Annah Stretton

Annah Stretton is one of New Zealand’s leading entrepreneurs and a force in New Zealand fashion design.

Annah founded her fashion empire on a Waikato dairy farm and within a year she had turned over her first million. Annah now exports to stores throughout the world and in 2010 had 30 of her own sites in New Zealand.

Her leadership style is categorised as decisive, direct and inclusive, yet she works hard to inspire the women around her to be confident, challenged and independent.

Annah Stretton is in demand as an inspirational and motivational speaker in New Zealand, and increasingly in Australia and the UK.

Annah Stretton creates two designer collections (Annah Stretton and Annah.S) each season under the umbrella of the Stretton Group. Infamous for being both a left and right thinker, she has a creative but sharp eye on her company’s bottom line.

In 2008, Annah Stretton’s achievements and generosity of spirit were recognised when she was named on the New Zealand Honours list and received The New Zealand Order of Merit for Services to Business, Fashion and the Community. Her success combined with an active involvement in a huge number of philanthropic endeavours also made her a worthy recipient of the 2009 New Zealand Veuve Clicquot Businesswoman of the Year Award.

Also in 2009, Annah was invited to serve as an advisory board member for New Zealand Global Women – a network of recognised and accomplished senior female leaders from a wide range of national and international disciplines and industries.

In 2011 Random House published Annah’s second book Wise Heart which details the values behind this entrepreneur’s drive for success. In this candid, engaging book she shares the strategies and tools that have taken her to the top and have kept her there.

As a fashion designer Anna Stretton has shown at Air New Zealand Fashion Week since 2002 and at four Australian Fashion Weeks. She held her first Australian individual show in 2010.

Annah Stretton is also the owner and editor of Her and pink magazines and Who’s Who, an annual publication focusing on New Zealand’s most successful women entrepreneurs.