Company/Designer Name: Anya Sushko by Anna Sushko
Designer Background Summary:
How did you get started?
An university degree in interior design and a desire to be an architect brought me to London, where I was accepted for a fashion degree at Central Saint Martins’s College where eventually I‘ve decided to be a fashion designer. I cut my teeth at Alexander McQueen’s studio in London, working on the haute couture line. With the encouragement of my university mentor, I later turned my hand to designing and producing high quality bags in my own name. When the ANYA SUSHKO brand caught the eye of fashion connoisseurs and received an exhibition invite at Paris Fashion Week, it was time for me to focus solely on my own signature line.
Why did you join Noblivity®? To gain exposure in the US market
How would you describe your design style, design signature and who is your targeted customer?
The strong silhouettes and well-accentuated shapes of Anya Sushko’s bags mirror my innate flair and passion for architecture.
I design for self-confident, fashion-forward women, with a vivid personality and strong individuality, who likes to stand out and what she chooses to wear helps her achieve that. The Anya Sushko woman is her own decision-maker and trusts her instincts.
What inspires you?
I take inspirations from everything and everyone, whatever catches my eye. In the past, I took inspiration from the human body, gothic architecture and the serene Baltic scenery, amongst which I spent my childhood, all reflected in the well accentuated structure and silhouettes characteristic of my bags
What obstacles did you have to overcome to get to where you are?
Below points reflect our current obstacles which we learn to deal with on a day to day life. These difficulties don’t just disappear within a day, at some point they get easier. Running a business is an ongoing process which hopefully improves through time in all aspects.
• I think most known obstacle in any upcoming brand’s life is financial side. I don’t have a sponsor/ investor, or funding behind me, so I have to think about how to support the business.
• All products are produced in London in our studio therefore our bags are quite expensive. Consequently, it makes it harder to find suitable clients who’d trust unknown brand and risk to buy the product at a higher price point.
• Competing in a saturated and very crowded market place is a challenge. On the PR front, we do everything in house and we are often thrown back by competitors who can afford the advertising we cannot.
• Dealing with factories, big / small quantities. Factories do not want to produce small quantities so as a small brand we are pushed either pay more or order large quantities or not work with some factories at all.
How did you overcome the obstacles along the way?
• Never seize to look for new opportunities. Work for other clients, brands, designers developing their collections which bring additional income. Applying for various grants.
• As we are London based brand and all handbags are produced here, we’d like to keep our production here and not move it to China, Spain, and Turkey to cut the cost. Nowadays, it is rare to have product made in UK, therefore this is one of the aspects why our brand is unique and special.
For this reason our product will always be more expensive. However we’d give discounts to our loyal customers, look for new stores and projects to participate in order to expand brand awareness and gain an invaluable trust from those who’d like to try our product.
• Participating in various charity events, give away free gifts. Invent interesting competitions through which people can learn about our product.
• Keep searching for useful reliable suppliers and build the relationships with existing ones.
Sometimes purchase large quantities of the additional accessories in order to maintain the factory.
What has been your greatest moment on your journey so far?
Seeing my collection exhibited at Paris Fashion Week, on the pages of the cult fashion magazines and above all, on the shoulders of women all over the world.
What has been the biggest change in your designs so far? I am trying to develop from complicated designs which were more haute couture than ready-to-wear to more basic, wearable shapes keeping the signature style.
What’s next for your brand?
Expanding and developing in all possible ways. Hopefully build relationship with US stores. If money were no object what would you do right now to promote your brand? I would employ a top notch sales team and showroom to place my product in front of the right buyers and press at every opportunity.
What are the best and worst things about bringing a product to market?
The best is seeing the idea conceived in your imagination come to fruition. Also addressing a customer need. Worst is the challenge to get your product in front of the right audience and being given a chance of exposure.
Describe your typical day?
Most of my day is taken by Designing and Crafting bags with my team in the studio. In the afternoons and evenings, I catch up with admin and with managing my business, I speak to my PR team, I liaise with customers, I make sure my website is up to speed. I do enjoy speaking to the Noblivity team when I have the chance!
What is your philosophy of life?
Do everything to the very best of my abilities and with passion. Never be sorry about what’s done and hopefully learn from my mistakes. Accept things I can’t change and move forward!
If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?
As I was very ambitious straight after BA within few months I have started my own business. I would probably now start working for a well-known brand first, build my profile and then slowly move to start my own business.
When will you know you have made it?
When I see my product completely sell out and open Anya Sushko shops in cities like New York, Moscow, London, Paris etc etc.
