PROFILES + Amar

Amar

New South Wales, Australia

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Amar

Memories of far-flung places provide an endless source of inspiration for Melbourne fashion designer Kerri Raymond and partner Michael Adam.

With each new season their sexy, effeminate label, amar, brings to life a palate of colours reminiscent of a destination in a far away land. From the dusty pinks and mauves of the setting sun in Greece to the radiant blues and greens of mingling crowds in a Moroccan market, amar captures the essence of beauty. “I am constantly inspired by all the wonderful places we’ve travelled to,” says Kerri. “I guess it’s like taking a photograph, the shades and colours of these exotic countries and cultures stay with me and I bring them back to life in my designs.”

amar is the creative collaboration of Kerri and long-time partner Michael. Although she has always been a self-confessed follower of fashion, Kerri’s real flair surfaced only a few years ago when she sat down at her mother’s sewing machine and started pinning and tucking a few ideas. Her peers approved of the results and with some encouragement from Michael, the seeds for amar were sewn. In 2001, Kerri enrolled at Melbourne School of Fashion where she learned the fundamentals of fashion and the importance of form and function.

Meanwhile, Michael laid the foundations for the business side of the label. The following year the couple travelled through Europe, Nth Africa and Asia on a journey that became the groundwork for future collections. “The trip was very influential in the approach we took to the designs,” says Kerri. “We wanted it to be clothing you could wear day and night, casual and cutting-edge, a very chic way of dressing.”

The result is a design spectrum that lives up to these expectations. In the spring-summer collections, flowing fabrics and soft pastel hues combine in ephemeral dresses and feminine tops that can be worn over jeans by day or dressed up with heels by night.

In autumn-winter, the emphasis is on cutting-edge with a hint of sexy, stylish with a cheeky kick to it. Heavy jersey and wool fabrics are gathered and panelled and the colours subtly combined ensuring each piece has a distinct individuality. amar is stocked in smaller boutique shops where discerning shoppers prefer unique to mainstream.

Miss Lau, Jade, Filly & Mare, Oska, Decadence Boutique, Benca, Ennuuii, Rok and Doll House are just some of the Melbourne stores that appreciate amar designs. In Perth, Sublime and Eros stock amar as well as Elvis4Cleo in Sydney. Like the women who wear it, amar is never afraid to be noticed. L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival and Melbourne Spring Fashion Week have created a platform for amar in the industry while exposure in fashion mags and on the big screen have also propelled the label into the public eye.

Experience

Amar presents ‘ana & leela’ – a celebration of life: launching at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week, 2pm Tuesday 29th April 2008 with Channel 7’s Sarah Groen making an appearance on the runway

amar transcends borders & cultures with the ‘ana & leela’ Spring Summer 0809 collection

With Kerri Raymond guiding Australian label amar through the Spring Summer of 0809, followers have the pleasure of witnessing yet another energetic runway collection.
amar transcends borders, cultures and languages with the ‘ana & leela’ collection - created as a dedication and celebration of two lives, drawing inspiration from the designers’ close family ties.

The ‘ana & leela’ collection features contemporary colour blocking pieces, in the highest quality silk and cotton fabrics. Kerri Raymond’s design techniques infuse a sense of style and fun with signature pieces that enable the wearer to move effortlessly between day and night.

Amar’s soft colour tones are off set by passionate, vibrant blocks of red, navy and black creating a modern take on print. Highlighted throughout the collection is a technique similar to pintucking, yet more intricate and requires each panel to be finished by hand - once again demonstrating Kerri Raymond’s trademark attention to detail.

A passion for design and flair for innovation resulted in the formation of amar in 2003, which has grown to be a well-recognised label that can be found in boutiques across Australia, Europe, Korea & China.

Other Information

Much like its varied collections amar transcends borders, cultures and languages, taking on as many guises as the amar woman herself, from its translation into love (in Spanish), eternity (in Hindu), summer (in Armenian), tranquil (in Mongolian), moon (in Arabic) and strong (in Burmese) and its original meaning – wolf, in Inuit Indian.
A passion for design and a flair for innovation resulted in the formation of amar in 2003 by Melbourne-duo, Kerri Raymond and Michael Adam. The recent addition of our accessories and shoe range continues amar’s evolution into a global fashion brand. Not only can amar be found Australia-wide, but discerning women in such stylish international locales as Korea, Singapore, China & Europe can also have their taste of the amar woman.
With each season, we create a collection that infuses a sense of style and fun, equipping the amar woman all that she needs in today’s world to move effortlessly between day and night, summer and winter, casual and formal.
Quality production and our emphasis on natural fibres and exclusive prints, combined with our love for the highest quality fabrics has resulted in a loyal and growing following amongst fashion-conscious women worldwide.
amar has rarely been out of the media of late and is a favourite of such stylish women as Natalie Blair and Pippa Black, Asha Kuerten, Shelley Craft, Rachel Beck, and Jennifer Adams to name a few.
amar…be noticed

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