Life lived with passion and Annah tude

Annah Stretton makes your average Kiwi look a bit lazy. She's usually working by 5am, takes work on holiday and schedules phone interviews for when she's travelling between Auckland and her home base in Hamilton.
That sort of dogged work ethic and multi-tasking is enough to make most people want a lie down with a cup of tea. And perhaps yearn for retirement. But you get the impression Annah's only happy when she's charging full-steam ahead. And at 50, she certainly shows no sign of stopping or pulling back from the empire that is Annah Stretton. The Hawke's Bay-raised business woman is most popularly known for her 30 shops dotted around the country. But she's also the editor of Her, a business magazine for women, Fashion Week veteran, Veuve Clicquot 2009 Businesswoman of the Year, teacher, mentor, mother-of-two and author of a new book Wise Heart.
She's established her fashion brand in the UK, Ireland, Australia, Europe and California. And with her home-sewing kits Stitch'n'Bitch and one-dress-ten-ways Chameleon garment taking off overseas, truly capturing the global market is only a matter of time.
The secret, she says, is it doesn't feel like work. She simply loves her job and thinks everybody should love doing what they do, and "if you don't, get out". The passion that underscores her business means she's always looking for the best. The best fabrics, the best staff, the best use of her time, "so everything I do is a 10 out of 10".
And the 150 or so people she employs need to be passionate, too: "You have to surround yourself with people who fit your culture and live and breathe the brand and its vision."
The other secret to her success is balance. She says her mentoring role at the Waikato Institute of Technology and philanthropic enterprises refocus her energy towards other people, giving balance to the responsibility of running the self-titled fashion house. There's an ever-present mix of femininity and confidence in nearly everything she does. There's a real warmth in her voice as she talks business, and Annah's seldom photographed without her trademark Julia Roberts-like smile.
Her Annah S clothing range is floaty, girly, with lots of pinks and pearls. But rather than clothing some dainty little wallflower, the unique designs and characteristic layering of textures exude a high-street confidence. Likewise, underneath the Wise Heart pretty-in-pink cover lie 10 straight-up strategies for success, specifically tailored to female business minds. It's honest, shoot-from-the-hip advice that Annah learned the hard way. Take the emotion out of your business dealings. Make a decision and move on. Hire well and quickly remove negative people.
For a nation full of self-deprecating, average-height poppies, Annah's candid advice may be hard for some to follow. But then again, you don't build an empire by tip-toeing around a problem and apologising for your success. The book, her second, is just the latest chapter of the Annah Stretton story.
Two weeks out from Air New Zealand Fashion Week and Annah is gearing for her eighth showing. Rather than suffering a fashion-induced hernia, Annah is calm and measured over the phone, and says although Fashion Week is a highlight of the year, the extra workload just slots into another busy week.
This year there'll be no such runway drama, like the infamous boar's head and taxidermy birds that accessorised her 2005 showing.
"We've almost regressed. It's much more about making the fashion doing the talking than the theatrics. [With] the drama and the colour, I think we've achieved that."
It's more about taking a theme and running with it, she says, and this year's collection is based on Wild West heroine Calamity Jane.
After eight years, does Fashion Week still excite?
"Absolutely," she says. "I love it. Some days I just get goosebumps."
She'll also be showcasing her creation entitled, The Greatest Frock On Earth at the World of Wearable Arts Award Show this month. Last year she was part of the judging panel, but unable to contain the itch to create, had to get involved for 2010.
"We started with a frock that was a favourite of mine and asked 'how can we really explode this?"'
The result is a dress that's big, bold and beautifully bizarre.
For all the glamour of international runways and her proudly provincial Waikato-base, Annah professes her heart belongs in the Bay.
She'll be back in town next week to launch Wise Heart, the first stop on a nationwide tour. "Hawke's Bay is the most relevant. It's where I spent my formative years."
She'll no doubt spend some time catching up with family and checking in on her Havelock North store. Not for too long though. There is, after all, Fashion Week to attend and her wearable arts piece to prepare.
What's that saying? If you want something done, ask a busy person. Well, if you want something done that's pretty, confident, and has a bit of spunk, ask Annah.
Wise Heart: 10 Strategies for Success in Business & Life, by Annah Stretton, Random House, $39.99.