Annie's Ibiza takes over St Paul's Cathedral with LFW show
This London Fashion Week marks a very special one for Annie's Ibiza. The iconic Soho store is releasing its first in-house collection, which has been designed by founder Annie Doble. Known for its excellent edit of vintage pieces, exclusive designer collections and its huge celebrity fan base – which includes the likes of Kate Moss, Cara Delevingne, Amal Clooney, Kim Kardashian and Margot Robbie – the store's first in-house collection is inspired by the designer's incredible vintage archive and has been created using ancient techniques.
"I have been co-creating with many of my designers for years, such as Clio Peppiatt and Kevin Germanier," Doble says of why now was the perfect time to launch her very first collection. "My clients are also always asking me when I will design and bring out my own collection, so it just felt like now was a perfect moment and natural progression for Annie’s."
The 40-piece collection was presented during a very high-energy show on Friday night at the most beautiful setting, inside St Paul's Cathedral, with the likes of Daisy Lowe and Nick Grimshaw watching on.
Many of the pieces have created using ancient stitching techniques from the Ottoman Empire, and Doble has taken inspiration from Victorian silhouettes and 1950s' stage costumes. The designer says that she is trying to bring back elements of vintage fashion that no longer exist.
"I wanted to create a collection that would last forever and could be handed down for generations to come. The pieces are inspired by ancient or forgotten techniques and silhouettes, but still bring that element of fun and glamour inspired by the hedonistic energy of Ibiza."
Much of the collection has been made by hand, and some of the more heavily embellished designs took up to eight weeks to create.
"One of the pieces has been designed with the craft of ancient stitching techniques from the Ottoman Empire, while one of the corsets has been made and inspired by Victorian beading techniques," Doble adds. Of course, this level of detail means that many of the pieces are one of a kind, and will be exclusives. In fact, the entire collection is designed to be as low waste as possible with limited, exclusive runs.
"Resistance to fast fashion is vital to me," Doble says, adding that the majority of the collection has been made with sustainable or deadstock materials. "The piece I am most excited about is a dress which has been made from 100 per cent recyclable waste collected around Soho near our store – so it has zero carbon footprint," she explains.
Heading up a vintage store of course means that Doble has had an interest in sustainable fashion long before it was such a topic of conversation in the industry, and she is thrilled that shoppers are finally taking notice.
"Vintage is so much more widely appreciated since I started 15 years ago. People are much more clued up and educated on the importance of being sustainably conscious, especially with clothing and how the impact of fast fashion is so devastating for the planet.
"I think people are leaning towards buying much more consciously and investing in pieces that will last. Consumers are continually becoming more conscious of the planet and have been educated to think differently when it comes to shopping. Vintage is a perfect and easy way to shop sustainably."
Her tips for embracing a great vintage wardrobe? It is all about styling. "Mixing vintage with new pieces is key to creating a great unique sense of style," she says. "Vintage silk slips are always great to have in the mix as you can style them in multiple ways and use them to build a look, corsets are always great and fun to have, and a great pair of leather boots is always a necessity, you can wear them with everything."
Annie's Collection is available to shop now.
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