Anya Hindmarch

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Anya Hindmarch
CBE
Hindmarch in London, in 2023.
Born
Anya Hindmarch

1968 (age 55–56)
Maldon, Essex, England
Occupation(s)Founder & CEO, Anya Hindmarch
Board member ofBoard of Trade
Spouse
James Seymour
​
(m. 1996)​
AwardsBrand of the Year, Accessory Designer British Fashion Awards[1]
Anya Hindmarch Bespoke on Pont Street, Chelsea, 2022
Anya Hindmarch store, Sloane Street, London, 2022
Anya Hindmarch store, Sloane Street, London, 2022

Anya Susannah Hindmarch, CBE (/ˈhaɪndmɑːrtʃ/;[2] born in 1968[3]) is an English fashion accessories designer who founded an eponymous company, of which she is currently CEO. Hindmarch published her first book, If In Doubt Wash Your Hair in May 2021, a Sunday Times bestseller.[4]

Alongside running her accessories brand, Hindmarch holds several other roles – she is Emeritus trustee of both the Royal Academy of Arts[5] and the Design Museum [6] and a trustee of The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.[7] In 2019, Anya Hindmarch became a Greenpeace Ambassador.[8] She was appointed a trustee of the Tate in 2022 [9] and is a non-executive director of Tate Enterprises Ltd.[10] In September 2023, Hindmarch was made an advisor to the Board of Trade.[11]

Early life[edit]

Hindmarch was born into an entrepreneurial family and attended New Hall School, an independent school in Chelmsford, Essex.[12] In 1986, she went to Florence to study Italian for a year.[13]

Career[edit]

Hindmarch launched her label in 1987, when she was 18, inspired by a drawstring leather duffel bag many fashionable Italian women carried.[14] Even though the UK economy was in a recession,[14] she was inspired by Margaret Thatcher's entrepreneurial ideas,[15] Hindmarch borrowed some money to import some bags to England, and sold 500 through the fashion magazine Harpers and Queen.[12][1][13]

She initially had bags manufactured in Italy, but when the factory started selling bags of her design directly to retailers,[16] she started having her own bags made in Hackney.[14] By 1992 her bags were sold at luxury stores in London, New York, Japan, France and Italy.[13]

In 1993 Hindmarch opened a small retail shop in Walton Street.[12][14] From the beginning, high quality materials and workmanship were central, representing a design philosophy which was, and remains "British, humorous and personalised."[1]

In 2001 Hindmarch launched her "Be A Bag" line, a service by which a bag is personalised with a customer's photograph, initially to support a breast cancer awareness group, but subsequently to benefit other charitable causes.[12]

In 2007 Hindmarch launched a limited-edition tote bag with the words "I'm NOT A Plastic bag", using her influence to make it fashionable not to use plastic bags.[17] The canvas totes sold for £5 and were selected by Vanity Fair to be included in their "Oscars" goodie bags.[18]

In 2008, Hindmarch launched a limited edition handbag for US retailer Target.[19] In the same year, Hindmarch collaborated with Selfridges to design a collection of Christmas hampers.[20]

In 2009, her company opened a bespoke workshop at its Pont Street store in London. By that time, the company was headquartered in Battersea, in the converted stable block of a former brewery.[21]

In 2013, Anya Hindmarch opened its New York flagship store on Madison Avenue that sold both manufactured and bespoke bags.[22]

In 2021, Hindmarch launched the Village,[23] her brand’s retail development on London’s Pont Street in Chelsea, comprising four permanent stores, the brand’s ‘Anya Cafe’ and a space which hosts rotating concepts including the Ice Cream Project [24] during the summer and Anya’s Grotto at Christmastime.[25]

Business Details[edit]

In 2006 the company took on outside investors, and was valued at $38 million.[21] By 2009, she had 51 stores worldwide with an estimated sales of £20 million.[14]

In 2020, The Telegraph reported that Hindmarch had regained a joint ownership of the company after returning to lead a turnaround.[26]

Awards and Honours[edit]

  • 2006 Glamour magazine Designer of the Year [27]
  • 2007 Glamour magazine Designer of the Year [27]
  • 2007 Designer brand of the Year at the British Fashion Awards (first winner) [28]
  • 2008 Outstanding Achievement Award - Elle Magazine 2008 [29]
  • 2009 Appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2009 for services to the British fashion industry [30]
  • 2009 Bravery in the Face of Adversity Award, Luxury Briefing [31]
  • 2009 Named one of 25 most influential people working in fashion industry by BFC [32]
  • 2010 Conde Nast Traveller Innovation and Design Award for Bespoke [33]
  • 2011 Awarded an Honorary doctorate by Anglia Ruskin University[34]
  • 2012 Veuve Cliquot businesswoman of the year [35]
  • 2014 British Fashion Award for Accessory Designer at the British Fashion Awards [36]
  • 2015 Glamour magazine Designer of the Year [27]
  • 2015 Beyond the Runway award, Decoded Fashion Futures [37]
  • 2016 Elle magazine Accessories Designer of the Year award [38]
  • 2016 Walpole award for digital innovation in British Luxury [39]
  • 2017 Awarded an Honorary doctorate by Essex University[40]
  • 2017 appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to fashion [41]

Previous Appointments[edit]

Hindmarch was on the Promote London Board for the Mayor of London from 2009 until 2011,[35] a non-executive director from the British Fashion Council from 2010 until 2020,[42] was a UK trade ambassador from 2011 until 2016 [43] and a Birthday Honours Committee member from 2013 until 2019.

Personal life[edit]

In 1996 she married James Seymour, a widower with three children, and he joined the company soon after as its finance director.[14][16]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Naughton, Philippe (20 February 2008). "People who steal ideas are creeps. My life in fashion: Anya Hindmarch". The Times. London. Retrieved 12 March 2008.
  2. ^ "A Conversation with: Anya Hindmarch - 'The Future of Luxury: Sustainability and Retail'". YouTube. 14 December 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  3. ^ "Anya Hindmarch". Debrett's. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2009.
  4. ^ "If In Doubt, Wash Your Hair: A Manual for Life". Goodreads. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  5. ^ "The Royal Academy Trust | Royal Academy of Arts". www.royalacademy.org.uk. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  6. ^ "Trustees". Design Museum. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  7. ^ "Who we are". The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  8. ^ "Ocean Ambassadors". Greenpeace International. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  9. ^ "Five New Trustees Appointed to Tate – Press Release". Tate. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  10. ^ "TATE ENTERPRISES LTD people - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  11. ^ "Government unveils new Board of Trade with UK's top CEOs". GOV.UK. 20 September 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  12. ^ a b c d "Anya Hindmarch MBE: Honorary Doctor of Arts, 2011". Anglia Ruskin University. Archived from the original on 30 March 2016. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  13. ^ a b c Waite, Teresa L. (1 March 1992). "Style Makers; Anya Hindmarch, Handbag Designer". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 March 2008.
  14. ^ a b c d e f Nikkhah, Roya (18 April 2009). "Anya Hindmarch: bag lady with a £20m empire". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 28 March 2016.
  15. ^ Moreton, Cole (3 February 2008). "Anya Hindmarch: Dave's got a brand new bag lady". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2008.
  16. ^ a b Justine Picardie for The Telegraph. 13 May 2012. Bags to riches: Anya Hindmarch interview
  17. ^ "UK – Magazine – It's in the bag, darling". BBC. 25 April 2007.
  18. ^ "I'm Not an Ethical Plastic Bag". treehugger.com. 28 April 2007. Archived from the original on 23 March 2008. Retrieved 12 March 2008.
  19. ^ Max Padilla for the Los Angeles Times. 8 Oct 2008. Anya Hindmarch brings a low-priced handbag collection to Target
  20. ^ Leisa Barnett for Vogue UK. 24 Sept. 2008 Happy Hampers
  21. ^ a b Kate Reardon for Vanity Fair. Sept. 2009 The Queen of Cozy Cool
  22. ^ Jill Sieracki for Gotham Magazine. 25 Nov, 2013 Anya Hindmarch's Cheeky-Chic Handbags
  23. ^ https://www.forbes.com/sites/lelalondon/2021/05/17/anya-hindmarch-launches-not-one-new-store-but-an-entire-village/
  24. ^ https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/anya-hindmarch-ice-cream-project-village-belgravia-baked-bean-ketchup-b1012979.html
  25. ^ https://www.timeout.com/london/things-to-do/anyas-grotto
  26. ^ Uttley, Hannah (18 January 2020). "Anya Hindmarch bags half her fashion business back". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Limited. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  27. ^ a b c "Glamour award". Archived from the original on 2 August 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  28. ^ "British Fashion Award Winners 2007". 27 November 2007.
  29. ^ "LFW: Elle Style Awards". 13 February 2008.
  30. ^ Natasha Cowan for The Telegraph. 2 June 2009 Anya Hindmarch awarded MBE at Buckingham Palace
  31. ^ "Anya Hindmarch". 26 August 2011.
  32. ^ "British Fashion Council".
  33. ^ "Seasoned Travellers". 11 May 2010.
  34. ^ "Anya Hindmarch - ARU". aru.ac.uk. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  35. ^ a b Moulds, Josephine (19 April 2012). "Handbag queen named businesswoman of the year". The Guardian. London.
  36. ^ "Anya Hindmarch - Accessory Designer of the Year - British Fashion Awards 2014". YouTube.
  37. ^ "And the Fashion Futures Award Winners Are". 22 May 2015.
  38. ^ "Elle Style Awards 2016: Winners List". 24 February 2016.
  39. ^ "Anya Hindmarch and Burberry among winners at Walpole British Luxury Awards". 15 November 2016.
  40. ^ "Graduation 2017: Our Honorary Graduands | University of Essex".
  41. ^ "Anya Hindmarch | BoF 500 | the People Shaping the Global Fashion Industry".
  42. ^ https://www.britishfashioncouncil.co.uk/pressreleases/Anya-Hindmarch-joins-BFC
  43. ^ https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/the-rise-and-rise-of-anya-hindmarch-queen-of-handbags-celebrates-30-years-a3397226.html

External links[edit]

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