HOW I GOT HERE

Designer Anya Hindmarch CBE, founder of the iconic accessories brand, maps her inspiring career journey

Jessica Alba, The Duchess of Cambridge and Emma Watson have all been spotted carrying one of Anya Hindmarch’s iconic handbags. The designer, who now has 15 stores worldwide, started her business aged 18 after being inspired by a second-hand Gucci bag given to her by her mum. ‘I was fascinated by the craftsmanship, but what really stood out for me was how it made me feel; more confident and grown up,’ she says. She went on to sell her bags at luxury department stores in New York and Tokyo, before opening her first store in Knightsbridge in 1993. She’s since received a CBE for her contribution to the British fashion industry and was the first accessories designer ever to hold an on-schedule London Fashion Week show.

AS A CHILD, I WAS ALWAYS CREATIVE AND LOVED FASHION.

I grew up in the countryside in Essex and would make lots of little boxes and wallets, intrigued by how things could be stored. When I turned 16, my mum gave me one of her old handbags. It was a Gucci cross-body in navy pigskin leather, and I was captivated by its stitching and was inspired to create my own handbags and accessories.

AGED 18, I TRAVELLED TO FLORENCE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LEATHER.

I spent time visiting the markets, tanneries and leather factories. I noticed the cool Italian girls wearing this drawstring duffle bag, so I bought one, designed my own and asked a factory to make some samples. When I returned home, I persuaded Harpers & Queen (now Harper’s Bazaar) to include my bag in the magazine. It was a great success; I sold nearly 500 and made £7,000. That gave me the confidence to start my own business.

MY DESIGNS AREN’T DRIVEN BY TRENDS, BECAUSE TRENDS DON’T LAST.

To know a bag could be ‘in fashion’ one minute and not the next, when so much time and effort has gone into making it, is just heartbreaking. I prefer fashion with a purpose and a bag should make your life easier.

MY ‘I’M NOT A PLASTIC BAG’ CAMPAIGN IN 2007, WAS A CAREER HIGHLIGHT.

80,000 people queued in one day for that tote bag and the change in people’s attitudes saw the number of single-use plastic bags reduced from 9.6bn to 6.2bn in a year.

SEEING PRINCESS DIANA CARRY ONE OF MY BAGS WAS A REAL ‘PINCH-ME’ MOMENT.

She liked to use a clutch called Maud and would call it her ‘cleavage bag’, because whenever she’d step out of her car she’d use it to shield that area. I’M MOTHER TO FIVE CHILDREN WITH MY HUSBAND, JAMES, AND MANAGING A BUSINESS AND FAMILY OVER THE YEARS HAS HAD ITS CHALLENGES. I met James in 1994, just after he’d been widowed, so when we married I became stepmother to his three children. The business was growing very fast, but luckily our families supported us unconditionally, which allowed me to continue expanding the brand. Soon after, James joined the company as finance director and we went on to have two more children.

I’VE ALWAYS ENJOYED WORKING WITH WOMEN AND HAVE A LOT ON MY SENIOR TEAM.

I find women to be kind, intuitive, collaborative and resilient grafters who are right by your side when you need them.

GOING FOR LONG WALKS HELPS SET ME UP FOR THE DAY.

I’ll head out at 7am to get my 10,000 steps in with a friend and it always clears my head. My family and I love eating and put a lot of effort into having long lunches and debates over dinner.

SUCCESS IS ABOUT HAVING A PATCHWORK OF MISTAKES.

You need to learn to stomach them, because they’re what help you to progress and succeed. Life is a bit like sailing; we plan to get from one point to another, but there are always twists and turns on the way.

MY BEST PIECE OF ADVICE FOR BUSY WOMEN IS, IF IN DOUBT, WASH YOUR HAIR.

It sounds silly, but when I have freshly washed hair I feel more confident. Simple acts like this, which help us instantly feel and look better, can also help wash away some of our self-doubt.

If In Doubt, Wash Your Hair: A Manual For Life (Bloomsbury, £18.99) by Anya Hindmarch is out 6th May

‘LIFE IS A BIT LIKE SAILING; THERE ARE TWISTS AND TURNS’