First thing in the morning, I make my coffee and hit Bloglovin to catch up on my favorite blogs, one of these is thunderinourhearts by Amber Jones, Durban based fashion designer.
She is currently the Fashion Director of a creative Agency Wisdom and Youth. She has an alarmingly large fashion magazine obsession, thinks Jenna Lyons should run for president, married the man of her dreams, thinks flat faced dogs are the only kind to have, spends perhaps a little too much time with her friend tumblr, thinks a world with only pineapple and cheese to eat would be perfectly fine, prefers baths to showers, has painted her whole house mint green, has a tendency to obsess about most anything.
She agreed to give us some insight on the forever fascinating, fabulous fashion world.
- How old were you when you discovered your passion for fashion?
I think it has always been there is some form. I have always had really strong opinions about what I wanted to wear – it was the thing my mother and I fought most about growing up. I refused to wear trousers until I was about 8 years old and could never understand why dress up was limited to an hour a day at school.
- What does fashion mean to you personally?
For me it’s an outward expression of my personality. It plays a part in equipping me with the confidence to achieve what I need to everyday.
Jenna Lyons for her brilliant twists on classic, Grace Coddington for her magic, Iris Apfel for the outward expression of her personality through dress.
- How would you describe your own style?
That’s a hard one- left of centre I think pretty much sums it up.
- What is the biggest perk of being in such a fast paced industry?
No day is ever the same. Every day offers a new challenge and reveals a new way to think creatively.
- What item should each and every girl own?
A really killer pair of jeans- the perfect fit for your shape in a clean dark wash- they will take you everywhere you need to go!
- What’s in the pipeline for you and your designs?
I’m really excited to keep designing for Mr Price and being involved in an organization that is so invested in supporting local talent and design. Watch this space- there are tons of cool things on the horizon.
- Best piece of advice you could give to aspiring designers or anyone wanting to be part of the fashion industry?
Work hard- get up early, read everything at your fingertips to better yourself and your skills base, ask thousands of questions if you don’t know the answers- Intern with established designers & never think you can put your feet up and stop learning. Never give up on your dreams- keep trying- there are far more critics than there are compliments but listen, take what you can from the advice and keep going.
- What is the ultimate career highlight?
Being able to travel for work is a big highlight for me. Seeing new places and being inspired by them is beyond awesome. Meeting and speaking to people in the industry that I spent my formative years following and being influenced by has also been pretty major.
Add a cute brooch and/or a headband and I’ll be as happy as a kid on Christmas day…
jealous much?
