Shopping with. . . Designer Anya Hindmarch

By Amy Flurry
March 8, 2010

Fashion and accessories designer Anya Hindmarch became a household name when she started the reusable carryall craze with the launch of her “I’m Not a Plastic Bag” tote in the summer of 2007. The hysteria surrounding it was the kind usually reserved for a "Twilight" debut, with shoppers the world over cueing around city blocks for a chance to buy a limited edition $15 canvas bag meant to carry bread and fruit by a designer whose handbags often run well into the thousands of dollars.

Though that ‘It Bag’ fashion moment may have made Hindmarch an overnight sensation with the fashion masses, Anya Hindmarch handbags have been coveted investment pieces, renowned for their craftsmanship and bespoke qualities, since 1986, when Hindmarch launched her label at the age of 18 after successfully convincing English magazine Harpers & Queen to run a feature on one of her first designs. The line was so well-received that Hindmarch, who hails from a family of successful entrepreneurs (her father founded Plantpak, a plastics company and both her brother and sister launched their own businesses), passed on the typical university path and eventually opened her own boutique in London.

Designer Anya Hindmarch Shopping Bags Introduced At Whole Foods (Photos by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

While Hindmarch initially concentrated on luxury handbags and high-end accessories, the line has evolved to include footwear, luggage, outerwear, clothing and travel accessories, with 54 boutiques around the world. In 2007, Hindmarch was the first accessories designer ever to be nominated for British Fashion Award’s Designer of the Year. Her name remains synonymous with the ‘Perfect Bag’ and her brand is a regular favorite of editors and A-listers, including Angelina Jolie, Naomi Watts and Sienna Miller.

Anya's Must-Have Bags from her Website

The face of the global label carefully balances a global company and family. “I’m well qualified to design things that really work,” says the working mother of five, who admits to using her own constant travel to test-drive her own designs. “I’m fascinated with the psychology behind the bag,” she tells The Inside Source. “It’s about how you segregate things into the different pockets so that you’re not always rummaging. It’s about the strap sitting comfortably on your shoulder without digging into your arm. It must look like a million and feel good no matter how you’re holding it.”

Hindmarch spoke to The Inside Source.

The Inside Source: How do you use eBay for your work?

Anya Hindmarch: Launching Anya Hindmarch Bespoke [a collection of custom, totally unique, pieces with a Pont Street storefront] in London last year provided me with an opportunity (and excuse!) to hunt for truly special pieces for the store on Pont Street. As Bespoke is so close to my heart, it was important to me that the shop be something unique, befitting the collection. I was thrilled to discover some perfect bits and pieces on eBay, including beautiful Edwardian file drawers. I knew I had to have them—exciting discoveries like this make my heart flutter.

Hindmarch turned to eBay when outfitting her new boutique in London, Anya Hindmarch Bespoke, and purchased this Edwardian file with ten drawers.

TIS: What’s the most unusual thing you’ve ordered off of eBay?

AH: An I’m Not a Plastic Bag tote. Considering I had loads in the office, We thought they were counterfeit!

TIS: What’s coming down the pike? We want a sneak peak!

AH: This fall, we have returned to a few of the core elements which are key to our brand’s DNA. We have incorporated them into new silhouettes, using new fabrications, and given them a modern, more “downtown” feel. The new collection is sportier; the bags tend to be lighter and slouchier, but we are still dressing the same woman who is looking for a bag that is all her own, something special that isn’t covered in logos and is not an “it” bag.

TIS: Any collaborations in the works?

AH: There’s a capsule collection of field jackets with Barbour—a heritage brand that I grew up with and is therefore dear to me. And we have collaborated with British street artist Ben Eine on a set of canvas totes, which are wonderfully graphic and colorful. Both very exciting!

TIS: Are you a collector?

AH: Yes, I love butterfly boxes and vintage men’s Rolex watches.

TIS: Your current shopping wish list?

AH: Chloe’s new two-toned sneakers, an iReader, soft Rick Owens t-shirts for layering this spring, John Robshaw ikat pillows, an Anya Hindmarch Valorie glitter clutch if it is still in our stores (I should have nabbed one from the showroom earlier!) and extra hours in the day. Is that available on eBay yet?

Hindmarch's eBay Shopping List

1. Gorgeous Rick Owens Dust Strutter Sheer Tunic Top (starting bid, $157) “I’d pair this mushroom-hued V-neck tee by Rick Owens with jeans and one of my slouchy spring bags in a bright fushsia. It’s all you need.”

2. New Kindle 2i Wireless Reading Device (buy it now price, $239.99) “Great for traveling, I can keep all of my favorite books on this lightweight gadget without being weighed down.”

3. John Robshaw Bark Cloth Comb Pillow Cover (buy it now price, $39.99) “John Robshaw’s textiles have a real vitality to them that he gets by using traditional dyeing and printing techniques learned from Asian artisans.”

4. Butterfly Display Box 9 Butterflies From Eclectic Cool (buy it now price, $24.99) Break up a wall of photographs with a shadowbox display of butterflies or a single rare species.

5. Vintage Rolex Datejust Watch 18k & Stainless Mint (current bid, $811) “Can you have too many of a good thing? I can spend hours looking at these vintage beauties.”

**portrait of Anya Hindmarch: credit, Ben Knight**

Amy Flurry is a freelance writer and style editor whose work has been featured in Lucky, Refinery 29, InStyle, Conde Nast Traveler, O @ Home, Four Seasons magazine, House Beautiful, Country Living, and The Atlantan.

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