The King is an “absolute trailblazer” regarding his work on sustainability, fashion designer Dame Anya Hindmarch said as she was honoured at Buckingham Palace. The English designer, who is known for her humorous and eye-catching bags, was formally made a Dame Commander at a ceremony on Tuesday where she was honoured for services to fashion and business. Dame Anya’s designs have been supported and worn by members of the royal family including the Princess of Wales and her late mother-in-law Diana, Princess of Wales.
Speaking after the event, Dame Anya said it felt “unreal” to be honoured for her achievements in this way and that she was “most proud of” building a company and her “very important” work on sustainability. Asked what she spoke about to the King, who is renowned for being eco-conscious, she said: “We did speak about the environment, and he’s always been an absolute trailblazer actually, really so early on and has been a real inspiration.”.
She added: “We spoke about landfill and we spoke about alternatives to materials that won’t break down, so that was an interesting conversation. “We spoke about nettles actually and the amazing things you can do with nettles.”. Dame Anya said it was “greatest honour” having members of the royal family wearing any of her designs. “It’s an incredible platform internationally,” she said, “so it’s really not only a great honour but actually a massive leg up and it’s really appreciated.”.
Among other royals who have been spotted sporting the Essex-born designer’s pieces is Princess Eugenie, who carried one of Dame Anya’s “crisp packet” clutch bags at the wedding of Pippa Middleton and James Matthews in 2017. In 2007, Dame Anya unveiled the I’m Not A Plastic Bag tote line to raise awareness of the waste and environmental damage perpetuated by plastic bags. On launch day, 800,000 of the £5 bags were sold at Sainsbury’s and ignited debate around the use of plastic bags in the UK.
