MWK meets… Leonie von Schweinitz, Founder of Annafie 🌸
What was the initial inspiration for Annafie and how did that evolve to where you are today?
Annafie was born from a desire to produce children’s clothes considerately, in small batches, with longevity at the core of the designs and materials. The clothes are seasonless and designed to last and be handed on to siblings and friends. The traditional hand smocked clothes are all about letting children be children and not dressing them as mini adults. They have a lifetime to dress as grown ups in serious clothes, our joyful pieces are made for twirling in imaginary lands and every day adventures.
We love the pastel shades, pretty smocking and beautiful embroideries from your latest collection – could you share some of your inspirations and references?
Our latest heirloom collection takes a lot of the colours and patterns from nature. There are lots of ditsy summer florals, pale yellows the colour of Spring’s primroses and pastel pink roses hand embroidered on the chests, peter pan collars and fully lined skirts. As with all our collections, fairytales and make-believe are an inspiration. The Thumbelina dress is inspired by Hans Christen Anderson’s fairytale of a tiny girl miraculously born into a flower. The ‘millefleur’ cotton literally translates as ‘thousand flowers’.
At MWHQ we’re inspired by female leaders (being headed up by two incredible women!) – could you share your top tip for leading a team and what inspires you within your role?
We’re a very female team too! There are so many things to juggle as a woman. I think that’s what makes women such incredible business leaders and employees. We’re very adept at switching from mum-mode to business boss to socialising with friends and family. This variety in our daily lives makes us very adaptable and creative in the business world where there are always plenty of plates to keep spinning!
When you were growing up, did you always want to work in fashion/kids fashion?
In honesty, no. I started my working life as a corporate lawyer and didn’t dream that I’d be able to turn my passion for childrenswear into a career. All the cheesy expressions about loving what you do are true!
What’s most important to you when choosing an outfit for you and your children?
I have two older sons and two younger daughters and I like them to all look their age. I love pretty smocked dresses and rompers (of course!) but the most important thing for day to day dress is easy-care, which is why all the cotton dresses I design are machine washable at 30 degrees. No matter how hard we try, kids will be kids and most things end up in the laundry basket at the end of the day!
I would describe my style as pretty classic, with a few more adventurous pieces thrown in! I love &Other Stories, Sezane, Me+Em for every day and I’m slightly obsessed with long floral dresses at the moment. But I usually end up in jeans, trainers and a cashmere jumper, which makes it easier to run around after the kids! I don’t have many opportunities to wear super glamorous outfits but am in awe of mums who make it their business to look glam, even on the school run. When I dress up for something smart, I would usually hire an outfit from My Wardrobe HQ – there is a House of Holland floral dress I’ve got my eye on, as well as a black and white Isabel Marant dress that’s got my name on it…
Which is your favourite from your collection on MWK and if you were dressing to twin with your little one, which piece would you choose from the MWHQ platform to match?
Difficult question as there is so much choice! I love soft blue, so I would probably go for the simple floral print Ganni wrap dress and dress my little girl in my absolute favourite, our sky blue toile de jouy Theodora. It’s classic, timeless, ultra elegant, but still simple to wear, and suits every skin tone and colouring. For a wedding or so, I would go for the satin Emilia Wickstead mini dress and dress my little girl in our Alice dress, also one of our most iconic pieces.
The rental retail model is a great way for customers to consume sustainably. How important is finding sustainable options to your business ethos?
At Annafie, our desire to produce clothing with as little impact on the environment as possible is at the heart of our design and manufacturing processes. We’d hate to see one of our slow and lovingly made pieces being thrown out because it was “last season”. We know that kids grow quickly, so we design clothes that can be passed on and treasured equally by a younger sibling or friend, whatever the year or season they grow into it.
Most of our collection is not seasonal or trend-led. It’s designed to last and to look great now, next year and in ten years’ time. Each piece is produced from fine, breathable cotton to keep little ones cool and comfortable in the summer and look great with a pair of thick tights and a cardigan during the colder months.
Seasonality led to the rise of ‘fast fashion’, and to the increasingly disposable nature of a lot of adult clothing. At Annafie, we’re making a stand to stop this happening in childrenswear. It’s one of the reasons we can’t wait to be on My Wardrobe Kids!
What advice would you give your younger self?
Worry less. Don’t try and plan everything. As a lawyer, I was super organised right down to the minutiae detail. Then I had four children and I totally changed tack because I had to. Being adaptable and agile is one of the things that has enabled Annafie to succeed in some pretty difficult times including the pandemic.
The end of lockdown is finally almost here! What are you most looking forward to doing once it’s over?
Going on a family holiday! Let’s be honest, we really really need some sun here in the UK… And we really miss our family, most of whom are in Germany. But it’s the little things as well – I can’t wait to get dressed up and go out for a nice meal with friends! I also can’t wait for museums and theatres to open, for dinner parties, for playdates (for my kids) and the list goes on and on.
