Designer Amber Smith may not yet be a household name but we firmly believe that she has everything it takes (talent, skill, determination all combined with her ever so approachably cool demeanor) to make it big in the world of Fashion.
Upon the release of her recent graduate collection we caught up with Amber to see what’s next on her creative cards.
What inspired the collection?
If you are into history (which I am) the collection is based on artist Sabine Pearlman. She dissects bullets from World War 1 and 2. She cuts these crusty old dirty bullets and you see the intersection of them. It’s crazy intricate.
I was also inspired the video clip called Pursuit by Gesaffelstien. The song is all about people in all different scenarios in pursuit. It’s got a really cool sound as well.
Where can you find your pieces?
In my closet! I am not yet selling them. This was my graduate collection so I’m still a bit attached to them.
Do you have a muse?
I really like Alexander Wang, I like Rick Owens and Yoji Yamamoto. As for Australian designers I love Ellery and Dion lee.
Can you describe your aesthetic?
What I like in design is pieces that when you look form afar they look basic, but when you get closer you see intricate detail so dark but edgy and minimalistic.
I like to make the collection unisex, I usually base a lot of the silhouettes around menswear as menswear is often confined to that shift shape which works quite well for both men and women.
Upon the release of her recent graduate collection we caught up with Amber to see what’s next on her creative cards.
What inspired the collection?
If you are into history (which I am) the collection is based on artist Sabine Pearlman. She dissects bullets from World War 1 and 2. She cuts these crusty old dirty bullets and you see the intersection of them. It’s crazy intricate.
I was also inspired the video clip called Pursuit by Gesaffelstien. The song is all about people in all different scenarios in pursuit. It’s got a really cool sound as well.
Where can you find your pieces?
In my closet! I am not yet selling them. This was my graduate collection so I’m still a bit attached to them.
Do you have a muse?
I really like Alexander Wang, I like Rick Owens and Yoji Yamamoto. As for Australian designers I love Ellery and Dion lee.
Can you describe your aesthetic?
What I like in design is pieces that when you look form afar they look basic, but when you get closer you see intricate detail so dark but edgy and minimalistic.
I like to make the collection unisex, I usually base a lot of the silhouettes around menswear as menswear is often confined to that shift shape which works quite well for both men and women.
Tell us about your process?
So I sketch, I take basic blocks and I’m generally quite rough with it. I will take the basic blocks and start draping and just draw on it. Then I will literally chop away at it and look at it on a toile, see what I get, sometimes the lines that I get wont be the lines on my toile but I will add them in as I am cutting and draping.
When you aren’t designing what are you up to?
I used to play soccer but I broke my elbow. I like drawing and walking. Just relaxing when I get a chance.
Favourite color?
Black – even though it’s not a color technically
Favourite city?
Paris or Tokyo. I do think Japan is so under-rated, when you go there it’s amazing.
So I sketch, I take basic blocks and I’m generally quite rough with it. I will take the basic blocks and start draping and just draw on it. Then I will literally chop away at it and look at it on a toile, see what I get, sometimes the lines that I get wont be the lines on my toile but I will add them in as I am cutting and draping.
When you aren’t designing what are you up to?
I used to play soccer but I broke my elbow. I like drawing and walking. Just relaxing when I get a chance.
Favourite color?
Black – even though it’s not a color technically
Favourite city?
Paris or Tokyo. I do think Japan is so under-rated, when you go there it’s amazing.
Favourite artist?
I really like James Jean. http://www.jamesjean.com/
Whats next for Amber Smith?
I want to travel, I really would like to do a Europe stint…. but I don’t know if I’ll come back!
What keeps you motivated?
I just love it (fashion) everything about it…I honestly can’t imagine doing anything else.
What advice do you have to other up and coming designers?
Just keep at it! I found that a lot of the time when you are designing you can get really frustrated especially when you are sewing, it comes out different to what you originally though but keep at it eventually you get there. Most of the times I am happier with the end result than the initial idea of how I imagined it would turn out.
By Maria Maung - Photography by Daniel Knott
I really like James Jean. http://www.jamesjean.com/
Whats next for Amber Smith?
I want to travel, I really would like to do a Europe stint…. but I don’t know if I’ll come back!
What keeps you motivated?
I just love it (fashion) everything about it…I honestly can’t imagine doing anything else.
What advice do you have to other up and coming designers?
Just keep at it! I found that a lot of the time when you are designing you can get really frustrated especially when you are sewing, it comes out different to what you originally though but keep at it eventually you get there. Most of the times I am happier with the end result than the initial idea of how I imagined it would turn out.
By Maria Maung - Photography by Daniel Knott