It has been a decade since Danish designer Anne Vestesen launched her brand Anne Vest. And over the past ten years, she has cornered the market on creating sophisticated and sustainable shearling outerwear and accessories. From her home base in Copenhagen Anne has built a core lineup of pieces designed not only to be eco-friendly but also evergreen in style. We spoke with Anne about how having a transparent supply chain is as important to her company as creating timeless designs of the highest quality. And how she is adapting her cold-weather cornerstone material of shearling for a world getting hotter every year, without giving up on sustainability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Designer Anne Vestesen Photo courtesy of Anne Vest <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Q: What got you first interested in fashion design?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A: At a very young age I felt I could not find the clothes that I wanted to wear, so I started creating my own. I was born into creating garments. When I was a little girl, my mother had her own multi-brand shop \u2014 before the word \u201cmulti\u201d was even a thing. She created her own collections of silky garments with prints. This was the late 70s so it was a mix of hippie and early 80s strictness. And then I have always been living by the words \u201cless is more\u201d and to keep my surroundings simple. I think all these things helped motivate me to become a fashion designer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q: Where did your love of coats come from?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A: When I was a fresh graduate just out of design school I moved to Paris, and there I fell in love with the Paris women and the way they dressed. I love beautiful and sculpture things in all aspects of life \u2014 be it architecture, fashion, or even how I arrange a nice plate of food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also for me, if you do not have an amazing coat on that suits your outfit you do not look stylish and cool. It is as simple as that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q: Sherling is the fabric foundation of your label. What is it about this material that speaks to you?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A: I want to create clothes that are relevant to right now, eco-friendly, and made from nature\u2019s own materials. Shearling just has such an amazing luxury feel to it and still, it is such a sustainable material \u2014 I love that. Plus it is a material that has a strong confident expression to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A tone on tone Anne Vest ensemble featuring a shearling coat. Photo courtesy of Anne Vest <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Q: Your pieces are very evergreen in nature. What is the key to making a timeless garment? <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A: I would say, primarily quality and then created in the best shape possible. We tend to work in soft color tones, that are coherent with nature\u2019s own palette, which keeps it timeless. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q: As a Danish brand what do you think defines the Nordic sense of style? <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A: Simple and clean. The famous danish designer Arne Jacobsen \u2014 the man who created \u201cThe Egg\u201d chair is a perfect example of how simplicity and quality can renew and define a generation. I too look for the simple strokes when designing and shaping. Less is more \u2014 says it all. I think our nordic heritage builds on keeping it strict and clean, yet understated luxury. You know that when you buy these kinds of pieces you can have them forever. It is the opposite of fast fashion, which is fantastic! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q: Sustainable style is at the heart of your business. Was it a challenge to build a sustainable brand and, as there are so many different ways to be sustainable. Can you talk a bit about how your brand is keeping its impact on the environment as small as possible? <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A: Anne Vest designs are a conscious choice, a slow fashion statement, and a participant in our endeavor towards a sustainable company. In our choice to be environmentally responsible atelier; the medium is key. Our deliberate decision to work with lambskin\/shearling, a 100% natural material that is rich in diversity, is perfectly traceable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
All Anne Vest lambskins are harvested solely as a bi-product \u2014 repurposed in-house thus avoiding any environmental impact in terms of animal breeding. Instead, a responsible action was taken to use a biodegradable material, otherwise carelessly discarded, thereby reducing landfill. Our completely transparent supply chain, from the welfare of the lamb to the manufactures of the final product, is as reassuring to our customers as our core brand principle is of creating only sustainable clothing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We create products on-demand, meaning that pieces are cut to order only. We strive to hold no inventory on products or materials, thus ensuring a lean business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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