We caught up with our Autumn Winter campaign star over Zoom a couple of weeks after the shoot when Anais was down in Dorset at her boyfriend’s smallholding, where she spent a lot of lockdown (accidentally, as it turned out).
Very much not following in the footsteps of her famously partying parents Anais divides her time between London and the countryside, studying Photography at Camberwell College of Arts and helping with the goats and sheep when she is in Dorset.
We asked Anais twenty quickfire questions, covering everything from the future of fashion to cucumber martinis, which sound completely delicious btw.
Very much not following in the footsteps of her famously partying parents Anais divides her time between London and the countryside, studying Photography at Camberwell College of Arts and helping with the goats and sheep when she is in Dorset.
We asked Anais twenty quickfire questions, covering everything from the future of fashion to cucumber martinis, which sound completely delicious btw.
Bluebella: How would your friends describe you in three words?
Anais: Loud, introverted – yeah massive contradiction – and stubborn. I would hope that they would call me funny but I can’t bank on that, so that’s why I’m not saying it!
Bluebella: What is the last played song on your Spotify? Be honest…
Anais: It is “What Did I Miss” from the hit Broadway show Hamilton.
Bluebella: How would you describe your personal style?
Anais: Laid-back and second-hand – everything I own is mostly second-hand and practical. I wear work boots basically every day because they never wear out and they’re always comfortable.
Anais: Loud, introverted – yeah massive contradiction – and stubborn. I would hope that they would call me funny but I can’t bank on that, so that’s why I’m not saying it!
Bluebella: What is the last played song on your Spotify? Be honest…
Anais: It is “What Did I Miss” from the hit Broadway show Hamilton.
Bluebella: How would you describe your personal style?
Anais: Laid-back and second-hand – everything I own is mostly second-hand and practical. I wear work boots basically every day because they never wear out and they’re always comfortable.
Bluebella: What does lingerie mean to you?
Anais: For me, lingerie is all about fun and celebration. It’s a really light-hearted, joyful thing. I think it’s so important to have things that make you feel good, little everyday luxuries.
Bluebella: Who or what is inspiring you right now?
Anais: My younger brothers are inspiring me, because I want to make decisions that make them proud and I want to make decisions that will impact the world they live in, and make sure that it’s a good one.
Bluebella: Do you have a signature cocktail?
Anais: Yeah I do, a cucumber martini is my favourite drink in the world. Or, Dorset Cider. I mean that in itself describes my split personality between London and the countryside doesn’t it?
Anais: For me, lingerie is all about fun and celebration. It’s a really light-hearted, joyful thing. I think it’s so important to have things that make you feel good, little everyday luxuries.
Bluebella: Who or what is inspiring you right now?
Anais: My younger brothers are inspiring me, because I want to make decisions that make them proud and I want to make decisions that will impact the world they live in, and make sure that it’s a good one.
Bluebella: Do you have a signature cocktail?
Anais: Yeah I do, a cucumber martini is my favourite drink in the world. Or, Dorset Cider. I mean that in itself describes my split personality between London and the countryside doesn’t it?
Bluebella: What do you think is the future of fashion?
Anais: I hope it will be more sustainable, that it will be focusing on longevity, that it will be more ethical. It’s going to be all online, I think, and I hope that we focus more on better quality things for longer periods of time.
Bluebella: If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be?
Anais: That’s such a good one, I’m such a superhero fan…it would be…my goodness, that’s so hard! I think it would be being able to move things with my mind, I think that would be really useful – lifting heavy objects, that sort of thing.
Anais: I hope it will be more sustainable, that it will be focusing on longevity, that it will be more ethical. It’s going to be all online, I think, and I hope that we focus more on better quality things for longer periods of time.
Bluebella: If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be?
Anais: That’s such a good one, I’m such a superhero fan…it would be…my goodness, that’s so hard! I think it would be being able to move things with my mind, I think that would be really useful – lifting heavy objects, that sort of thing.
Bluebella: What is your favourite time of day?
Anais: Really early in the morning when the light is still kind of blue and it’s really misty. This is my favourite time to take photos as well.
Bluebella: Who or what has been making you laugh?
Anais: My friends – I’ve got incredibly funny friends, and we constantly compete to see who’s the funniest. We’ll send each other jokes and memes. I’m definitely not in the lead at the moment…
Bluebella: What was the last thing you cooked?
Anais: My boyfriend is a chef so I don’t tend to do that much cooking. I think the last thing I cooked was Tiramisu. I’m a good baker, so I made – I mean that’s not baking, it’s a dessert – but I made a really good Tiramisu!
Anais: Really early in the morning when the light is still kind of blue and it’s really misty. This is my favourite time to take photos as well.
Bluebella: Who or what has been making you laugh?
Anais: My friends – I’ve got incredibly funny friends, and we constantly compete to see who’s the funniest. We’ll send each other jokes and memes. I’m definitely not in the lead at the moment…
Bluebella: What was the last thing you cooked?
Anais: My boyfriend is a chef so I don’t tend to do that much cooking. I think the last thing I cooked was Tiramisu. I’m a good baker, so I made – I mean that’s not baking, it’s a dessert – but I made a really good Tiramisu!
Bluebella: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Anais: Recently it’s the reminder from my boyfriend Julius to take ten breaths before making any decisions or getting into a fight or anything. I am usually quite a brash person, and he’s made me be like, take a moment and think do you really want to do this, do you really want to say this? It’s advice that’s really simple but has been really effective, especially at the moment when everything is so stressful in the world.
Bluebella: Any fashion disasters from the past that still haunt you?
Anais: Oh yeah my entire twelfth and thirteen year are scarred in my memory. I used to dress as a sort of a mix between an anime character and something off of Nickelodeon. I would wear, to school – because my school didn’t have a uniform which I think is a bit of a crime for twelve year old girls – bright neon pink tutus, with leopard print leggings and light-up trainers which I wore because I thought it was ironic but it just was uncool.
I kind of switch between thinking it was quite iconic, and very different to everyone else, and oh no it was absolutely a disaster, I just don’t know why nobody said to me – no.
Anais: Recently it’s the reminder from my boyfriend Julius to take ten breaths before making any decisions or getting into a fight or anything. I am usually quite a brash person, and he’s made me be like, take a moment and think do you really want to do this, do you really want to say this? It’s advice that’s really simple but has been really effective, especially at the moment when everything is so stressful in the world.
Bluebella: Any fashion disasters from the past that still haunt you?
Anais: Oh yeah my entire twelfth and thirteen year are scarred in my memory. I used to dress as a sort of a mix between an anime character and something off of Nickelodeon. I would wear, to school – because my school didn’t have a uniform which I think is a bit of a crime for twelve year old girls – bright neon pink tutus, with leopard print leggings and light-up trainers which I wore because I thought it was ironic but it just was uncool.
I kind of switch between thinking it was quite iconic, and very different to everyone else, and oh no it was absolutely a disaster, I just don’t know why nobody said to me – no.
Bluebella: Do you have any daily rituals?
Anais: Yes I wake up at the same time every single day which is 7am on the dot. I wake up and I drink a litre of water – that’s what I do every morning. I got a great water bottle which is 2.2 litres, and I drink half of that in morning and then I finish the rest throughout the day.
Bluebella: What are you currently reading?
Anais: I’m currently reading a book called “The British Are Coming: The War For America 1775 – 1777” by a man called Rick Atkinson. I read a lot of non-fiction, history books. I’m reading another one at the moment about the idea of freedom in America and how it’s always been a fundamental thing in their constitution and politics yet they don’t actually promote freedom that much, and how the idea of freedom can cause the opposite. It’s really interesting. That one’s called “The Story of American Freedom” by Eric Foner.
Anais: Yes I wake up at the same time every single day which is 7am on the dot. I wake up and I drink a litre of water – that’s what I do every morning. I got a great water bottle which is 2.2 litres, and I drink half of that in morning and then I finish the rest throughout the day.
Bluebella: What are you currently reading?
Anais: I’m currently reading a book called “The British Are Coming: The War For America 1775 – 1777” by a man called Rick Atkinson. I read a lot of non-fiction, history books. I’m reading another one at the moment about the idea of freedom in America and how it’s always been a fundamental thing in their constitution and politics yet they don’t actually promote freedom that much, and how the idea of freedom can cause the opposite. It’s really interesting. That one’s called “The Story of American Freedom” by Eric Foner.
Orita (Black) & Emilia (Black)
Bluebella: What thing do you always make time for each day?
Anais: My animals. Definitely them, they take up the most time. My dog, I always always make time for him. His name is Ziggy, and he is a Hungarian Wire-Haired Vizsla and he is four years old. He’s one of those dogs that when I first got him I never saw another one in the park or anywhere for the first two years of his life, and now I see them everywhere! The Vizsla has suddenly become very popular.
Bluebella: Top three favourite films…
Anais: Such a hard question! Can we do at the moment? Three favourite films at the moment, because I couldn’t possibly tell you my three favourite films of all time. I have a list for when people ask me this question on my phone. At the moment it is…Bombshell, Parasite, and Little Women, all films from this year which are all really amazing.
Anais: My animals. Definitely them, they take up the most time. My dog, I always always make time for him. His name is Ziggy, and he is a Hungarian Wire-Haired Vizsla and he is four years old. He’s one of those dogs that when I first got him I never saw another one in the park or anywhere for the first two years of his life, and now I see them everywhere! The Vizsla has suddenly become very popular.
Bluebella: Top three favourite films…
Anais: Such a hard question! Can we do at the moment? Three favourite films at the moment, because I couldn’t possibly tell you my three favourite films of all time. I have a list for when people ask me this question on my phone. At the moment it is…Bombshell, Parasite, and Little Women, all films from this year which are all really amazing.
Bluebella: What is your approach to criticism on social media?
Anais: Depends what the comment is! I think the best thing to do, like with any bully, is always to respond light-heartedly. Never attack – if you make a joke about something it immediately takes the negative energy out of the situation.
I think we tend to put a lot of pressure on ourselves to be perfect, and we forget that generally people are quite kind, and they want to see normal and relatable. We push ourselves to be these objects that are larger than life, to be these objects that people desire, and I think that is really damaging to your perception of yourself. My advice to any young girls would be to love yourself more and be okay with who you are, because if you’re not okay with who you are no matter how perfect you look you’re never going to think you look perfect.
Bluebella: Where in the world haven’t you seen that you would like to visit?
Anais: Greenland, or Alaska, the Arctic, places like that. I have a real feeling at the moment that I want to go somewhere cold and snowy and remote, so anywhere like that I think I’d really really enjoy
Anais: Depends what the comment is! I think the best thing to do, like with any bully, is always to respond light-heartedly. Never attack – if you make a joke about something it immediately takes the negative energy out of the situation.
I think we tend to put a lot of pressure on ourselves to be perfect, and we forget that generally people are quite kind, and they want to see normal and relatable. We push ourselves to be these objects that are larger than life, to be these objects that people desire, and I think that is really damaging to your perception of yourself. My advice to any young girls would be to love yourself more and be okay with who you are, because if you’re not okay with who you are no matter how perfect you look you’re never going to think you look perfect.
Bluebella: Where in the world haven’t you seen that you would like to visit?
Anais: Greenland, or Alaska, the Arctic, places like that. I have a real feeling at the moment that I want to go somewhere cold and snowy and remote, so anywhere like that I think I’d really really enjoy
Bluebella: Where would you say you get your body-positive attitude from?
Anais: My mum has always had a really open dialogue about sex and bodies, and I think that has made me more relaxed and in turn more confident and more safe. If you are not educated and you are insecure then that’s when you can find yourself in the most trouble. I think we sexualise bodies too much. Being human, being naked is really natural. We should love our bodies and we shouldn’t sexualise them so much.
Anais: My mum has always had a really open dialogue about sex and bodies, and I think that has made me more relaxed and in turn more confident and more safe. If you are not educated and you are insecure then that’s when you can find yourself in the most trouble. I think we sexualise bodies too much. Being human, being naked is really natural. We should love our bodies and we shouldn’t sexualise them so much.
