What was your first reaction when you heard about the collaboration?
I was excited. I'm a huge UNIQLO fan, and I also love their collaborations, so it felt like an honor. It started with a meeting in Tokyo, and then it all happened very quickly.
What inspired the theme of the collection?
UNIQLO knitwear is perfect, so I wanted to play with it rather than reinvent it. We deconstructed the pieces, reversed the knit, exposed the seams, and changed some of the stitches, then darned some pieces back together. So, it's the same but different. And where we played, we added our Eyes, almost as a graffiti tag.
This collection is very Anya Hindmarch with the iconic Eyes. What is the meaning of these Eyes?
We have always used Eyes to animate and add a touch of fun—fashion shouldn't be too serious.
What was the most important point you focused on in this collection?
The stitches and the deconstruction were central to the whole collection. Craftsmanship has always been integral to the way our collections are designed, and playing with the making of the knitwear felt like an important way of highlighting that.
What is your favorite piece from this collection?
The cashmere grey and navy high-neck sweaters will be my weekend staples.
What are your thoughts on the campaign visuals?
We worked hard to convey the brand's creativity and worked with Olympia Campbell as our model, who embodies the London tomboy spirit of this collection. We played with the distortion of pulling the sweaters off, which makes for a quirky take on shape and Eyes placement. We also wanted to celebrate the pleasure of pulling on (and off!) your favorite sweater.
I don't think ANYA HINDMARCH usually has a children's collection, so why did you decide to do a children's collection this time?
Well, I am a mother of 5 children, so I am pretty qualified…it's something I've always wanted to do, so it was fun to start this with the expert product development teams behind me.
This collection is perfect for holiday gifts. Do you have any advice on choosing a gift from this collection?
Knitwear in all forms is perfect for the holidays—who doesn't love a cozy new holiday sweater or a beanie, stole, and gloves? And the accessories are perfect for if you don't know someone's size; a fail-safe gift.
What is your favorite way to spend the holiday season?
In front of a fireplace with my family—time off work and lots of sleep!
You present a playful collection every time. Is there anything that you consciously input to get more inspiration than usual?
Not really—I never take fashion too seriously. Life is too short!