Big ideas

Growing up in Hamburg, Anna Scholz was already 6ft and size 16 at the age of 13. That was when the flamboyant, fashion-conscious teenager decided to learn how to sew to make her own "punky" clothes.

Her first creation was a long bright red wool coat with a black collar and buttons "that made me feel like a princess", she says. Today, Scholz is one of the most successful plus-size designers in Europe, with a wide fan base that includes a host of celebrities. Based in London, where she trained, her key shapes are wrap dresses, tunics and maxi dresses in luxury fabrics such as double georgette and washable jersey/viscose.

Her main inspiration is the 1970s: "I love the big prints and that whole hippy luxury chic of that decade," she says. In her current collection, this influence shows in a bomber jacket in a vibrant bird print, which is repeated in a wrap dress. Apart from wearing her own clothes, she swears by Jessica Svoboda's jeans, and her only complaint is that she finds it difficult to source good shoes in bigger sizes. Anna Scholz can be found in Style Plus boutiques in Celbridge. Co Kildare and Oranmore, Galway. See www.styleplus.ie, tel: 1890-301616.