STELLA NOVA
VISITING ANNA LIN
ANNA LIN
IN HER PRIVATE HOME
25 YEARS OLD
TV HOST
@ANNA_L1N
Trine: ARE YOU CONCERNED WITH WHAT’S FASHIONABLE… ARE CLOTHES SOMETHING THAT INTEREST YOU?
Anna: I am not too interested in fashion, but I am quite interested in style. I have never been a fan of one fashion-brand and followed their trends, but I have always loved looking online, and basically just being inspired by people on the streets. I can’t be a slave to trends, I don’t find that interesting, but what I prefer to do is have my own take and put things together so it becomes my own expression. It could be a funny hat, crazy nails, a pretty glitter-eyeliner or weird shoes etc… All things that I find fun to play around with, and makes it feel like my own style, and not just this season's latest fashion. It is also my way of meeting people, - it’s the way I tell them who I am.
Trine: YES; IN THAT WAY IT ALMOST BECOMES A KIND OF BUSINESS-CARD… THEN YOU HAVE STATED WHO YOU ARE. BUT DO YOU BUY A LOT OF CLOTHES?
Anna: I don’t actually feel like I do… I believe people think that I always buy new stuff - but I really don’t. I also have a pretty strict attitude towards my wardrobe; everything in there needs to be used, if not then it has to go to someone else who can enjoy it. I also don’t feel that I make very many buying mistakes, because I generally am pretty good at knowing in advance what I am going to wear and what will just be completely off. Things shouldn’t just end up being in bags and boxes in some attic, in that way I am very against the consumeristic abundance. I don’t think you should walk around with an eternal bad-conscious just because you care about your appearance and your clothes, but I like to be aware of it not getting out of hand, and on that note have I made a rule for myself to boycott all of those other big, cheap fast fashion chains. It is too much of a short-term fix and always disappointing quality, and therefore rarely something you end up appreciating… And I have decided that for me it is not the right way to go.
Trine: BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE BIG CONVERSATION… EVERYONE NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE. I THINK A LOT ABOUT HOW WHAT I MAKE NEEDS TO HAVE A LONG LIFE-SPAN, AND ABOUT HOW THE CLOTHES NEED TO BE MADE WITH HEART. I FEEL SO HAPPY AND PROUD WHEN CUSTOMERS TELL ME THAT THEY HAVE HAD A STELLA NOVA GARMENT FOR A HUNDRED YEARS AND THEY USE IT AGAIN AND AGAIN… THEN IT ALL SUDDENLY MAKES SENSE. IN THIS WORLD, WHERE THERE IS ENOUGH OF EVERYTHING, WE SHOULD REALLY MAKE AN EFFORT TO DO THINGS RIGHT SO THEY LAST A LIFETIME.
Anna: And on that note, I think it is dangerous to think that it is only the consumer that needs to take responsibility… I don't think that’s fair. It is a shared responsibility, and especially the manufacturers that need to join the fight. It means a lot, that we as consumers, think about what we buy, and how long we can use it. But the clothes need to be produced in a decent way and made to last. I like that the clothes in my closet can last for many years and matches somehow anyway, so it all doesn’t just get “swapped out” so easily. That is also why I think it is cool not to have that many clothes. I like the thought that I know what I have in my closet and I can be creative with it, play around with new and different combinations. It is so easy to buy a new dress for 300 DKK every time you are going out, only to then never use it again because it broke that same night.
Trine: AND THEN WE COME BACK AROUND TO TAKING RESPONSIBILITY; - LIKE BEING A ROLE-MODEL FOR THE YOUNG… WHICH IS ALSO SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO TAKE SERIOUSLY.
Anna: Exactly,- and it is also something I think about a lot and I am really proud of. It is largely about giving young people the support to know it’s okay to be who you are and look the way you want to look and remember to feel good about it too. There are some really young people writing to me to tell some very moving stories about how they dared being different and standing out from the crowd, and dared to take a stand against other people's expectations of how they should look. It can be very hard being different and it’s something that takes courage.
Trine: YES; DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT CAN BE HARD WHEN COMING FROM A SMALL COMMUNITY WHERE EVERYONE KNOWS EVERYONE… NOT THE EASIEST TO DISAPPEAR IN THE CROWD THEN.
Anna: Precisely… In those places it really takes courage to say “Here I am, and I look like
this”.
Trine: BUT I THINK YOU ARE A HUGE ROLE-MODEL FOR THAT AND CAN REALLY HELP WITH CHANGING SOME OF THOSE PROBLEMS BECAUSE YOU ARE SO AUTHENTIC AND VERY YOURSELF.
Anna: I hope so… It is definitely something that means a lot to me.
Trine: I CAN FEEL THAT - AND IT HAS BEEN A PLEASURE TO SHARE THIS SPACE WITH YOU. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME ANNA LIN.
