British fashion and accessories designer Anya Hindmarch is realigning her eponymous brand’s retail strategy. The designer has decided to forgo traditional runway presentations at international fashion weeks to take a more direct-to-consumer route.
Beginning from Fall/Winter 2018 collections, the designer will hold a chain of creative “happenings” four times a year instead of the previous biannual catwalks. A special ‘see now, buy now’ event is already under work in the new format slated to take place in February, coinciding with London Fashion Week’s dates.
Hindmarch, who entered the fashion business through bags and accessories at the ripe age of 18, has always toyed with impressive runway formats that have included everything from Broadway performances to models dancing in giant tea-cups. She promises that her new endeavour is simply a new way for her “to amplify the brand’s creativity and the events will be as mad they’ve always been!”
The designer elucidated that, even in the past, the brand has seen great success with consumer-facing projects like the launch of their ‘Build-a-Bag’ collection in May as well as her ‘Anya Smells’ fragrant candles launch earlier this year.
All collections of the label, which recently amped up outerwear and RTW offerings, will, however, continue to be shown to media and buyers via private appointments in accordance with the traditional buying cycle.
The new format projects will correspond with product launches in the shop; the size and scale of the event will be decided on a case-by-case basis.
Some events will take place on her home turf in London and a few might be hosted outside the city, depending upon the market demand.
