LONDON — Anya Hindmarch is getting a head start on the holiday season in the U.S., partnering with Country Mart in California to open two temporary concept stores at the Brentwood and Marin sites.
Brentwood opens on Saturday and Marin will open Sept. 24. Both will preview items from the new festive campaign, “Anya’s Gifting Agency,” and showcase pieces from the brand’s bespoke, mainline, travel and life collections.
The aim is to recreate the vibe of Anya’s Village in London against a backdrop of California sunshine and blue skies. The Marin Country Mart will be a pop-up store, while the Brentwood one will be a “Trading Post Takeover” housed at the Mart’s post office.
Both stores will feature a Chrismas-themed burgundy, red and white color palette, cursive script, heritage typography and nostalgic details.
Hindmarch said there was more than one reason to plant her flag in California this fall.
The designer said she has long admired James Rosenfield, who owns the Brentwood, Montecito and Marin Country Marts.
A rendering of the Anya Hindmarch popup at Marin Country Mart.
“We’ve always shared a sense of what we think great brick-and-mortar retail is about — community, giving the customer an experience that cannot be replicated digitally, and a love of creativity. His spaces are now West Coast institutions, so it’s a real thrill to be able to partner on these projects. We are excited to be opening on the West Coast and having the opportunity to bring our uniquely British sensibility to a new customer,” she said.
Hindmarch added the holiday theme comes from her “passion for gifting and for sharing something that is just right, or nods to an in-joke or something that brings back a private memory. My hope is that these stores are places of inspiration; ideas from one-of-a-kind bespoke pieces for those who are impossible to [buy for] and for those in need of sleep, a hug, a break, a holiday or spoiling.”
She said her foray into the U.S. right now is about “targeted partnerships with like-minded creative partners. We want to be able to go where our customer is, to get to know her well and to respond to what she wants. It’s a more dynamic and challenging strategy than a traditional store rollout but also more rewarding.”
The brand formerly had stand-alone stores on both the East and West Coasts of the U.S. between the early 2000s and 2021.
