In the Studio With Anna + Nina
The founders of the Amsterdam-based brand tell the story of how they got started and how they brought their new Liberty collaboration to life
Read more
In the Studio With Anna + Nina
The founders of the Amsterdam-based brand tell the story of how they got started and how they brought their new Liberty collaboration to life
By: Team LibertyWhat do you get when you cross Amsterdam cool with a London landmark? It might look something like the new Anna + Nina and Liberty collaboration, designed to evoke the cheeky wink that the Dutch brand is known for, alongside the timeless elegance of Liberty’s Jewellery Hall. We visited the founders to hear more about how their brand evolved, and what to look out for in this new collection.
How did you two meet?
Nina: We were actually neighbours. My husband and I were looking for a place, and it ended up being above Anna and her husband Peter.
And when did you start working together?
We actually started as an agency - so it was Anna + Nina agency where we represented several jewellery brands. But then we realised that when you represent a brand, you can’t make decisions about the campaign, the collection etc. And we are both creative. So we thought, why not start our own brand?
Anna: We just started out on Facebook, as Instagram didn’t exist yet. We just used our names and a plus sign. We both had a job somewhere else, and I don't think too much thought went into it - it just happened organically. Probably for the best!
What was the moment when the brand really started taking off?
Anna: Nina used to work for a leather bag brand. She brought home some jewellery from Bali and we decided to sell some of it online. We sold it through Facebook, and it sold quite quickly. Nina had a big network in sales because she used to sell the bags to shops, and I had quite a big network in media. When we posted the jewellery collection on Facebook, we got some newspapers wanting to write about it and shops wanting to buy the pieces.
We're quite a good team when it comes to marketing, PR, sales. We like the same type of things and we had a lot of fun together. I think within two weeks we realised, “Maybe we should actually do this for real.”
What’s your working process together, and what are your respective strengths?
Anna: We tried to divide it, but we’re really good at the same things!
Nina: Some people say it isn’t smart to do lots of things together. But we see it as our strength actually - it really works.
Anna: I think we're both very much into the art direction, marketing and design. But let's say we're at a photo shoot - I'm probably thinking about the concept and the story, whereas Nina is thinking about the picture, the lighting.
How do you explain the Anna + Nina brand in a nutshell?
Nina: It’s about escaping the ordinary. We've created a world where you feel happy, there's a touch of humour, you can get inspiration. It's a way of living and it's really a big part of Anna and me.
Anna: You could also see us as a magazine-type of brand, where it's all about travel, clothing, jewellery, homeware. It's always a bit tongue in cheek, with a wink and a little bit of humour.
Tell us about the Liberty collaboration.
Anna: I grew up in London for a little bit, and Liberty has always been one of my favourite stores. So when we first started selling at Liberty, we were over the moon. The designs for this collection were really a collaboration - we actually went through every design together with the Liberty team. There are obviously a lot of florals. There are some classics, some pearls - but always with that touch of humour. There are these little ‘love’ signs that you can only see if you look really hard between the pearls - those little secret things that you can only find if you look a little closer.
How did you make the collection?
Nina: The designs are always drawn by our jewellery designer in-house. Then the process starts with making really technical 3D drawings. Then we start sampling it - that's actually our favourite part of the process. Our goldsmiths are in an atelier just around the corner from our office, and they're really involved in the design process.
Anna: And everything is made in silver and 14K gold plating.
Which are your favourite pieces?
Nina: I really love the piece that looks like a classic Pearl necklace, but if you look closer, you see the ‘l-o-v-e’ letters that give a little bit of the wink that we talked about. There are also a lot of rainbow colours in this collection which we enjoy. They make you happy; make you smile.
Anna: I also really like this ‘Girl With a Pearl’ earring. I like to wear it only on one ear, to make it a little bit more rock'n'roll.
