Anda Rowland – Vice Chairman of Anderson & Sheppard

In this series Revolution looks at some of the most charismatic watch wearers around. Profiling them, their personal style and what clothes they choose to wear and, of course, their watches.

“After graduating from the London School of Economics, I worked for Estée Lauder and Parfums Christan Dior in London and Paris respectively. I also furthered my education during this period, joining INSEAD’s MBA programme in Fontainebleau.

I started working at Anderson & Sheppard six years later. We needed to move from 30 Savile Row to our current bespoke store on Old Burlington Street. My mother asked me to help with the organisation and design of the new premises and one thing lead to another. My family had never really been involved in the running of A&S, until the move the firm had existed fairly independently.

My father had a vested interest in a tailoring shop, Anderson & Sheppard, and during my childhood I remember occasionally going with him when he went for fittings. It was a very serious experience and little girls did not often have the chance to go in, these early memories are very precious to me. In 1998 (two years before starting my MBA) my father passed away.

Anderson & Sheppard is an authority on bespoke tailoring and master of the ‘English drape’, a style that is cut full over the chest, for ease of movement. We have made garments for everyone from Fred Astaire and Gary Cooper to HRH The Prince of Wales, Kate Moss, Lapo Elkann and Bryan Ferry. The designer Tom Ford said that in his opinion, ‘Anderson & Sheppard is the best tailor in the world’. In 2012 we opened a second shop, our haberdashery on Clifford Street, through which we are able to provide items our customers were looking for but could no longer find – it has also allowed a new audience to discover Anderson & Sheppard.

When it comes to my clothes, usually I wear some variation of a tailored shrunken jacket, a collarless cashmere and cotton shirt from our haberdashery, smart trousers and flat slippers. Sometimes I’ll wear a structured dress, one with a proper waist and long sleeves – a sleeve is paramount.

My chosen timepiece is a yellow gold Cartier Tank Américaine, which my parents gave me – I really love the weight and curve of it. I subsequently bought the bracelet it is now on as a very generous present to myself to celebrate being accepted into business school. I wear my Tank every day throughout the year and I found that I wanted something tougher than the leather strap I initially wore with it. However, like many others I also dream of a 1960s Rolex Submariner on a NATO strap, it instantly conjures up images of carefree adventure.”

return-to-top__image
Back to Top