Through our Women Who Inspire Us series we aim to highlight women who live their lives in a way that we find empowering. Every two weeks we introduce you to someone who has crossed our path - virtually or IRL - and left a lasting impression.
Today, we are excited to share an interview we conducted with Anna Zlobenko, also known online as ANN-Á-PORTER. Anna is a content creator and personal stylist, consulting her clients on their personal style journey - how to find, nurture and upgrade their personal style. She has a daughter and another one on the way, is originally from Ukraine, but has been living in Berlin, together with her husband, for over 8 years.
Introducing - ANN-Á-PORTER
How do you describe what you do?
I aspire to inspire people to be the best version of themselves through style. I’m a content creator as well as a personal stylist.
Name three words that describe you.
Adventurous, persistent and deep
Share some moments that calm your mind and make you happy. What do you do to unwind and reconnect with yourself?
Spending time on my own at home grounds me and makes me truly unwind. As well as nature. Ideally a cabin in the woods, or watching the seaside.
What does slow living mean to you?
Slow living is something I aspire to right now. Naturally, I’m a very dynamic person, I need people around and action, always action! But slowing down and hearing yourself is so important in order to not lose your inner voice. So slow living is that kind of a natural balance of living and enjoying simple moments while doing it on your terms - it’s a drive and passion combined with grounding down & nurturing to me. What is yours will be yours, so why rush?
Tell us about your morning routine!
Usually, I wake up early and bring my kid to school. Making the bed is my holy grail. If I didn’t make up my bed and didn’t apply my morning skincare, the day didn’t start haha. Most of the days, I then come back home and enjoy breakfast on my own, the true luxury of slow living. A morning routine is very important to me - it sets the tone for the entire day ahead!
Where do you find your inspiration?
Everywhere. As I’m a visual person, the easiest way for me to get inspired is to discover museums and galleries, observe people in nice places, watch a movie, pick flowers (oh flower shops!!!), and browse through a bookstore.
Knowing what you know now, what would you tell your 18-year-old self?
Reflecting on my younger years, I feel like I was afraid of most of the things that later brought me true happiness - moving abroad for studies, moving abroad again for work, changing countries of living as well as my profession. So I would just like to encourage a young Anna and tell her to listen to her voice, bc it has never let her down as well as not to fear anything. Where the fear is, there is your path - this is true babe! And it’s gorgeous and incredibly freeing on the other side of the fear, so GO and DO IT! And just enjoy the ride.
Your current or all time favorite song?
Oh, it’s a difficult one. Simply Red - Stars and U2 - With or Without You, both all-time fav.
Complete the following sentences:
I feel most happy when... I feel seen as my true self.
We all should... be more kind to each other and the world.
I never leave the house without... hand cream, lipstick and water.
When I look at my wardrobe, I see a collection of... different styles that all reflect my moods and come into one big puzzle.
In my wardrobe, I always make space for... an experiment. It’s nice to step out from what you already know and surprise yourself by wearing something unusual.
A woman who inspires me is... strong and tender, fearless and kind but always true to herself.
