Anne Mette Kirk is an author and one of the new brand ambassadors for Part Two. We asked Anne Mette to choose her personal favorites from the Part Two Fall collection. Find out what she selected and get to know why decided to leave her job at the Royal Family and pursue her dream of becoming a writer.

Interview - Anne Mette Kirk

You were a PR and communications advisor for the Danish Royal Family, and then you threw yourself into becoming a writer with your first novel, BROKEN. Where did you get the courage and motivation? 

 “I truly had a dream job filled with challenges, amazing experiences and exciting journeys, but then a new dream appeared. A dream of writing the novel that had begun taking shape in my head. Pursuing that dream didn’t feel brave, it just felt right. The motivation was never lacking. When I began writing BROKEN, my alarm clock rang at 05.00 am every morning for me to work without interruption before my family woke up. In the process of writing I have found a driving force that I had no idea I possessed.”

Was that a difficult decision? 

“Yes and no. Yes, because I loved my job with the Royal Family and enjoyed travelling to Burkina Faso with the Crown Princess, and around Denmark with the Queen on the summer cruise with her yacht, and fortunately my work has given me experiences to last a lifetime. But basically, the decision was not a difficult one. I believe in pursuing dreams and being on the move throughout life. When my publishing house offered me a contract for two books, I resigned my job with a quivering bottom lip, but I have never regretted the decision. I only looked forward towards a new chapter.”

How has your life changed since you became an author? 

“A lot has changed! I’ve thrown myself into something completely new, so I’m constantly on thin ice and feeling my way forward. When BROKEN was published, I felt an amazing calmness inside. The experience from the beginning to the end was fantastic. The book sold very well, it received great reviews, and Nordisk Film bought the film rights. None of which I had expected to happen. But what matters the most is when I read the many emails and messages that my readers send to me, where they write that they have been touched by BROKEN. They’re all stored in a folder on my computer titled ‘to be read on a rainy day’.”

Has your style changed after your career change?

“When I worked for the Royal Family I often wore a dress with heels or a suit. I still wear the same pieces, but I just style them differently. The dresses now go with sneakers and I use a T-shirt with blazers. I have days when I’m deeply buried in my writing, and for those days I like to wear nightwear or a hoodie. Other days I have meetings or lectures, and then I take special pleasure in putting on a nice dress or an elegant jumpsuit. But my style hasn’t changed fundamentally.”

What does style mean to you?  

“For me, style is when you don’t just buy clothes that only last a short while but think more on a long term basis. That’s why I love the collections from Part Two. I know that the fit is perfect, the quality is first-rate and that the clothes will survive in my wardrobe season after season. Often I see advice on how you should dress your age, and that’s utter nonsense! I’ll be turning 40 soon and I will continue to dress exactly as I please. And I see no reason to drop sneakers or leather pants when I get to be 80.” 

Where do you find inspiration for your own personal style? 

“Just like the inspiration for my books, I find inspiration for my style everywhere. It can be in the colour composition of a painting or in a picture of a beautiful woman on Instagram. Sometimes I gravitate towards a classic look in dark colours and at other times I’m attracted to lots of bright colours. I would rather not be pigeonholed as a jeans person or a classic type, but I prefer to express myself freely according to mood, occasion and imagination.”

What will you never get rid of in your wardrobe? 

“There is a section of my wardrobe that’s been there for 10 years and which survives every clear-out. My Chanel bag that I bought for myself when my husband and I got married. A pair of baggy leather pants that I found in a charity shop for 20 crowns and my black tailored blazer from Part Two. I also have a weakness for Breton shirts which you can wear anywhere, like meetings with the publisher and writing days at home in front of the computer.”