Before the interview I knew I loved her colorful faux fur coats and furry daisy clutches. They made me curious. So I’ve met Hannah her in her studio, near the famous Carnaby street in West London. All the hip shops around were a good premise for the creative and open conversation that followed.

Her glamorous grandma, who is in her 90s and her good friend, Laura Bailey were the first to wear the beige model with the pink stripes. Then, the online retailer, Avenue 32 placed an order and Opening Ceremony asked for a mini collection. A new confirmation came with the capsule collection for net-a-porter.com and with Natalie Massenet wearing the navy model during the Fashion Weeks in New York and London, last February. In short, this was Shrimps’ itinerary, from a childhood nickname to a fashion brand.
„Brand names are usually very serious, but «shrimps» is unexpected and that’s what makes it impactful”, explains Hannah Weiland, the designer behind this hip brand of faux fur coats. „People become curious, start asking more about it and this is a starting point for the fashion conversation. Moreover, when I started drawing the logo it was so visually expressive from the very beginning. I chose it without hesitation.”
Weiland chose this niche for the creative challenge – after all, the faux fur is a more relaxed form of glamour. „The «Shrimps» woman has a strong sense of humour and she can have any age. The coat is an «on/off»item that can rhyme with any other outfit. A colourful coat can integrate perfectly with the creative outfit of a girl who is 18 years old, but can also be a one unexpected accent for the minimalist look of a more mature woman”. It is the colours that translate one style into the other and this is why they are so important in Weiland’s creative algorithm. „It is fantastic how the same model has different style hints depending on the colours. I have to admit that pink is a lifetime passion for me. You like pink when you are 3 years old and you pretend you don’t like it in your 30s. However, it is a bright colour at any age.”
Hannah is not pretending. On the contrary, her honesty seems to be the best catalyst for her success. She is 24 years old. She likes sweet colours, puffy things and daisies. Pink is a weakness nonchalantly admitted and „sweet” is a word that defines her. „I use it very often: «so sweet», «you’re sweet». As a matter of fact, my 21st anniversary cake had a big «that’s sweeeeet!» written on it. So yes, it is my word!”.
Hannah succeeded to transform this emotions’ collage into a brand listed at «new designers» on Net-a-Porter.com. The daisies, her favourite flowers turn into fashionable clutches this autumn and her favourite childhood character, «Lenny the Lion», the puppet of British ventriloquist Terry Hall, inspired the new mascot for the collection. The fluffy Lenny will definitely be hanging from every “it” bag showcased during the next London and New York fashion weeks. And such vibes are easy to get if you only read the comments on her Instagram posts. They already have one leitmotif: “We are obsessed with this coat”.

This interview was published in the autumn issue of Harpers Bazaar Romania