Since I was a little girl, I was surrounded by my father, who was constantly innovating and designing award-winning furniture (King Living). I’ve always been inspired by his work and his ongoing passion for creating beautiful designs but I was hesitant to tap into my own creative talents and after university found myself in a desk job that was primarily focused on admin work rather than creating new ideas.
There was a distinct moment that encouraged me to listen to my inner creative side when I was in the frustrating search for the perfect handbag. The products on offer were either overpriced, impractical or of bad quality. This was the moment when I decided to teach myself how to make my own handbags. I had no prior pattern making or sewing experience but I knew what I wanted the bag to look like, so I taught myself each step. The first bags were made of fabric and generated a lot of compliments from people around me, which encouraged me to take it one step further and start experimenting with combining different fabrics and leather.
Allowing myself to follow my new passion developed into something much bigger than initially anticipated, when I made the decision to build my own brand and start a handbag business with my husband. We found a manufacturer to sew my designs and my husband and I remain hands-on in the making process as we cut the leather ourselves for every bag that is made.
ANNA King focuses on designs that you can wear every day, all day, at multiple occasions, without a worry. All of our bags stand out through their elegant simplicity and creative combination of unique leathers.
The brand ANNA King is young but I have already learned a very important lesson along this journey which is if you are dreaming of creating something don’t wait for a time which may never come, just take the leap and do it.
Here a couple tips on how I choose which bags go best with my outfit
1. What’s the event all about: will there be much walking, any dancing, or just sitting so will I need a bag with a strap or just a clutch?
2. Add a pop of colour: If you are like me, wearing a lot of neutral tones and black, add a pop of colour like a yellow or red bag to effortlessly brighten up your outfit.
3. Day-to-night always wins: Avoid the annoyance of trudging that huge bag full of things from the office to the bar. Choose a bag that is large enough to fit your essentials but still is compact to not irritate you in larger crowds.
