In the distant past, when we had never been seen that the earth is flat, so-called “green fashion” seems to be a completely illusory words,The so-called ethical fashion, it means wearing skullcaps hand-woven in Peru, against the construction of Niu Boli overpass leading to air pollution, and at least have a hit album indigenous Zhang Yulin.
But that is before the famous Anya Hindmarch things.
In her design of the “I’m not a plastic bag” after everything changed. Last April, the price of £ 5 canvas began in London, Sainsbury ‘department store sales, just one hour, 20,000 packages were sold out. A few days later, eBay began to appear on the price of £ 200 second-hand “I’m not a plastic bag”.
“It spread like wildfire.” 39-year-old Hindmarch said, “a day on the discharge of 80,000 person-long line, everyone wants to buy that bag.”
Green never looked so stylish too
We all know what followed. 5 pound bags quickly became a fashion symbol. Bags for the UK’s most famous designers in 2007 was an unexpected whirlwind. A total of last year she opened 20 new stores in Beijing and Shanghai boutique opened in May of this year. Her name became a household name.
Green never looked so stylish too. “I do not want to launch an attack on plastic bags.” Hindmarch said, “I have five children, I once mentioned in the supermarket for 35 plastic bags to go home immediately after they are thrown, and never thought want to reuse them. ”
In fact, this package is manufactured in China. As we all know, those in third world countries where sweatshops, the workers generally are paid very low pay. Therefore, this news caused a great British media criticism. Hindmarch describes how the reporters called her, claiming that China is sitting on the border and asked her to immediately inform the plant the name of the scene. She insisted that her company paid twice the minimum wages, goods and means of transport by sea. She spent a few months to visit the product supply line, made some small but crucial improvements. But she did not hesitate to admit that things are still not perfect. “The fashion industry is always on the details of the nit-pick, but it also proved its influence.” She said, “For me, this package means to arouse people’s awareness of environmental protection, rather than money. In accordance with its original price count, we are at a loss and profit. “Clearly, the face distorted the outcome of good intentions, she was quite angry.
Soon after, the stars began scrambling to demonstrate their eco-consciousness. People often shop at Whole Foods supermarket aisle and saw wearing a homemade green shoes, with a happy smiling face of Natalie Portman. The city’s trendy people are beginning to sail clean, low noise of the Toyota Prius running around their new topics, including carbon emissions and at Christmas to a small village in Africa to buy goats.
If the canvas bag to carry items they encourage people to think the way home, it also recollected that they began all those are from the supermarket where the food came. Michelin-star chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall to try one week to a small town called Axminster into Britain’s first “free-ranging chickens town,” he did lobbying propaganda, had to fight so that bird can a good life and work. Another celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay is just put your garden into a pig farm.
Queen’s handbag business history
Hindmarch can get such a big success, in fact, it is not surprising. She comes from a very enterprising family, her father Michael founded the plastics company Plantpak, it is very successful brother William opened a large named Best of Best senior auto auction. Hindmarch is a handbag enthusiast since childhood, a little girl, she would try to make paper bags. After graduating from high school, she spend a year traveling to Europe, but also specifically to the home of the Italian bag. In Florence, she found a bag can be small-batch production factories, so soon will own a design to manufacturing and the finished product to the “Harpers Bazaar” magazine. The magazine has a special program was dedicated to the works of young designers will be recommended and sold to the reader. Hindmarch’s handbag popular first in just one month net profit of £ 7,000. This prompted her determination to give up college career at the age of 18 to set up his own handbag brands.
Initially, she just put their own designs to sell the various shopping malls and boutiques. Joseph Ettedgui, one of her first clients, has remembered her early years, “one man, played many roles – designers, salesmen, packers” the scenes. Until receiving the New York department store Henri Bendel a large amount of $ 20,000 after the order, considered the business to boom. “I had no idea what to do to use the money out.” She said, “It was a period of hard times.”
In 1993, Walton Street, opened her first store. With limited budgets, the store opened on the second floor. Many celebrities and models began to visit here, and even Princess Diana has door visits. Everyone knows that, Anya Hindmarch’s accessories, beautiful, easy to take, fashionable and just right, will not be fashionable to scare the people. By 2001 she launched the famous Be A Bag (customers can choose any of his pictures printed on special canvas bag, each one is alone product), her handbag has become a fashionable West End girls will all prepare a single product.
“Anya, where customers learn from her experience,” “Guardian,” the fashion editor Jess Cartner-Morley says, “She looks thorough understanding of our life: her handbag inside the bags with the size and number is always just right , so you do not look old in looking through; and even a bag stuffed with something, it still sit tight in your shoulders, will not make you sick – how many handbags are expensive can not do this ah; they apply to any occasion – enough to make you beautiful, high enough, even the snobbery of the clerk who did not dare look down upon you, while not too fancy, so that when you go carrying it when the child’s birthday party could not help feel like an idiot. ”
Interestingly, however, although many of London’s fashion editors are now selected with Anya Hindmarch’s handbags at various occasions, but Hindmarch himself said that she did not want to launch It bag. “I hate the concept, this has nothing to do with my brand.” She said, “But of course, on a quarterly basis a total lack of focus can not be recommended.”
B: the past decade, accessories market has changed?
A: 1990′s when I first start a business, accessories can not be called a category, but the handbag has become a luxury development of the market driving force. Buying handbags is to obtain a brand you want the most efficient means, and because it does not require tall, so for anyone. In the past decade, back to what you determine your package has become the standard of what kind of people. And the brand into advertising in a lot of money also makes accessories beginning to receive attention.
B: Do you think this will always be popular down bag, and the brand to earn profits?
A: In between a woman and the handbag has a special link, I can even write papers on this. When I was a little girl, I liked holding her mother’s handbag, put me into the small stuff in each compartment. Girls that like to organize, incorporate, classified these things – it certainly is a woman’s physical instincts. I observed my daughter and found the same thing happened to her.
Handbag is a very interesting fashion types. You do not need 0 figure, you can use them well, because everyone has the arm. It’s my favorite place that I can wear jeans, T-shirts go to the gym, and a beautiful handbag let me feel different, full of confidence. Handbag can change a person’s mood – even more than the clothing is also more effective. Some actors said that only the wearing of shoes, they can enter the character – I feel for handbags as well. For different roles, I with a different handbag. So I think it will never become obsolete.
B: Some media commented that the bag has a high price to the outrageous attitude, do not know why women are still crazy to buy.
A: Yes I think this point of view, things are getting a bit like a crazy, many big brands are actually at risk. I believe the price you have to draw a line for themselves. If you want to create a fully customized products for special needs, then the price would certainly be higher. But I think there is also fraud to happen – some people in the row on the waiting list for a long time, and finally got a little can be said was shoddy and not how special handbag, which can not even talk about a high-level experience. We are all on the environment, charity, waste of resources and more concerned about the era, which I was very fast, which is from the start I want to avoid.
In my opinion, if you’re wasted, it would not be high, so the product can not be called a luxury – because it is wrong. We always pay attention to prices set at fair and reasonable. They are expensive because of material quality, and all hand-made, otherwise the customer Dang Houshua. I recently saw a friend bought a package – must say very nice, but only printed canvas with leather coupled with a little bit, but asking $ 1,700. I think that is robbery, the brand should not treat customers.
B: Now many people to buy handbags as an investment, how do you see?
A: In any case, It bag can not be considered as investments, because the next season it will no longer “It” up. Like our Bespoke Ebury – the most personal information and language remain in the package, such as father to the mother say to write on it – I think that is something worth passing on. Or some special packages for people to make the body has a specific size and length – that is something I am willing to pass on future generations. I especially hate the concept of It bag. I think you should always loved handbags, always use something. And others like to buy a handbag, put it with the season sideline – I think this is silly.
“My brand is my own.”
B: You ever wondered why your brand so popular?
A: I would not use entrepreneurial methods to analyze this set of problems. One must listen to their feelings. I do not do the things they do not like, so my brand is all about myself. And I also own the most severe approvers. If a package made me feel very Le shoulder, then I think other people will have this feeling. I do not like to take care of that baby needs the same care with the package. I have always been very concerned about the details, because this is my brand the customer together with the link. Luckily, I am a woman, I know what is useful. I like handbags, because it is exciting, a good handbag will make you feel happy to jump. I always do when thinking about the design of this – if it makes me think so, and that work should be the same for others.
B: You know your customers?
A: They may wear Chloe, Marni, Marc Jacobs, LANVIN, may not want to be used in advertising can be seen everywhere on the package, but want more personal. Others to see that your package is what makes it a bit romantic.
B: You will be affected by other areas of fashion trends affected?
A: Almost not at all, because we have other products come out in full before completion of the design. Trend forecasting is usually released before the next season I started to do the design. I am not aware of such forecasts are correct – they always think that everything will be popular – bright colors, printing … … as you say! In fact, you have to do is to understand your customers, your own preferences, and your plans for next season.
B: Now to find good craftsmen is very difficult?
A: I think the bigger problem is that poor supply chain. On this issue, Italy suffered the most. Many products are manufactured in other places – especially in the Middle East. I believe that expertise, I like to limit trade in certain specific areas, but the situation is the amount of how much, but I think once we become too large, I will be conscious. I do not want to be kind in every corner of the main road have opened a branch of the brand. We do not advertise.
B: You will be afraid of their own brand of expansion was too large?
A: I did not think a good number of stores is the most just how much, but I think once we become too large, I will be conscious. I do not want to be kind in every corner of the main road have opened a branch of the brand. We do not advertise.
Green is from the little things
B: You would do something like “I’m Not A Plastic Bag” design?
A: time being, although the experience was fun. I was with the “We Are What We Do” institutions in the deliberation, talking about the plastic bag waste. While this is not big, but very simple. I think I have done is to change people’s thinking so that they do not have plastic bags that are fashionable.
B: What do you think make it so popular?
A: The first is because the timing is right, people have begun to realize the environmental problems; second, this is the price for just £ 5 designer handbags, it is very beautiful; Third, I used what I hate the concept of the It bag, I think this is very interesting – it is used by the celebrities, not readily available, and is limited. We have introduced a variety of colors around the world, the “I’m Not a Plastic Bag”, very popular. But in Taiwan when it launched the stampede occurred, this is not the whole purpose of the project, so we decided to stop, it is because of this, the package is not available in Beijing and Shanghai.
B: Many brands have launched a green bag. In your opinion, environmentally friendly design theme began to really make people concerned about the environment?
A: This program is really effective, people began to think about. And so I even had breakfast with the Prime Minister. Making this package is to improve society, are we out of all investment, and because the price is low, so the only loss, no gain. Now it is pushed to very high prices online, but the benefits do not belong to us.
B: “I’m not a plastic bag” is a good idea, but is also very easy to imitate. China appeared in a variety of imitation.
A: I certainly do not want to see. But our intention is not to make money, but piracy also allow it to continue to convey information, so to some extent this is a good thing.
B: the rest of your family and environment related?
A: Our shareholders and the environment has a dual responsibility, both of which unfortunately are not always on the side. I investigated the fair trade and organic cotton, found that the market is fairly small, but now there is not enough time and resources by the amount of supply of raw materials. We also need patience and a new invention, but also need to be conscious consumers are slowly becoming. The more people feel the need to supply the resources will become more and more. Currently this change is very slow, but we are working. We tried to improve production, such as materials, are environmentally friendly transport. We are not experts, can only consider what they can do.
B: you are in life is the environmentalist do?
A: I try to do, but not perfect. Trying to cover too hard, every day we hear too much information, while this is the car, while another is the kind of car. I always have to live ah. I think everyone should be from the little left, try not to waste.
B: Be A Bag to bring you a great reputation. Then how do you think of this creative?
A: I wanted to do charity – to do? I am thinking now of fabric printing technology greatly developed, we can do in the past have failed to do. For example, the past if we want a specific photo printed on the fabric, unless you are printing a lot, otherwise the cost is very expensive, but now the cost will become very cheap, so my idea to become feasible. The beginning, I was a good friend to do such a package, put her and her husband, her baby’s photos printed on the package as a gift to her – she likes, and even shed tears. So, I will Elton John, Kate Moss, Jerry Hall, Pierce Brusnan, Kate Winslet, Claudia Schiffer and other stars donated more than 100 photos make the handbags, the sales proceeds donated to a company called “The Lavender Trust” of breast cancer charity. This time we shop in China, also produced, including Du, Pei Pei, Gao Yuanyuan, Zhang Jing Chu, Li Bingbing, Zhou Xun and Ye Mingzi actress, including seven of the Be A Bag, to support the charity.
I put my mother on the beach, according to the age of 19 did so became the one Be A Bag – so she can always stay with me up.
B: Agnes b. liked the photo printed on the bag. Do you think you and her designs are different?
A: I am not very familiar with her handbag, but I think our brand characteristics are different. Our product is more interested in luxury goods, mostly based on hand-crafted leather handbags; and Agnes b. are more younger feel, more suited to weekend and holiday.
No clue of the world’s most mothers
B: When you think a woman should have its first luxury handbag?
A: Good question. I am 16 years old my mother gave me one of her old handbag. Now, I sometimes see small children in London, carrying PRADA, gucci school. I think this is a pathological phenomenon. Although the issue is personal, but it comes to my daughter, I think I will be 18 years old when she gave her a small bag, as an adult present. In my opinion, people should not have too much time luxury. Wealth must be put to good use, otherwise they will destroy you.
B: your children do the students know who you are?
A: Yes, to know. My 19-year-old son in college. I on the fashion week in their busy help a lot. He told me: because of you, I become super good girl edge.
B: You are a good mother?
A: I think it is. I’m not good at all but, like I will not cook, which my family often jokes. I have five children, the youngest 5 years old, maximum 19 years old. My house is only 5 minutes away from the company, I send them to school every morning, sometimes they come to my office to play. 6 o’clock every day I work, eat dinner with them, accompany them on weekends. Actually, I think the time I spend with their children than women to work longer. The company has its own benefits, is easy to arrange a time that I was lucky.
However, my husband had sent me a Bespoke Ebury bag that read: no clue to the world’s mother – love your husband and children.
