Anna McKeon is the gorgeous young Australian designer and founder of the boutique jewellery label, WAH WAH. Having worked for fashion brands such as Sass & Bide and Alexander Wang, the New York based designer let Betts in on how she started and how she draws inspiration from her new home in the Big Apple!
BETTS: What made you branch out on your own and start WAH WAH?
ANNA MCKEON: WAH WAH eventuated soon after the New York move. Jewellery design was something I toyed with for years, though came into fruition quite quickly after arriving here. Although it sounds like a cliche, this city certainly pushes you to get out there and give it a go! Although I definitely set myself a challenge setting up abroad, being in New York amongst such inspiring surroundings hugely fast tracked the process.
BETTS: Do you have formal jewellery training?
AM: No, not exactly. I studied industrial design and appreciate how this has shaped my different point of view on the fashion design process. I love to mess around in the workshop at the beginning of any new collection and find the most exciting results come from this.
BETTS: Do your other hobbies or jobs play a part in how you design?
AM: Buildings! I spend a lot of time at The NY Library and often take myself off to see an exhibition just to spend time wandering through the space. The MET, The Frick etc. This structural interest has certainly influenced my design aesthetic.
BETTS: Do you follow fashion trends when designing or do you follow your own inspirations?
AM: I am definitely influenced by trends in one way or another, however the core of WAH WAH’s design takes inspiration from shape, form and structural surroundings rather than fashion trends. My background in product design lends to this.
BETTS: What is the inspiration for the current collection?
AM: There is a strong industrial focus behind ‘Desert Skeleton’. Inspired by mechanical fixtures, pins and wheels, strength plays a large part in the overall aesthetic. To balance this out I contrasted this with clean acrylic silhouettes.
BETTS: How much of an importance do you place on a “story” behind a collection?
AM: The story behind each collection is very important to me. It’s the glue that holds the collection together, and helps dictate a lot of the decisions I make during the design process. One of the greatest things about living in a city with a strong creative history are the gems you find at the markets, second hand book stores etc. Much of my interest is in collecting books, jewellery, anything from the Art Deco era.
BETTS: Do you feel that living in NYC has affected the aesthetic of the brand?
AM: No doubt. Day-to-day surroundings as well as access to an abundance of design resources, materials, openness to ideas.
BETTS: What advice do you have to anyone wanting to start a label of their own?
AM: Patience, planning & perseverance!
Check out the latest collection from WAH WAH online at wahwahlabel.com, or in store at The Corner Shop, Tuchuzy, Incu or No Stone.








