London Fashion Week: Anya Hindmarch mixes geometry and art

Anya Hindmarch for spring summer 2017 went beyond designing leather goods,
breaking ground between science and design, form and function.

“This season I’ve been preoccupied by the relationship between geometry and
art. These two visual mediums are both articulated through pattern, form
and colour – things that have always fascinated me,” the West London-based
designer noted.

“Starting with the ‘simple’ circle – perhaps the most intriguing geometric
shape – I’ve mixed native craft techniques and cutting edge technology to
create complex shapes. I like to think of this as the leather work
equivalent of a mathematical equation.”

The finale… moments from the Spring Summer 2017 show #LFW #AnyaSS17 #LFW

A photo posted by Anya Hindmarch (@anyahindmarch) on Sep 18, 2016 at 5:20am PDT

Anya founded her business in London in 1987 and has since grown into a
global brand that has over 45 stores – including flagships in New York,
London and Tokyo – and is stocked in many of the world’s best retail
stores. But things were not always so easy.

Hindmarch began her business when she spotted a must-have bag in
Florence

Hindmarch began her fledgling company when she was 18 years old, whilst
studying Italian in Florence. When she spotted a ‘must-have’ bag she loaned
1000 pounds to import the bag to England. Canny as she was, she sent a
sample to Harper’s Bazaar magazine, which promptly featured the bag and
resulted in Hindmarch selling 500 units. With a profit of 7000 pounds
Hindmarch set up her business as we know it today.

In the early days, Hindmarch’s factory copied her designs

Hindmarch told The Daily Telegraph, “Between 1987 and 1993 I was on my own,
at my kitchen table, which was quite tough. I was living with a friend in
London, just off the Fulham Road, and it was hard to crack it. I see a lot
of people at the same stage now, and a lot of businesses are lost at that
stage. Then the Italian factory that I was using started to copy my
designs, and sell them to Harvey Nichols. And it was hard to get the
quantities right at the beginning – 50 of this, 50 of that – so I ended up
moving the production back to the UK, and began to work with a lot of
craftsmen, some of whom we still work with.”

New shoe shapes this season include pointed pumps finished with geometric leatherwork details. Use the link in our bio to find out more. #AnyaSS17 #LFW #SS17

A photo posted by Anya Hindmarch (@anyahindmarch) on Sep 18, 2016 at 2:35am PDT

Fast forward a few years and Hindmarch is the first accessories designer to
hold an on-schedule London Fashion Week show. While perhaps accessories
brands taking to the catwalks are not fashion week highlights, her
presentations are always interesting, mixing a very British dose of
creativity and wit into her collections, such as models floating
weightlessly over the catwalk or a giant mirrored kaleidoscopic set and
models walking within an artful Rubik’s cube.

Hindmarch began putting her bags on the catwalk five years ago, but unlike
accessories brand Mulberry, Hindmarch didn’t design her own clothes. At
first she used anonymous black pieces to not distract from her leather
goods, then models were styled in fancy-dress: one season they paraded the
catwalk as neon skeletons, another season as gymnasts. Finally she decided
a capsule collection of her own would be bested suited to both her bags and
brand, resulting in a collection of mostly coats that are equally as
desirable and complimentary to her bag ranges.

One of Hindmarch’s early accolades, was her Be A Bag campaign in 2001. It
allowed customers to have their own photographs printed onto a bag and with
a little help from celebrity friends Kate Moss and Elton John, the
initiative was launched in more than 20 countries, benefiting over 20
charities around the world.

Geometric leatherwork details on Spring Summer 2017 coats #AnyaSS17 #LFW #SS17

A photo posted by Anya Hindmarch (@anyahindmarch) on Sep 18, 2016 at 2:35am PDT

The ‘I am NOT a Plastic Bag’ campaign was a public relations coup

Then of course came Hindmarch’s greatest pr coup, the “I am NOT a Plastic
Bag’ campaign in 2007. Joining forces with the global social change
movement We Are What We Do, she sold the slogan canvas bags for 5 pounds to
raise awareness for the unnecessary waste of plastic bags. The bag sold out
within hours and saw 80,000 people queue in one day in England to try and
purchase one.

Hindmarch is also a UK Trade Ambassador, a Non-Executive Director of the
British Fashion Council and a trustee of both the Royal Academy of Arts and
the Design Museum. In 2009 she was awarded an MBE in recognition for her
contribution to the British fashion industry and in the last year received
three prestigious Accessory Designer of the Year awards: a British Fashion
Award, an Elle Style Award and a Glamour Women of the Year award.

Hindmarch currently operates Bespoke stores, where customers can have
drawings or messages in their own handwriting embossed by in-store
craftsmen. Part of an ongoing commitment to reconnect the craftsman and the
customer, each bespoke piece is – as Anya says – about ‘having your name on
something, rather than mine’.