SPOTLIGHT ON ANNA MASON Meet the designer behind the brand
Despite an impressive CV that cites Karl Lagerfeld, Max Mara and Valentino as former employers, it was only when she launched her own label in 2012 that fashion designer Anna Mason’s childhood dream was finally fulfilled. The big leap came when her first child was born and Mason found herself juggling work as a freelance designer with running her own personal shopping and styling business alongside meeting the demands of a newborn. ‘I felt that I was really missing being creative and that I hadn’t achieved what I’d set out to do in my career. So, I began (very quietly) to make the odd dress. I soon received compliments and orders, and realised I could organically grow my little cottage industry.’
And grow it has. From hosting intimate trunk shows at home with close friends modelling the clothes, Mason built a loyal customer base with her made-to-order service and has recently launched her ready-to-wear label via net-a-porter.com. Mason’s signature feminine designs have found an audience with creative women who have a unique sense of style.
Inspirations for her designs span many decades, from the Edwardian era to the 1940s and, as she explains, ‘The 1970s always infiltrate my collections, somehow I can’t get away from a romantic Seventies style.’ With icons such as Catherine Deneuve, Brigitte Bardot and Jackie Onassis as her style inspiration, it’s no wonder Mason describes the brand’s DNA as sexy, feminine and strong.