Anya Hindmarch, the designer who put the fun back into bags

You’ve been staging big concept fashion shows since 2013. How do you surprise audiences each season? “We were the first accessories brand to hold a runway show for hand­bags. It’s a little nuts but allows us to bring the collection to life in a creative way.

“We have had everything from models floating weightlessly, a 100-piece male voice choir singing Pilgrim’s Chorus by Wagner, to models emerging from within a giant space-age amphitheatre for spring-summer 2017. The latest was an architectural mountainscape that took everyone on a journey through old Norse folklore.”

Where do you get your ideas? “Fashion should make you smile: it can transform your mood. Everyday familiar items inspire us, like the Crisp Packet and Kit Kat clutches, which we give a luxurious makeover. I love the idea of craftsmanship meeting technology and I am obsessed by labelling, so thought it would be fun to use this technology to make stickers. Stickers are a way to personalise products. We’ve had customers come in and choose a handbag and 15 stickers and right there and then we sticker up her bag.”

Do you think your British sense of humour is serving you well in the crowded world of accessories? “Humour is one of the things I love most about England. Laughter is our lifeblood at AH HQ, which comes through in the product. Laughter, and cake.”