Our favorite "It" girl-turned-designer, Anine Bing, tells us about the latest additions to her collection and the simple motto she lives by.
I'm always fascinated by the habits and rituals of highly-productive people, so tell me what you usually do to prepare for your day.
ANINE BING: I’m definitely a morning person so my days start pretty early—around 6:30 a.m. I try to get a few minutes to myself before my kids wake up. I also start working almost right away. I love checking to see what orders came in overnight and catching up on social from our European audience who is active while I’m sleeping. I try to limit my coffee intake to once a day, so I’ll have a tumeric latte in the morning and have breakfast with the kids. Sometimes I’ll make lists for myself to keep track of all the things I want to accomplish and mostly just hit the ground running. I love going to work so I get really excited to start my day.
What's one thing you're currently obsessed with?
AB: Self-care. After seven years of spreading myself too thin, raising a family and building my business, I sort of forgot about myself. Right now I am learning to meditate, eat better and creating time to workout during the week.
The most fabulous thing in your closet is…
AB: My leather jackets. A good leather jacket has been my go-to for years. They go with everything and add that rock ‘n’ roll look to any outfit from jeans to dresses. I always feel infinitely cooler in these pieces and I love that they can pull together any look.
Your fashion motto?
AB: I have a tattoo that says “be true, be you” and that applies to the way I dress as well. Over the years I’ve built a kind-of uniform that I rely on all the time. So no matter where I go or what I’m doing I feel like my best self because I’m always in pieces that feel true to me and my style. I’m that person that will wear a power suit to a gala when everyone else is in dresses. I feel better when I feel like myself.
You roll out new pieces pretty regularly, are there any favorites?
AB: We have weekly drops every Tuesday, so it’s really hard to pick just a few. We have these amazing boots coming out in April that I can’t get enough of. I have been wearing them with everything and some cool, lighter knits that transition really well from winter to spring.
Are there any things you won't wear?
AB: I mostly stick to my uniform and don’t really wear a lot outside of that. I realized when I tried too hard to keep up with trends I didn’t feel as confident or like myself so now I always wear things I know I will feel great in.
You have a fabulous sense of style, obvious on your Instagram, but were there people who shaped it, influenced it?
AB: My grandma was a big style inspiration for me, especially when it comes to jewelry. She had the best pieces that I loved trying on and playing with when I was little. But I get inspiration everywhere, from the styles I see on the street in LA, from musician’s tour style, and even from Flea Markets.
I find people tend to grow into their own style over time, so when did you begin to feel you'd finally developed yours?
AB: I think it was in my mid 20's... I started understanding who I was as a person and what I wanted out of life. Once I had that understanding about who I was, it translated over into my personal style. It's a great feeling when you know who you are and are able to dress yourself in pieces that make you feel your best.
In the past year, we've seen collaborations from you with Janessa Leone hats and Scandinavian brand Gina Tricot, three new store openings and a children's line called Bing Kids—what's on the agenda for 2019?
AB: Our brand is growing every day. We’re working on executing some exciting partnerships, and are opening up more stores around the world to really make this a global brand. Things change every day and I feel like there are so many exciting things on the horizon for ANINE BING. I just can’t believe how fast we’re growing and I’m so happy to be along for the ride.
When you have downtime in LA, where can we find you?
AB: In LA, I love going to Larchmont with the kids on the weekends or grabbing breakfast at Joan’s on Third. If I have time with my girlfriends we love having a yummy pasta dinner at Chateau Marmont.
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