London-based designer Ainy Naim tapped up-and-coming musician Vanessa White and emerging model Cole Cook to star in the new Anz Spring 2017 campaign. The lookbook, shot by fashion photographer Erica Bergsmeds, features a lineup of graphic plaid shirts, chunky knits, and oversized cardigans, replete with the signature keffiyeh-print that the brand came to be known for. The men’s and women’s collection sought inspiration from vintage cars that Naim would come across during her walks around London’s Marylebone. “I just loved the color combinations of the cars and their interiors,” recalls the stylist-turned-designer.
For her third collection, the Central Saint Martins graduate experimented with new cuts and techniques. “[We] played with mixing wool with different fabrics,” Naim explains, nodding towards a glossy, black fur jacket lined with patterned, knit sleeves. The latest addition to her collection is the “Cigar” cardigan, fashioned after a 1850s smoking jacket (an oversized, mid-length jacket made from velvet or silk). “The cigar jacket was originally designed to be worn while smoking a pipe or cigar for relaxing,” shares Naim. Her reinvention of the classic jacket is in the form of uni-colored chunky knits, complete with cuffed intarsia sleeves. Other pieces in the collection include form-fitting bodycon dresses, bomber jackets, and track suits.
Naim first launched her Ready-to-Wear label in 2014 with the vision of celebrating rich Middle Eastern culture—the bold, graphic clothes went on to cloak the backs of an array of A-listers, including Alicia Keys, Kanye West and Desiigner. The Spring 2017 collection is stocked online at www.anzclothing.com and ships globally. Credit cards at the ready.
