s life gets back to (nearly) normal this autumn, fashion is having to reckon with a changed consumer. Today’s savvy dresser, fully at ease with 21st-century life, wants things that are luxurious yet practical, beautifully but ethically made, and tailored to their individual taste. Luckily, there is a brand that perfectly fits the bill: Sanne. Founded by Lena McCroary in 2017, it’s already making waves with expertly crafted jackets and gorgeously detailed dresses – all made to order.
When you hear how Lena describes the ideal Sanne woman, it all makes total sense. “In her group of friends, she’s definitely the discoverer – she’s very curious. She’s the leading lady in the movie of her own life,” says the designer, who could be speaking of herself: now 27, she founded her brand at just 23.
Lena McCroary honed her craft in Savile Row then launched her own wearable but edgy label focusing on women. Her heroes? Schiaparelli, Cardin, McQueen… and her mum
Sanne’s story was inspired by Lena’s mother, a freelance jewellery designer and goldsmith. “The brand is named after her,” says Lena. Sanne is her mother’s maiden name, and she used it for her own jewelled creations when Lena was a child – and now she’s determined to take up the baton. “From the age of 13, I said to myself: I’m going to have a fashion brand called Sanne. I still have pieces that I made in my textiles class at school, where I’d sewn a little label on them saying ‘Sanne’!”
Further inspirations have stayed with Lena to this day. One is the great couturier Elsa Schiaparelli. Another is Pierre Cardin. But first
of all there was Alexander McQueen. Reading his biography as a teenager, Lena discovered that the legendary designer trained in Savile Row. So she did too, starting an internship aged just 16. It was a deep dive. “On my first day, my boss put a massive pair of shears
in my hand – I’m not kidding, the size of my forearm – and got me
to cut cloth!”
This is just the start for Sanne. Lena has already launched a homeware line, brought about when she moved into a new home and, again, couldn’t find the high-quality things she coveted at the perfect price points. “I just thought to myself: let me give it a go,”
she shrugs. “Let me just open up my sketchbook and see what my brain comes up with.”
The results epitomise Sanne: elegant and playful, with a definite sense of humour. The Sumo sofa, in deep blue velvet with a yellow trim, is already a customer favourite. “It’s really fun – and comfortable!” Like
her hero Pierre Cardin, she wants to go further, collaborating with hotels, creating shoes and bags. “I want to push myself and explore other ways in which I can use the language of design.”
There’s only one question left. What does her mum think of all this? “Oh my, she’s proud, so proud,” laughs Lena. “She tries not to talk about me too much.” The way things are going, she soon won’t be the only one struggling with that.
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Photography: Kate Peters for Bridge Studio
Lena is discussing her latest collection, Lightness of Being, which she conceived in March – a whole other era. Even back then, the designer was optimistic that we would eventually be determined to exchange our work-from-home loungewear for something a little more recherché. It was a hunch that a walk down any big city street now confirms. We still want comfort, she agrees, but with an edge, even some romance. A typical Sanne creation blends wearability with dreamy details. It will come in cashmere, chiffon or – current Lena favourite – eco-friendly bamboo, which feels deliciously soft and has
a beautiful drape.
The term “luxury” is thrown around a lot these days, but to Lena it’s crystal-clear what it means in 2021. “I think true luxury is something that’s been beautifully crafted by a skilled artisan, using fine materials, who has been paid well for the work they do. And, of course, it’s the process of having something made for yourself.”
Eleganza wool waistcoat and eleganza wool trousers
with crystal buttons
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After studying at Central Saint Martins, Lena returned to work properly in Savile Row, but the lure of making her own things was too strong. One day, the stylist of Celine Dion – who’s undergone a much-admired reinvention as a fashion icon in recent years – approached Lena to create a suit for the Canadian pop diva. The result was a crystal pinstripe number that Dion wore in Las Vegas. “That was the start of: okay, now I really want to launch a brand, and have it focus on tailoring for women.”
Indeed, Sanne was created to fill a clear gap in the market. “I didn’t see any other brands offering the same service that I was providing. If it was bespoke tailoring, it was all workwear and quite traditional; or it was couture, which is a whole different price point. We’re offering couture-level finishing and incredible service at ready-to-wear price points.”
Cream barathea jacket with gold buttons and cream high-waisted barathea trousers
Cashmere jacket with chain detail
Meet the designer creating bespoke pieces for a new wave of luxury
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The Sanne woman is the leading lady in the movie of her own life
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Sanne offers two services: fully bespoke in the showroom, “made to the client’s measurements, down to the millimetre”; and online, which offers standard sizes “but made to order in the sense that you can
still choose your fabrics and your colours”.
Today’s world feels especially unpredictable, and Sanne’s latest collection reflects that. It is, in the best possible way, non-seasonal,
so you can stay adaptable. It is also very focused on sustainability.
This is vital to Lena, who was struck by David Attenborough’s recent appeals on the environment during lockdown.
“I was thinking a lot to myself: how can I still create and do what I love without being a part of the problem? It gave me time to really think and figure out what I want my brand to stand for, how I want people to perceive us and how I’d like our customers to shop with us.”
I want to push myself and explore other ways in which I can use the language of design
Above: cashmere perissa jacket and cashmere perissa trousers
See the new collection at sannelondon.com
Sumo sofa
s life gets back to (nearly) normal this autumn, fashion is having to reckon with a changed consumer. Today’s savvy dresser, fully at ease with 21st-century life, wants things that are luxurious yet practical, beautifully but ethically made, and tailored to their individual taste. Luckily, there is a brand that perfectly fits the bill: Sanne. Founded by Lena McCroary in 2017, it’s already making waves with expertly crafted jackets and gorgeously detailed dresses – all made to order.
When you hear how Lena describes the ideal Sanne woman, it all makes total sense. “In her group of friends, she’s definitely the discoverer – she’s very curious. She’s the leading lady in the movie of her own life,” says the designer, who could be speaking of herself: now 27, she founded her brand at just 23.