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AMBERLYNN DESIGNS
Photo credit: Heidi Beach
Amber Lynn Beach is putting Chicago fashion on the map, one garment at a time. The Florida-born designer relocated to the Windy City, where she attended Columbia College of Art + Design. There, she zeroed-in on the sophistication and stylishness of the local scene. However, Beach has yet to abandon her quirky and feminine Southern flair. She injects a youthful and girlish boost of color into her pieces, punctuating a romantic aesthetic with lively strength. Beach has offered fashion-followers three electrifying collections; each delivered as its on character. Queen Viki is a lush array of jewel-toned and gold creations--the kind of garments that the virginal queen might have worn if she were a slightly naughty 20-or-30-something living in a big city amongst a cadre of male admirers. Princess Billie is a flirty expression for a down-home girl who likes to tease without betraying her own virtue. Each piece within the collection is youthful and uniquely AmberLynn, while still leaving a bit to the imagination. Ruffles adorn many of its skirts and dresses, while jacket silhouettes harken back to the era of Doris Day. About Scarlett Johansson: "She is a beautiful, curvy siren and I adore her."
The Temp is a wardrobe for a feisty vixen seriously afflicted with a
Madonna-whore complex. Red and herringbone can be found throughout,
while its lines hug curves and cater to a woman not unlike Maggie
Gyllenhaal's character in the cult classic, Secretary.
For the designer, this particular collection is near and dear to her heart. "The Temp is definitely my favorite because a portion of this collection was designed for my senior thesis," she says, "so my creative process wasn’t burdened with thoughts of manufacturing and production costs yet. I was at full liberty to design whatever came to me, no matter how complex or expensive it would be to reproduce." Her forthcoming effort, PollyAnne, was influenced by a piece of white floral trim that she uncovered while cleaning out her closet. The collection promises "school-girl mod" and "flirty homemaker" pieces, while borrowing design elements from The Sound of Music. Beach's tastes lean toward natural woven fibers like wool and cotton that can be manipulated into highly structural accents such as collars and pleats. She lists avant-garde punk pioneer Vivienne Westwood as a fellow clothier whose career footsteps she would have no problem following. However, when she thinks of events in fashion that have moved her in recent years, one shining example of scaled-down elegance reigns supreme. "The red Balenciaga dress that Nicole Kidman wore to the Oscars in 2007. It was bright red halter dress with a huge bow at the neck line--simplistic and sexy! Plus, it was my favorite color," she admits. Other stars with style that Beach is awed by are Sarah Jessica Parker (particularly her mint green Dior gown from the 2009 Academy Awards) and Scarlett Johansson. "She is a beautiful, curvy siren and I adore her," says the designer. "She wears her clothes; they don't wear her. She has channeled Marilyn Monroe and has done it well. Her style is sexy but always ladylike." As for the future, AmberLynn Designs will continue to grow and prosper, with an eye toward solidifying strong business connections. "Hopefully, in the long term I will meet a filthy rich investor that falls in love with my designs and funds my business, so I can quit my day job and expand," jokes Beach. "In all seriousness, I would like to find some more boutiques to sell with and keep on doing what I do. Also, I have a couple of fashion shows coming up in April where I will be showing my new PollyAnne collection." ¤ For more information on AmberLynn Designs, visit www.amberlynndesigns.com |
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