Mathematician turned fashion designer, Anjli Shah, has turned her back on an exclusive Mayfair address and is leading the fashion pack selling online.
The 30 year old set up her company, Anjli London, six years ago and has recently started selling exclusively online after witnessing a significant surge in Internet sales.
Anjli began her career in fashion by designing and selling clothing, but since the recession has moved into accessories, specialising in top end bags, shawls, bangles and cuffs. She grew up in Kenya and came to the UK to study in 1998. From a young age Anjli designed clothes and shoes for herself, as a hobby.
After graduating from London School of Economics where she studied mathematics with economics, Anjli rekindled her love for fashion. She began designing outfits for friends and quickly became inundated with demands for one of her designs.
After turning her Chelsea flat into a studio and quickly outgrowing it, Anjli opened her Mayfair boutique in 2006.
She said: “I opened the shop at a great time. Everyone had spare cash to spend and my top end designs went down really well with the Mayfair set. I sold a lot to overseas customers and those staying down the road at Claridge’s. The shop was in a perfect location so I was never short of customers.
“When the recession hit, things changed. Clothing became much harder to sell, so I chose to focus on accessories, a decision which has proved to be a big success for me.
“For my customers at the time, buying a bag, bangle or shawl was an impulse purchase. Changing direction also meant I could target a whole new customer base from women looking for a glitzy bangle for a special occasion to a bride looking for the perfect clutch bag for her big day or a man looking for a shawl to add to his outfit.”
Anjli took the decision to sell exclusively online after noticing more and more of her repeat custom was coming this way.
She continued: “Since I first set up the business things have changed a lot. The way we shop and shopping patterns are very different – people are more inclined to browse online and make their purchase that way instead of heading to the high street.
“For me, moving the business online made huge sense. It makes it very easy for my overseas and repeat customers, and for new shoppers, they’re able to view all my designs in the entire colour palette all from the comfort of their own home.
“I’d never rule out having another shop, but at the moment, online is certainly the way to go. I’m also branching into wholesale and already have a few boutiques in the UK and New York selling my designs.”
Anjli believes her background in maths and her love of numbers has helped her business become the success it is, turning over six figures a year.
She concluded: “I’ve approached this with a business head, not as a fashionista. My love of fashion and maths has been with me since a child, so for me, this is the perfect way to combine my two very different passions,
“Even now, I find maths and numbers are the inspiration for many of my designs. The clutches are based in geometry, I even have the Geometric Gem clutch, and the inspiration for my Galaxy bangle came from TVs the ‘Big Bang Theory’. Chaos Theory and fractals serve the framework for the furniture design.
“As for the future, I’m hoping to branch into furniture design as well as footwear. With my business now very firmly online, it certainly provides me with a lot more opportunity and flexibility to indulge my love of all things beautiful.”
Visit the website www.anjlilondon.com
