Click here http://mintstylestudio.com/interview-nz-stylist-anna-church/  to read and see more of this interview on MINT STYLE STUDIO blog. And while your there, take a tour around her archive and get lost down the rabbit hole of inspiring things, people, products, projects…!

INTERVIEW Snippet…
There are some stylists who have a distinct style that’s uniquely their own, a look all of their own that one can spot a mile away. Stylists like New Zealand’s own Katie Lockhart (interviewed here) and Australia’sSibella Court, whose immediately recognisable aesthetic, one artfully pared back and refreshingly simple, the other, dense layers rich with historical and collectable elements, creating character and depth. This ability to leave the mark of your own personality on your work as a stylist, is a quality I admire and strive for in my own work. So too is the ability to adapt to each individual client, gliding effortlessly from one persona to another, in order to tell different stories in a visual capacity, depending on the needs and demands of each client. This skill is evident in the varied work of New Zealand stylist, Anna Church, whose broad portfolio includes art direction for New Zealand household design houses Trelise Cooper Interiors and Citta Design, and editorial shoots for a host of New Zealand magazines including Your Home & Garden and NZ House & Garden.

What sets Anna apart from many, however, is her innate talent for ”art of aesthetic arrangement”, as she aptly refers to her profession, which elevates styling to the next level: art. In Anna’s first art series, For NZ Sake, the highly collectable Kiwi Crown Lynn crockery is artfully arranged to form the native Maori symbol, the Tiki, representing our two merging cultures. With Anna’s newest series At Your Service, English tea sets and aged fabrics are arranged to create ‘service medals’; both a witty play on words and tribute to a bygone era in our society of high teas and returned servicemen. A huge thank you to Anna for sharing her thoughts and insights with such candour and generosity!

Once inside and to his surprise he spotted my limited edition prints dressing the walls of the narrow hallway and in the rooms throughout, and so he started snapping away. After he had sent me the shots I thought, I need to blog about this place, because it truly is one of those “must go visit” sort of places if you so happen to be visiting Queenstown.

Vesta has been a favorite place of mine ever since a friend & I stumbled across it on a shopping expedition, and like her, I fell head over heals in love with it.

A year later I was most excited when I was approached by Vesta, asking if I would like to stock my prints there. “Of course”, was my answer! Since then and due to the tourist and transient nature of their clientele, my prints having been winging there way to all corners of the world.

Williams Cottage is a perfect yet unconventional backdrop for the art represented there. Personally I couldn’t dream for better walls for my prints to be hung from! Much of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century wallpapers and friezes have been retained (now yellowed with age and watermarked by the occasional flooding from Lake Wakatipu). But it is because of the unmodified nature of the interior juxtaposed against the eclectic collection of artworks & handpicked design products that makes this space work and be a truly unique place to explore.

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I picked up a beautifully weathered cane couch for $15 along with a few lovely pottery vases and this lovely bag, which now resides on my coat rack in my hallway. I love looking at it each time I walk towards it.

Cute Bag $10 from Memsaab on Waiheke. Japanese coat Hooks from Father Rabbit (internet shopping). Found piece of scrap wood, picked up on a coastal walk

Nancybird fish Scale cushion

In my line of work I come across many fabrics & beautiful cushions, but none have I admired as much as these Nancybird ‘Fish Scale’ cushions. They have now made themselves quite at home at my place (photo above) and I can’t stop admiring them!

In my line of work I come across many fabrics & beautiful cushions, but none I have admired as much as these Nancybird ‘Fishtale’ cushions  http://nancybird.com/shop/w12-cushions/ They have now made themselves quite at home at my place and I can’t stop admiring them!

And of course I decided to create a new website for myself which happened to coincide with the arrival of my precious little son Thomas (hence why it’s taken so long to go live)! I hope this new website will depict the many facets of what I am about and what I can do.

I feel very privileged to have created my own job description, one which explores a variety of creative avenues; from my art to styling to creating visual concepts for my clients beautiful products. I have worked and continue to work alongside many inspiring and creative people with in this realm. I hope this website is a reflection of all the influences and creative experiences I have enjoyed throughout my career and what will continue to be just as rewarding in the future…I look forward to many more new projects which I can sink my creative teeth into!

Anna X