After the successful opening of the Anine Bing London flagship in Mayfair back in 2018, the brand is officially set to open a second boutique in Chelsea as part of the celebrations surrounding its 10-year anniversary. We spoke to the eponymous brand’s founder about what separates Anine Bing from the rest, how British style (and Kate Moss) has influenced the brand’s slick Scandi designs and how they are evolving with Irina Shayk as its new face.
Irina Shayk is the new face of Anine Bing with her Classics campaign
Why do you think British women have embraced Scandi style?I get so inspired every time I come to London—I love seeing how women dress on the street, out at dinner and for work. I think British women value quality and craftsmanship in their clothes, and they like pieces that are timeless and last a long time. This is exactly how we design into the Classics Collection—it’s a curation of essential pieces which are the building blocks for any women’s wardrobe.. I'm passionate about making women look and feel their best so that they can move through life with confidence. Our classic Bar Silk Skirt has been a bestseller in the UK since it launched almost 5 years ago and our denim paired with ankle boots and a leather jacket never goes out of style in London.
Founder and Chief Creative Officer of the brand Anine Bing
What do you love about British style, and do you ever incorporate it into your designs?The confidence to be adventurous in the way those in the UK dress. Our spring collection which coincides with our new Chelsea store opening has a lot of key looks that focus on plaid fabrics. Seen best on our bestselling Quinn blazer and matching Karina pant, this look is not for the fashion shy and I think our British customers know just how to carry it off with ease.
Who are your style icons from the UK?I have always admired Princess Diana and Kate Moss' effortlessly chic style. They are such timeless beauties. Rarely does our design team start a collection moodboard without an image of Kate being included.
What's your favourite thing about coming to the UK?Last time I came to London I brought my children with me, it was their first time in the UK and I loved watching them discover the city for the first time. We stayed in Mayfair and the streets were filled with a vibrant energy that really inspires me. I love that everytime I visit I discover something new.
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How long did it take you to find the location for the store?London is currently one of our top global markets, so opening a second store was really important for the brand in order to keep up with consumer demand. Our Mayfair store often has waitlists on our most anticipated launches such as last year's Dina Trainers in the Summer and Nico Bag in the Fall. We knew from our retail team on the ground in the UK that we had a lot of customers already living in the Chelsea neighbourhood, and we'd had our eyes on sourcing a store close to Sloane Square since before the pandemic. To open in Chelsea, and in particular Sloane Square, is a neighbourhood where we see a lot of potential.
The brand is adding to its locations with the new Chelsea store
What can the Anine Bing customer expect from the new store?Our new Chelsea location is bigger than our normal footprint for retail stores. Customers can look forward to an extended edit of our full product range. We'll be opening with our new spring collection alongside our newly extended classics line that launched this week featuring supermodel Irina Shayk.
The brand embraces modern Scandi designs
What is your favourite thing about the decor?All of our stores around the world carry the signature Anine Bing minimalist aesthetic. The decor reflects Scandinavian simplicity paired with American energy. The store's interior is flooded with natural light, contrasted with industrial surfaces.
How involved were you with conceptualising the design?Very involved as our freestanding stores serve as a place for us to showcase the Anine Bing lifestyle. I always like to make sure our signature brand aesthetic comes across in everything we do. However, I have an amazing team of creatives and store designers who helped transform the space and bring the vision to life. The purpose of our retail stores is to offer our customers an immersive brand experience and we want our stores to feel like they're a reflection of all of the hard work we put into our pieces/ collections.
The new store uses natural light to achieve a minimalist aesthetic
What has been the best part of working with Irina as the new face of your brand? What is it you admire about her?Celebrating the brand's 10 year anniversary is truly an incredible milestone and I couldn't be more excited to launch our Classics campaign with Irina Shayk. The Anine Bing Classics collection offers timeless styles that make any woman feel and look their best and who better to unveil this campaign than the epitome of effortless and confident style, Irina Shayk. The campaign was shot by the notable and super talented Chris Colls who really brings out Irina’s strong sense of style and passion. She’s strong, confident and such a timeless beauty. Irina has amazing style and really embodies the brand’s classic and effortless aesthetic.
Irina Shayk was chosen especially for the brands 10 year anniversay
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