Filling the gaps in accessories

Premium make-up tools company Anisa International recently announced that it is undergoing a major strategic expansion, adding new product lines and opening up an office and showroom in New York City. Founder and President Anisa Telwar talks to Cosmetic News Weekly about her plans for the company.

I have always been committed to cosmetic tools. When I started out 21 years ago, I used to travel a lot, always looking for something new. But then when I started Anisa, I pulled back to focus on becoming a craftsperson. Now it’s time to add value. I want to create functional accessories for use at home. We want to fill the gaps – for nails, bags, packaging, storage, travel cases for cosmetics. They need to be fashionable, luxurious, products that will improve [the consumer’s] way of life and help her to be beautiful. This will be our vision for the next five to ten years.

Up till now I have been the designer, but now I have created a stronger infrastructure. I spent the last two to three years looking for the right people – people who will fit into the company culturally and experientially, and who will support the vision of the brand. It’s not easy coming into a company run by the founder. But in the last six months, I feel I have found the right colleagues (including Karim Fugel, Vice President of Bags and Accessories, and Jules Dykes, Director of Brand Management).

I have been travelling to New York City since 1993, but I felt we needed to have a place to call our own. The office and showroom will be a place of collaboration where clients can come and get inspired about what we’re doing together. It will also be a place of education: we can bring outside forces in so we can make sure we are designing the right accessories. The showroom is in a fashion oriented building in the city’s fashion district, reflecting the close relationship between fashion and cosmetics.