde in NYC.

What has been your greatest achievement?
Having been a part of a movement that accepts women of all sizes in more areas of fashion than ever before.

What has been your happiest moment?
They keep getting better, so I will let you know when the big one comes!

What is your greatest fear?
That the happiest moment occurred and I didn’t recognize it.

Which living person do you most admire and why?
My mother. She has always pushed me to get the hell out and live my dreams whether I was afraid or not. She continues to inspire me with her support and love always!

What trait do you most dislike about yourself?
I am quite possibly the most stubborn person you will ever meet.

What makes you sad?
Inequality

How do you relax?
Rose on the beach with friends.

Who is your favourite designer?
Lanvin

Heels or flats?
Women should always have a HOT pair of heels in their bag if not on their feet!

Black or white?
Both

Where would you like to be right now?
Here in NYC.

What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
“No” is not an option.

How would you like to be remembered?
As someone who stood up against inequality and hopefully made even a small difference.

What is your favourite song?
“Dear Mr. President”.

What has been your biggest disappointment?
The inability for others to be self-aware.

Have you ever said “I love you” and not meant it?
Hel-lo, I am in fashion.  ;-)

What is your guiltiest pleasure?
REALLY bad TV, and shopping.

What is the worst thing anyone ever said to you?
No

What is your idea of happiness?
Fire Island at 7am with my dog, a cup of tea and no one in sight.

What do you appreciate most in your friends?
They call it like it is and always listen to me even if they couldn’t care less about how “tough” my day was.

If not yourself, who would you like to be?
Pretty content to be me. Wouldn’t mind being me with a little more cash though.