FRENCH IMPRESSIONS

Along avec Anna is the inspirational brand run by Anna Dervout, and includes designs, yarns and an Exeter-based yarn shop, as Janine Sterland discovers

- Janine Sterland

AS THE founder of knitwear brand Along avec Anna, French designer Anna Dervout describes her patterns as “delicate, feminine, classic and chic”. 

Evolving from her successful craft blog launched nine years ago, Anna’s brand now boasts an ethical collection of elegant silk-mohair and merino yarns, along with timeless knitwear patterns. She also runs a beautiful yarn boutique in the centre of Exeter. Here, we discover more about the story behind her brand, its yarns, and how her designs are enjoyed by a creative community of knitters across the globe.

What sparked your interest in knitwear and your desire to choose a creative career?

“I’ve always been a creative person, and started sewing when I was about ten years old. I became interested in knitting in 2015 during my first pregnancy, and discovered a passion I wasn’t expecting. Since starting, I haven’t been able to put my needles down! I’ve always been passionate about fashion and style, and although it wasn’t the path I ended up choosing at university, it very soon became a major part of my life.”

How did your creative business evolve?

“It all started with a craft blog in 2013, where I shared my creations - but I never thought it would become a business at the time! However, after a couple of years of knitting, I had a lot of ideas for garments and started making patterns in 2017, and that’s where it shifted to a business. From there, it gradually grew with more and more patterns being released, books being published by a large publishing company in France and later translated, and in November 2021, the release of our own cruelty-free yarn.”