What’s your favourite destination and why?
Ibiza. I love it so much because it brings people together in a really special way. You meet people you would never meet elsewhere and you’re instantly bonded for life. There’s the freedom of being whoever you want to be. And it’s fun. Life should be fun.
When did you first start going?
I read about Ibiza in a magazine when I was 17, before there was social media or anything. I felt like I had to go and see it and I begged my friends to come with me. I remember landing and thinking: “Oh my god, this is going to change all my life plans.” And it did. I’m still there every summer 16 years later.
Where do you live on the island?
I have my home above the Annie’s Ibiza shop in Ibiza’s Old Town.
When were you last there?
I was there last week with Bombay Sapphire. I created a design from one of my Mercer dresses for one of their E1 RaceBird boats, which was incredible. I love being in the sea and am obsessed with it, so it was really nice to see the world of clothes and the sea colliding.
Where would you recommend to stay on the island?
The new Soho House is amazing. I often go there for a fantastic G&T by the pool. But I’m very much old-school and really love this tiny hotel called La Ventana. It’s owned by a lady called Pepita and is stuck in the 1960s — it’s so eccentric and fun.
What would you do if you only had 24 hours there?
I would jump on a ferry to Formentera and go horse riding down the beach with my friend. I’d get home by 11am then take the car north with diving kits. Then I’d rent one of the little fishing boats in Benirrás and go diving around the caves. Next, I’d come back and head to Soho House for lunch and a sauna, before going home and chilling for the evening.
What has been your favourite meal?
Almost every single night I eat at La Oliva, which is directly opposite my house. It’s like my front garden. They’ve been feeding me since I was 18 years old and they have a special little cheesy pasta for me called Annie’s pasta.
What are your other favourite restaurants on the island?
There’s a very cute restaurant called Sa Capella in an old 16th-century chapel. I used to go there back in the day before it got renovated, but now it’s really nice and bougie. Then there’s Cala Xuclar in the north, which is rustic and right by the beach with about six tables. You can watch the sunset with your feet in the sand there.
Is there a hidden gem you are willing to share?
A cave that I found on the north of the island, which we swim under. When you get out on the other side it’s beautiful and full of light. It’s so hard to find but I’ve got a photographic memory so I can always find it eventually. It’s such an amazing, uninhabited side of the island that feels very wild.
Where do you let your hair down?
Ibiza Town is like a whole concert at night: it’s so alive and buzzing. We have dinner at La Oliva then just mingle and relax. But being in the Annie’s Ibiza shop is like a night out in itself. You meet everyone there and find out what parties are going on that night and make sure nobody wears the same dress to each party.
Who do you call to have a good time?
Everyone comes to me in the shop — the whole island. Sometimes when I was younger and I worked all the time, I wouldn’t leave the castle walls for 10 days at a time because it was so busy. We’d have Naomi Campbell one day and anyone else you can think of the next. It’s easier to name the people who haven’t come in.
“You can wear anything — from a day dress to a sparkly gown that wouldn’t be out of place at the Met Gala”
Favourite shops?
By coincidence, my two oldest and best friends also have shops in Ibiza Town. One, called Porter, does really great basics and daywear. Then there’s Archive Closet for really good vintage finds.
Have you ever had an emergency incident there?
There’s always an emergency with our kind of work. It’s often: “Annie, there are 20 security guards outside the shop, who’s arrived now?”
Building you would like to live in?
My house. There’s nowhere I’d rather live, which is very lucky.
The one thing you would bring home as a souvenir?
Elisa Pomar does amazing gold Spanish jewellery. That would be a really great gift to take back for someone.
What’s your dress code there?
You can do anything. You can wear a day dress then go to a party, or a sparkly gown that wouldn’t be out of place at the Met Gala. I think I would stick to mini lengths if you’re going out — just for ease of running around and to make sure you don’t get too hot. For the clubs, I would also say put some boots on in case you get a bit stamped on.
Your packing essentials?
Bikini, party dress and some sandals.
What is the one unmissable thing you recommend doing?
Going swimming in the crystal waters of Formentera — take a little boat or the ferry. Go to Espalmador, which is the sandbank island, and you can walk through waist-high water and it’s the clearest you’ll ever see. Then you have Juan y Andrea for really good food, or El Pirata for something fun that’s right on the beach.
Annie Doble attended the E1 Ibiza showcase, presented by Bombay Sapphire, where she unveiled her bespoke RaceBird design
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