Anna Scholz Blog

Saffi Karina started out as a straight-size model, but was dropped by her agency six years ago after her body changed and her hips grew. Now, reborn as a plus-size model, Karina also has founded Curve Project London, the UK’s first plus model workshop, which will give aspiring plus models the skills necessary to make it in the industry.

Saffi Karina

“As you grow older, you become more womanly and I actually didn’t want to change that, so I started looking for what else was out there,” Karina said in an Evening Standard interview. “I began working as a plus-size model and it is a very positive and happy industry. I still got to do what I loved and travel the world.” Karina has gone on to land campaigns with Debenhams, Speedo and Bravissimo.

The monthly workshops at Curve Project London include in-depth mentoring and experience working with stylists as well as photo shoots, portfolio advice, runway lessons, casting tips and hair and make-up sessions.

“There is a real thirst for ‘normal’ sized women, especially for commercial brands,” Karina says. “I want to strive to endorse a positive body image and act as a role model to young women who previously thought ‘thin’ was the only way to get a foot over the fashion threshold.”

Successful plus-size models Laura Wells and Marquita Pring

Perhaps there are positive changes on the horizon for the modelling industry generally.  Just recently, a new Health Initiative was launched across 19 editions of Vogue magazine, aiming to address the problem of unhealthy body image and behaviours amongst working models. British Vogue has signed off on an additional Equity Model Code of Conduct. Further, curvier models are openly calling for larger sample sizes.

Tocarra Jones and Kaela Humphries

Read more here!

“Finally the sun shone when we went to a wedding on Saturday. Felt lovely in my Anna Scholz dress. Amanda x”

Anna was featured in an article which appeared in the Style magazine of  The Sunday Times last weekend. The piece, entitled “The Next Big Thing”, examines which current designers — Anna among them — are creating stylish and flattering plus-size ranges.

Plus-size model and blogger Bethany Rutter is continuously disappointed by what she finds in the high street shops. “When stores do make plus-size, they do it badly,” she says. “They make 70% of the garment the right way, then use a mandarin collar, say, rather than a slim one. They pander to the insecurities they think we have, and probably don’t realise they are helping to create them.”

Among those who do it right, The Sunday Times says Anna’s “maxidresses, prints and tailoring have been given a youthful twist this season.”

Every year, we kick ourselves for missing the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Annual Festival yet again. The festival takes place each spring in the sun-drenched Mojave Desert near Los Angeles.

It seems that most of the Coachella photos out there are of glamorous celebrities (i.e. Kristen Stewart looking miserable– just for a change). But how refreshing to come across these snaps on the super stylish Madison Plus blog?! These curvy music and fashion fans rocked the cool festival styles with the best of ‘em. Move over, Alexa Chung!

On-trend stripes and graphic tees with classic rockin' denim jackets!

Love a colourful bandeau under a sheer top. Lace mixed with acid-washed denim is always perfectly edgy and sweet!

Breezy and chic with fab accessories!

We’ve long been fans of the blog Advanced Style, which showcases the fashion flair of the senior set around the the world.

Advanced Style was featured today in the BBC News Magazine. In the article, the blog’s creator, Seth Ari Cohen describes how he has always been inspired by older people for their wisdom, experience and strength.

Cohen’s friend and muse, the 93 year-old Ilona Royce Smithkin says, “[Y]ou have wonderful things in store when you get older. When I was younger I always worried how I looked, whether people liked me. Now I really like myself, and I’m using my creative side even more than a few years ago.” She holds up a long piece of stripy material. “I spotted an umbrella someone had left in the street, I liked the colour so I took it home and made it into this scarf.”

The blog’s creator, Seth Ari Cohen and director Lina Pliolplyte have been filming and interviewing women for over three years now. Cohen said that they’re currently in the editing and post-production phase and hope to enter the documentary in the 2013 film festival circuit.

Here’s a clip from the upcoming documentary. We can’t wait to see it!

Sue Tilley shared with Anna this portrait painted of her wearing Anna’s silk chrysanthemum print dress. Captured for all eternity…

SAVE THE DATE: The fabulous shop Emma Plus in Brighton will be hosting its annual Anna Scholz Day on Saturday, April 27th!

A selection of styles from Anna’s Spring-Summer 2013 White and Black Label collections will be sent to the shop, so that customers will have the opportunity to try on a variety of pieces then and there.

And…(drumroll)…Anna Scholz herself will be in the store between 11 am and 3:30 pm on the day. There also will be refreshments and a prize draw.

Be sure to make the trip– it will be well worth it!

Emma Plus is located at 16 Church Street, Brighton, BN1 1RB; phone: +44 (0)1273 327240

We’ve long been a fan of the “Real Beauty” campaigns of Dove skin care products. The company saw a surge in popularity when it introduced its ads of women of all shapes and ages wearing nothing but white underwear and beautiful smiles.

Most recently, Dove has launched another self-esteem-based campaign called “Real Beauty Sketches,” which reveals that women are often their own harshest critics.

The video features FBI forensic sketch artist Gil Zamora demonstrating the disparity between how women describe themselves versus how others see them. Zamora does one sketch based on how a woman describes herself (“”I kind of have a fat, rounder face”, “I would say I have a pretty big forehead…”) and one based on how a complete stranger describes her (“She had blue eyes, very nice blue eyes”, “Cute nose…”). The different results are startling—the portraits created from women’s description of themselves are definitely less flattering than the ones created from others’ descriptions.

When they see the sketches, some of the participants become quite emotional. “I should be more grateful of my natural beauty,” one woman confesses. “It impacts the friends that we make, the jobs we apply for, how we treat our children. It impacts everything.”

Florence's view of herself on the left; the view of a stranger is on the right

With the message, “You are more beautiful than you think,” this latest campaign hopes to positively impact the negative way that women view themselves physically.

Canadian plus-size model Justine Legault will grace the cover of Elle Quebec’s May 2013 issue!

It’s always a plus when the high fashion magazines showcase a curvier model. We’re looking forward to seeing the spread!

Click here to see a sneak preview of the shoot and some behind-the-scenes footage.

Photographer Rankin has taken a break from his illustrious career of portraits of pop culture icons to pursue the publishing side of things. He has launched a fashion and lifestyle magazine called The Hunger, which includes this amazing photo of Crystal Renn (one of Anna’s fave models to have worked with).

We thought our croc from the Spring-Summer 2013 White Label photo shoot in Miami was impressive. But Crystal’s dino kind of puts it to shame!

The loose theme of the latest issue of The Hunger is the new female attitude of women like Crystal Renn and fellow model Coco Rochas, as well as actress Juno Temple and singer Rita Ora. “These women have control of their careers in a way I hadn’t seen before,” says Rankin. “They follow their instinct, do what they want creatively. … I think this has a lot to do with social media. Talking to fans and experiencing their direct support gives these women confidence in their voices. It’s the first generation which has always had access to the internet and so, ultimately, to knowledge. Not to wisdom, but definitely to knowledge. These people have grown up with worldwide communication, and their landscape is international.”