Today we’d like to introduce you to Anya Cole. They and their team shared their story with us below:
Born in Poland, Anya pursued the creative arts from a young age, beginning with classical training in ballet, ultimately allowing her to perform with the Metropolitan Opera in Poland. In addition to dance, her inspired mind propelled her to take up knitting to produce the garments that her mother so keenly suggested she make for herself.
Anya spent much of her downtime in between ballet performances knitting garments she could only imagine. “If you need it, you make it,” her mother had taught her, and it was only natural that eventually the designer would establish her brand, featuring imaginative, one-of-a-kind pieces she was unable to find anywhere else on the market. Anya’s passion for knitting has continued throughout her life and was brought with her to New York City when she moved in the late 1980s after years spent in West Germany, where she knitted to support herself and her young daughter.
Upon launching HANIA, Anya made hand knitting the heart of the brand, staying true to her background and indulging her passion. Today, HANIA garments are all hand-knit by a community of women across New York City.
Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
Anya brought her passion for knitting with her to New York City when she moved in the late 1980s after years spent in West Germany, and Communist Poland previously, where she knitted to support herself and her young daughter.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about HANIA New York?
HANIA launched with a single knitter and has quickly fostered this community across the whole of New York City.
The brand works with each individual to enhance their skills so that they are working at the highest levels of craftsmanship. This dedication to sustainability and female empowerment translates into a fair price for the crafting of all pieces to the brand’s makers, which can be earned on a schedule that benefits them and their families.
HANIA is committed to producing pieces that last a lifetime, creating heirloom hand-knit garments intended to avoid the landfill – starting with impeccable mastery of technique and continuing with the brand’s commitment to rendering repairs during the lifetime of a garment.
Additionally, and unique for luxury cashmere – all HANIA hand-knit pieces can be machine-washed and dried.
We believe that no hand-knit piece from HANIA New York should ever end up in a landfill or the back of your closet and that it is our responsibility to help them last a lifetime. That starts with impeccable craftsmanship and continues with our commitment to make any repairs during the lifetime of your garment.
Items with small snags, moth holes, etc. can be sent back to our studio anytime to be repaired for free. Larger modifications or repairs may incur a charge depending on the yarn and labor involved. As part of a commitment to a circular design model and zero waste future, HANIA New York is introducing our HANIA REPURPOSE program.
When you return any HANIA hand-knit style to us that you no longer want, We can unravel your piece to knit a new item, and all you pay is the knitting fee. If your unraveled yarn can no longer be used, you will receive a 25% discount on your next purchase, either online or in the studio. We will then repurpose any usable yarn to make hand-knit hats to be donated to children’s and cancer charities in NYC.
What matters most to you?
Our company works with nearly 100 freelance knitters across the five boroughs of New York City, who work from their homes, crafting our garments. Some have full-time jobs, while others are full-time caregivers, but they all knit in their downtime to subsidize their income.
And, as a reminder of the local, one-of-a-kind nature of every HANIA handmade piece, each knitter leaves a “signature” sewn into a hidden seam of each garment they knit.
Since 2014, HANIA New York has been giving back to local communities. We alternate every 6 months between two main charities, Let’s Get Ready & Debra of America, where 5% of our online gross profits go to help children in need.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hanianewyork.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hanianewyork?igsh=MTlkZHpkcjFpeWRlbQ==
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=100063681332767
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hanianewyork
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@hanianewyork?_t=8irgfPAcQLH&_r=1
