REX USAEver the innovative designer, Anya Hindmarch has cornered the market on luxury tongue-in-cheek accessories. She's reimagined ordinary traffic signs, gum wrappers and an assortment of other everyday objects into kitschy high-end accessories, and her handbags and fashion stickers never fail to inspire.
Now, being out-of-the-box isn't British designer's only calling card—she's mastered elegant and polished goods as well, and season after season has delivered a compelling range of designs that have captured the attention of celeb fans like Emma Watson, Cara Delevingne and even Kate Middleton.
For spring-summer 2016, Anya yet again whipped up another imaginative and eye-catching collection, named Apophinea, for her London Fashion Week presentation. And lucky us, we caught up with the designer herself on everything from her design inspiration to the cool techno music that set the tune of her runway show.
What was your first LFW experience?
I started my business at 18 so that was my first LFW experience, right at the beginning.
What was your best memory from your first LFW?
It's hard to pinpoint but just the fact that it was over and we'd achieved it meant so much.
What was the inspiration for this collection?
This year's inspiration was recreating the everyday in the most luxurious way. I've taken the patterns that surround me and—those that I have always known yet don't always notice—and worked into them. We've explored each pattern using innovative and complex leatherwork techniques such as fusing, high-frequency heat bonding and leather marquetry.
Do you have any rituals before the show?
No, we just work really hard right up to the last minute.
How did you pick your music this year?
We had the music written specially for the show [by Frankmusik]. We worked with someone who had done a lot of music in the '80s because we wanted a very techno, bright-night clubby feel.
How do you choose what you wear for the show?
We're always so busy that what I'm wearing is the lowest priority on my list, but I just choose something I'm comfortable in because you're working, you're really working right up until the last minute.
How will you celebrate after the show?
With a nice cup of tea—no, we'll go and raise a glass with the team.
Finish the sentences below:
Today for breakfast I had… nothing, we haven't had time yet.
My usual Starbucks order is… a soy latte.
My go to snack… is a banana.
My favorite accessory is… you can't ask me to choose that... it's like choosing a favorite child.
Check out Suki Waterhouse at London Fashion Week, too!