Anna Atkinson is the enormous creative brain behind Anna Jean Kos, the slow-fashion, sustainably sourced, made-to-order beach/lounge wear brand making waves on the coasts all across the pacific.

Atkinson, born and raised in Wellington, Aotearoa, now resides in Honolulu, Hawaii, where she has based her business.

Who are you?

I’m Anna, founder/designer of clothing and swimwear brand, Anna Jean Kos. I’m from Eastbourne, a small beach town in Aotearoa (New Zealand). I grew up with two brothers, spending a lot of time outdoors fishing, camping, at the beach or in the bush. I think when you grow up outdoors you gain an intrinsic understanding and respect for the environment. My mum taught me how to use a sewing machine as a child, but a lot of my skills around making clothes have been self taught through practice and Youtube later in life.

During high school, the pressure to be ‘academically well-rounded’ and ‘career focused’ took over my personality. I ended up going to university to study a degree in Economics and a degree in Sociology. These very different schools of thought often contradicted each other and gave me a unique perspective of the world and how it worked, which ultimately shaped how I approach fashion and running a brand.

Between studying, I worked various jobs to get through school; hairdressers assistant, bartender, retail. The longest job I’ve ever had was an assistant chef at a cooking school for three years. The randomest job was a solar panel advisor, from which I was fired after a few months. While I studied and worked, I didn’t produce a single piece of clothing, or any art whatsoever. I also didn’t spend much time outdoors. By my final year of university, I was burnt out and fairly unhappy.

In my final semester, I went on an exchange to Oahu, Hawai’i. I was reminded of how important the natural world was to me. I came back to Aotearoa, and despite immediately stepping into a corporate government job (peer-pressure), every night when I’d come home from work I would go for a long bushwalk and sew until late into the night. I became completely obsessed with this routine. I don’t think it’s surprising that I found so much comfort in sewing. For years I had forced myself away from what I’m naturally interested in, and good at, to try and fit in with what I thought I needed to do to be ‘successful’. Sewing is creative, productive and rewarding. After a few months, I quit the corporate job, moved back to Oahu, got a job at a surf travel boutique named Milo and began sewing and designing clothes on the side. Now, Milo and a couple other stores stock my clothing and I get to be Anna Jean Kos full time.

What do you do?

I design clothing and swimwear, produced ethically in small batches. I work with a lot of organic hemp, organic linen, recycled nylon, and some deadstock fabrics such as silk and cotton. Currently, I sew about half of the product myself, and have a seamstress based in Kaimuki to help me with the rest. I’m in the process of also setting up small batch manufacturing in Aotearoa. The pieces are beachy loungewear, designed to be comfortable and beautiful. Recently I’ve also been doing some custom pieces for friends' music videos or special events. I’d love to do more of this on the side and am trying to free up my time for it.

How long have you been doing that?

I’ve been doing AJK full time since 2021.

What is your favourite song right now and why?

‘Green Arrow’ by Yo La Tengo. I've never found a song that creates quite the same mood for me as this one. You should listen to this song while driving on rural roads late at night. Relaxing and nostalgic.

Some slang you catch yourself saying? (Ie. That slaps)

Girlboss. AJK started popping off around the same time the term ‘girlboss’ was being demonized in the press as toxic and condescending to working women and hustle culture (agree), but I’ve reclaimed it and will use it in nearly any context.

Me to me when I successfully parallel park in the city ‘that was so girl boss.’

When someone asks what I’ve got planned for the day and I can’t be bothered telling them: ‘I’m girlbossing all day today, very busy, lots to do.’

What do you do outside of your work and how does that thing influence or affect your craft?

I spend as much time as I can outside and with friends. I love bushwalking, surfing, going to the beach, and I make clothes that fit this lifestyle. While high fashion and couture looks are incredibly inspiring and entertaining to me as a designer, I enjoy wearing clothes that are cool, super comfortable, well-made and able to be worn over and over again.

The best/worst thing about the fashion industry?

The fashion industry is an utterly terrible place on a good day. The environmental degradation and human rights issues that exist are shocking. I think one of the worst things is greenwashing and inauthentic marketing by larger corporations, because it’s misleading and draws people away from fighting for a better reality for both themselves and for those who are making their clothes.

The best thing about the fashion industry is that it attracts creative, innovative individuals. I’m grateful to be in an industry where I’m constantly challenged and surrounded by others who are doing better and cooler things, not just with their design but in their business and sustainability practices. It gives me a lot of hope for the future.

Something you’re proud of?

I’m proud of the fact that I’ve built this brand from the ground up, while sticking to my values throughout the process. When I started selling my pieces I was working two jobs already and driving a moped because that’s what I could afford. I’ve upgraded to a rusty 2003 Mazda and I do what I love full time. I have the freedom to take a couple hours off when I want to go for a surf or take on fun creative projects. For me right now, that’s a dream.

I had someone tell me that when they’re having a bad day and not feeling good about themselves or their body, they always reach for one of my cirrus sets to put on, because it makes them feel better. It was such an awesome thing to hear and really stuck with me. I want people to feel good about what they’re wearing and the values that they’re supporting.

Something anyone can do today to make the world a better place?

Connect with people. Enter conversations ready to listen and learn, check on your friends who you haven’t heard from in a while, participate in your community. We live in a world that often feels hard, where young people especially are having to hustle and grind just to get by. It’s isolating and can feel like there isn’t enough time in the day to support and connect with others.

Why do you think you've found the success that you have?

I’ve kept AJK very true to who I am and what I believe in, which I think resonates with others. I also have put consistent hours and effort into it. Not just on designing and making pieces, but on teaching myself all sides of the business from pattern-making to web design, marketing, customer service, managing people and all that fun stuff. I work really hard and have been lucky to have had that effort appreciated.

I’ve also had a lot of support from people around me. Whether it’s friends taking photos for me, modeling the clothing, giving honest feedback on designs, or even listening to me ramble about a project I’m working on, letting me talk through the challenges. Because people resonate with what I’m doing, they want to help and see it do well. This means a lot to me.

What are your greatest aspirations with AJK?

I’m as passionate about fashion and sewing as I am about good business, not necessarily in terms of monetary success but as a way to support creative people. I’ve heard so many stories, and experienced them myself, of being treated like crap by a business or employer. I aspire to have AJK become a brand people want to work with because of how they’re treated. I want to encourage people to live a life they enjoy and make things they are proud of, within the reality of the world we’re currently living in. I love the idea of having a business where people are fulfilled, appreciated and compensated. As my business currently exists in Aotearoa and Hawai’i, I feel I owe it to both places to support the community and environment in tangible ways that mean something to me and to those who inhabit both places.

What do you think is the greatest/most effective way one might adopt your principles of sustainability and conservation?

I often catch myself feeling really hopeless about the state of the world to be honest, and the irreversible damage happening to the environment. I am prone to a bit of anxiety on the matter. Instead of wondering if what I’m doing is making a difference, I’m focusing first on not contributing to the problem and letting my choices on sustainability grow from there. This means choosing to not be ignorant and instead, teaching myself about what’s going on in the world and forming educated opinions. Figure out what's really important to you and your community, and start there. For example, once you know the true exploitation of people and environment that goes on in the fashion industry, it becomes very difficult to go into Zara and buy something. If it doesn’t align with your values, it just feels wrong and I let this guide my actions.