Welcome to ‘Behind the Brand’, a captivating blog series where we unveil the stories and faces behind the diverse brands nestled in our new, permanent location “the edit”, presented by Style Canada, in the picturesque town of Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Join us as we journey through the heart and soul of each brand, exploring the inspirations, challenges, and triumphs that shape their unique identities. From local artisans to international labels, get ready to discover the vibrant tapestry of creativity, craftsmanship, and passion that defines our curated collection of brands. Stay tuned as we take you behind the scenes and introduce you to the captivating narratives behind each brand, one story at a time.

Meet Annie, the designer of ANIRE

photo from: ANIRE

https://anire.com/

IG: @officialanire

Tell us about yourself?

Hello, my name is Annie Uwabor. I am a wife and mum of 2 kids. I am a nigerian-canadian accessory designer and my brand is ANIRE. I love traveling, shopping, designing and spending quality time with friends and family. I have been working in the financial industry for over seven years and when am not working and being a mum, I spend a lot of time designing and thinking of ways to make my brand better, create brand awareness and help others achieve their goals as well.

Share the story behind your brand?

photo from: ANIRE

My brand is very special to me. It’s a dream from childhood which I thought was unattainable but here we are and I am so glad I finally started this journey officially a year ago. ANIRE started from a very deep love for handbags and I remember during my university days I would spend all of my money and time just buying bags with nowhere to go with them. It’s funny, but it gave me a sense of deep satisfaction just looking at the bags and keeping them nicely in my closet. ANIRE is an all inclusive brand with its manufacturing hub in spain.The first collection of the brand is called the “dress down, dress up “ collection which was created to empower and elevate looks from day to night setting.

What inspires you?

I will always be inspired by my family. My children are my biggest inspiration, especially my daughter. I want her to grow up and be proud of me and when she thinks of fashion she thinks of her mum and the impact she has made.

Where’s your favourite summer vacation spot?

Spain for sure. There’s something about the language, the people, the soap operas and their culture that makes me very happy and feel warm.

What can we expect from your brand in 2024?

photo from: ANIRE

I am currently working on collection two. This collection is so important to me as it will showcase my rich african culture and reference the stories i was told by my parents growing up about the resources and gradual evolution of my country. I am so inspired by that in creating this collection that is why I am very slow and intentional about it. I hope that everyone loves it as much as I do and understand the warmth of the story behind it. So excited for this one.