designer
dream job
plus size fashion
Annoyed by the lack of choice in the plus size fashion, Anna Scholtz decided to design her own
clothes. And so the brand bearing her own name was created. The German-born designer now
lives in London and is among the most successful in a plus size fashion industry worldwide.
Have you always wanted to be a fashion designer?
What got you started and what does modeling
have to do with it?
I grew up in Germany as a 6ft tall size 16/18 teenager
in the 80s and couldn’t find anything fashionable and
sexy to wear. I started making my own clothes from the
age of 13 and had my first customers by 16.
I started to work as a plus size model when I was 18
and learned a lot about the industry. I saw a huge gap
in the market for a trendy curve enhancing
collection and decided to move to London to study
fashion design at the prestigious St. Martin’s College
of Art and Design. I always had the desire to make curvy
women feel better about themselves and give them
a positive shopping experience.
Do you remember your first design sold?
I started having my first customers when I was 16, I believe
my first item sold was a pair of linen trousers with asymmetric leg seams (oh dear, it was 80’s!).
What skills must one have to become a fashion
designer? Is an education actually necessary in this
field or is passion enough?
Passion and determination are essential as competition
is so fierce, but education and a good set of skills are
vital. I believe you can only design a collection properly
if you understand how a garment is constructed and
different fabrics behave.
What was your biggest challenge when starting out?
Convincing buyers that bigger women also desired
fashion forward and figure enhancing sexy clothes and
weren’t just interested in hiding away in bags anymore.
Do you think a career path of a plus size fashion
designer is somehow different or more difficult than
a ‘normal’ designer?
There are more obstacles as the market structure is simply
not as developed, as in not much media support, not
many high end stores who carry plus, but there is also
a lot less competition. But the job is the same, I firstly look
at designing and developing a new collection based
on trends, moods and colors and then create styles
which are more flattering for a curvier figure.
annascholtz.com
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