- published: 22 Feb 2016
- views: 351
Anya Susannah Hindmarch MBE (born 1968) is an English fashion accessories designer.
At 16 Hindmarch was given an old Gucci handbag by her mother and at 18 she went to Florence to study Italian.
Noticing that a drawstring leather duffel bag was all the rage among fashionable women, Hindmarch borrowed $1,000 to import some bags to England. After sending it to fashion magazine Harpers and Queen from an introduction made by a friend, as a result of their article she sold 500.
After learning to produce her own bags in Hackney, inspired by Margaret Thatcher Hindmarch opened a small shop in Walton Street, London aged 19, with her early products based heavily on Italian design principles. All her products she says are based on the quality of workmanship, and represent a design philosophy which is: British, humorous and bespoke. Her designs are also influenced by her love of classical architecture.
The Hindmarch company, now based in Battersea with her husband as Finance Director, runs to some 60 branded shops in 17 countries. Her products are also stocked in major retail chains including: Corso Como in Milan; Colette in Paris; isetan in Tokyo, Japan; and Saks, Scoop in the United States, and Adora in the Philippines. Her designs are popular with both film stars and celebrities, including:Keira Knightley, Scarlett Johansson, Sienna Miller, Madonna, Claudia Schiffer, Margaret Thatcher and Reese Witherspoon.