Where are you from?
I was born in Dublin and moved to Sligo in the west of Ireland when I was young. I still live in Sligo, a seaside city.

When did you know you wanted to be a designer?
I've made clothes and art since I was about six or seven. I used the sewing machine as a toy, and taught myself how to use it when I was very young. Design was a natural direction to take.

How'd you get started with j'tote?
I had made myself a beautiful laptop bag out of blue printed leather. A friend of a friend was an American man who became fascinated with my homemade laptop bag. This man was a friend of Jeri's [j'tote founder] and told me about Jeri having the same idea: using handbags for laptops instead of the standard shells. So I met Jeri and it took us about a year to investigate how j'tote could work.

Tell us about the fabrics and leathers you're using?
All the materials we are using for j'tote are high quality and unusual. The way j'tote is moving now is to focus on eco-friendly materials and leather that have minimal effect on our world, which I believe is very important.

Where did you get your inspiration for the collection?
The j'tote customer inspired me first and foremost, all the practical attributes she likes and dislikes. We know exactly what our customer loves about j'tote and my inspiration was to enhance that.

What are your major influences in design?
My major influences come from many different facets of life. At the moment I have been looking at a lot of glass pieces from the 1930s for shape and form.

Anything else we should know?
I believe a design must be like a sponge: absorbing in everything around them and squeezing out an amalgamation of ideas and information in its form.

Anna's honors:
2009 Showcase Ireland - Overall Winner of Best New Product and Accessory Category
2004 Persil Fashion Award Winner
2000 E.S.B Winner of Most Electrifying Award