An Interview With Style In MCR
At CGN, we’re all about supporting independent brands, particularly those owned and run by women with impeccable taste. I caught up with Style In MCR's creative director, Anastasia, to chat about the handbag atelier to have on your radar….
First things first, tell me about you
I used to live in Ukraine and started working in a fashion showroom there about ten years ago. My work took me all over the world and I travelled to the Middle East and India for fashion and beauty brands.
I moved to Manchester, my husband’s home city, and started working in Marketing. However, my creative soul rests with fashion.
Describe your style
My style has always been classic. I love old-school vintage clothes and as a child, I would open grandma’s wardrobe and pick out cool pieces to wear. I love timeless accessories that really make an outfit look and feel special.
What’s the story behind the name?
When I moved here two years ago, I looked for places to explore fashion and a section of the industry that would represent me. I found that in the Manchester Fashion Community. The concept for the brand is that it’s my style and also a part of Manchester! All of our pieces are locally made here in Manchester too!
When did you launch Style In MCR?
Last year, when lockdown began and we all took up hobbies, I started drawing fashion illustrations. l developed the concepts and designs behind the bags. I’ve wanted to launch my own brand for a while. I did an “inside survey” with friends but asked them to be truthful so I could gage support.
I wanted to do something I believe in, not just something quickly and cheaply, The bags are an expression of myself. I knew that I could realise the vision for my bags better than anyone else, so I thought, now’s the time, I’m just going to go for it!
“Soulmates aren’t just for romantic relationships but also friendships and in the office!”
Impressive! So where did you begin?
To begin, I started selling on Etsy but found it wasn’t a platform that works for me, I wanted to be independent.
Because of my background, I was fortunate to have met very talented seamstresses who have been in the industry for over 25 years. I recruited these wonderful ladies and they are now amazing members of our team! I also collected individuals who share my business and fashion beliefs and invited them to work with me.
“Style In MCR is all about the classics”
I love that the bags are a melange of effortless chic and statement design. What would you say is Style In MCR's point of view?
It's important to show that a person’s character is portrayed through their style. For me, it’s all about the accessories. I wanted to design a bag that looks elegant with heels and a sophisticated dress but also adds a bit of glamour to jeans and trainers.
I also wanted our pieces to actually be usable for the modern woman! They come in two sizes, M and L. The L fits everything in, even a laptop!
Favourite bag from your debut collection?
I love them all! Our best selling bag has been the Olive Wave. The colour is the perfect transitional shade from autumn all the way through to Spring. I love that the colour changes depending on the light. It’s beautiful that every person who uses it has a different visual experience with the piece.
Congratulations on launching your Spring collection! What can you tell us about it?
Spring is finally here and we felt it was time for fresh and vibrant colours to reflect this. That’s why we went for “berry” shades of Cranberry, Blackberry and Pinkberry.
We’ve also changed up the shape of the bag for this season. Pieces in the Berry Collection fall somewhere between a tote and a shopper. We wanted to continue making sure that our bags are practical for customers in a really beautiful way.
What can we expect from Style In MCR in the future?
I would love to do a capsule collection of evening bags for nights out but you’ll have to wait and see!
We know you’re big on sustainability. Tell us about Style In MCR's environmental ethos.
Ensuring your business is sustainable is incredibly difficult but there are many different ways to do it. I’ve worked in slow fashion for ten years and it’s something that was of great significance when building the brand.
We are very conscious that we do not want to create “trend” pieces that customers will wear for a few weeks and then discard. We strive to ensure that our pieces have longevity and will be used by our customers for years to come.
We also pay attention to how much electricity we use in our manufacturing process and try to reduce our waste by producing every collection in limited editions so that we don’t end up with a surplus.
“My priority is always quality”
It’s undeniable that small businesses are gaining popularity across several demographics. Why do you think this is?
Every piece made by a small brand is filled with emotion. When you are a small business you are the manufacturer and the end user so you passionately care about your customer.
We package our pieces beautifully with careful wrapping, stickers and a thank you card to let our customers know how much we appreciate them. I always say to the girls in my team that we “do it with love”. We stitch a little message into all our pieces to let our customers know how much love goes into their bag and to make them smile.
We are extremely proud of our pieces and it’s a real achievement when we get good feedback from happy customers.
Click here to shop the amazing pieces from Style In MCR's limited edition collections.
You can also keep up to date with their latest designs on their insta @styleinmcr!
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Written by Ariella Jones
