Hannah Martin, director and designer, Hannah Martin
Hannah Martin has made considerable leaps forward as a designer this year through an inspiring collection launch, a foray into augmented reality, a revamped studio and a push into the international jewellery sales market.
The launch of her fifth collection, The Man Who Knew Everything, at London’s destination fashion store Dover Street Market, which featured a 3D display put together by augmented reality specialists Holition, was a particular high for the designer. “My highlight of the year had to be the Man Who Knew Everything launch,” she says. “It had lasers, sound, augmented reality and my best friends were all there.”
As well as growing creatively this year, Hannah has also strengthened her business and says that she has really knuckled down this year, focusing on major strategic changes and developments with her business partner Nathan Morse. “I have tightened up our output and the way in which we present our new collections,” she says. “We’ve also been mighty busy expanding the team and developing our in-house systems to really go for it next year.”
To accommodate her expanding team and sales book in 2011 Hannah revamped her studio in London’s Hatton Garden, something that she believes has helped her reach out to new international stockists and private clients. “Our new studio and showroom has really been a driving force in the level of clients we are attracting now,” she says. “It is such a pleasure to have it.”
International sales have been a major focus for the company this year and Hannah has been building relations with new clients in the Middle East and has had a “mind-blowing” trip to Kuwait during the past year, alongside numerous business trips to the States.
Hannah is looking forward to 2012 and taking her brand to new levels yet again, including the launch of a leather accessories line for which the designer will venture outside jewellery design for the first time. “We hope that 2012 will bring with it some great projects to get our teeth into,” she says.
