A conversation with Dame Anya Hindmarch and how she brilliantly established an iconic global fashion and accessory brand through the use of humor, curiosity, and authenticity.
Elevating the essentials and the frivolities of daily life through design, Anya Hindmarch, who launched her business in 1987 by importing a highly-coveted drawstring leather bag from Italy to the UK in 1987, has built a global luxury brand. Her handbag and accessory designs reference art and pop culture; explore materiality and texture; and are renowned for their neatly labeled compartments that bid farewell to scrambling around in the purse for lost glasses.
From a gold metal clutch shaped like an empty chip bag to handbags and accessories mimicking the familiar packaging of favorite brands like Polo mints and Kellogg’s cereal, Hidmarch plays with nostalgia and recognition through her relationship with these much-loved brands. A serious social agenda underlies some of her most iconic yet still playful designs: her canvas tote bag with its Magritte-inspired inscription, “I am not a plastic bag,” ignited the campaign to reduce single-use plastic bags across the UK.
Her brand activations are as playful as her designs: for Valentine's Day 2017, she launched chubby hearts—oversized, inflatable hearts were squished in and suspended above London landmarks (bringing it back in 2022 when the world needed a bit of extra love, and introducing it in Hong Kong last February) and in 2018 she filled London’s Banqueting House with what was essentially a beanbag bed allowing visitors to take in the Rubens ceiling. In 2021, Hindmarch published her first book, the Sunday Times bestseller If In Doubt Wash Your Hair, a collection of memories and advice with quick yet insightful titles like “Creativity Will Eat Strategy For Breakfast” and “I Would Label My Children If I Could.”
If her global popularity and celebrity following weren’t enough to establish her as an iconic British designer, her recent damehood should be. Awarded earlier this year in the King's Birthday Honours, Hindmarch was recognized for her services to fashion and business. A passionate advocate of British design and arts, Hindmarch is a trustee of the Tate, trustee of The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, advisor to the Board of Trade, and an emeritus trustee of both the Royal Academy of Arts and the Design Museum.
How do you feel as a designer now, at this stage of life and with the experience you’ve gained, compared to the start?
Still curious. I have more options as I have an address book of amazing suppliers, fellow creatives, and a great team. So now, when I have an idea, I can make it happen more easily. Although, inevitably, each project is in some way something I haven’t done before or ideally, hasn’t been done before. That is what gets my heart racing (in a good way!)
What have you learned about design?
I have learnt that being scared is the same as being excited. I have learnt not to take no for an answer. I have learnt to trust my gut, and I have learnt to ride out the ‘creative dip’ when I am at the bottom and not only hate my idea but hate myself… And I have learnt to embrace Oscar Wilde’s quote “Be yourself, the other places are already taken.”
What have you learned about business?
In many ways it is simple; it is all about people; and it is imperative to be positive if you are to succeed.
What qualities do you consider are most British in your brand?
I think it doesn’t take itself too seriously (apart from craftsmanship or creative integrity). Design for me is based on tradition and in the context of history—but then messed up.
What three words best express your brand?
Personal, responsible but with a bit of humour.
What trends do you see in the current market?
Less ‘stuff’ — things need meaning. Things need to last. Brand equals behaviour.
Where do your best ideas come from?
Bed. Sleep. Time off. Galleries. Museums. And sometimes wine.
Which designs would you consider some of your most iconic and why?
I am a Plastic Bag. The Crisp Packet. Chubby Hearts. Chubby Cloud. Universal Bag. The Ice-Cream Project. Not sure why!
Why is it important to you to support and advocate for art, design, and creativity?
It is core to everything good. Design makes things better and it is a massive driver of economies and employment.
How important is a storefront or bricks and mortar in a digital age?
Still important but needs to have a reason to visit over digital. Hence creating ‘The Village’ in London.
The Village opened on Pont Street in London’s Chelsea in 2021 as a community of neighboring stores clustered around the Anya Cafe. To date, The Village has played host to experiences that include Anya’s Grotto, a partnership with the Women’s Institute, and The Ice Cream Project featuring ice creams and sorbets made with Hindmarch’s favorite cult food brands like Jaffa Cakes and Bird’s Custard.
Has craft informed your design?
Yes. Craft IS design. It is how it is made. It makes all the difference. And any design starts with what CAN be made and how.
How do you approach sustainably in your brand and how important is it to your customers?
It is core to what we do. We use our platform to communicate in a better way and we try to keep doing things in a better way. But perfection is the enemy of good. We need to celebrate each good step and be open about the challenges. It is not easy.
What did it mean to you to receive the damehood and has it changed what people think of you and your brand?
Well, it is obviously the most wonderful honour and very new and taking a bit of getting used to! It has had a lovely response from people though, and I think/hope it shines a light on business and my industry and the arts, which are things I care very deeply about.