Fashion & Style | People

Introducing Canadian Fashion Designer Amanda Maria


Luxury, comfort and quality are three elements designer Amanda Maria (Left) and Faze Intern Kayla (Right) posing with scarves from Amanda's Fall/Winter 2015 collection.

Amanda has been in love with fashion ever since she was a little girl. She would cut up her bed sheets and pillowcases and tie them on her sister, making dresses and skirts. With her natural creativity, it is no surprise that Amanda ended up going to design school and eventually starting her own clothing line!

When designing her pieces, there is a lot of decision making. For every collection, her focus is always on comfort. Everyone’s had those moments where you’re out with your friends or at an event, and you’re constantly adjusting yourself. For example, those strapless dresses that you constantly have to keep pulling up. It’s such a pain isn’t it? Amanda couldn’t agree more. That’s why she makes your professional wear and your comfies. As a minimalist brand, there is rarely any color. Amanda says her Fall/Winter 2015 is more about bringing the elements of monochromaticity, and comfort together, while still working with her existing aesthetic.

Another important element that Amanda keeps in mind during her design process is figuring out what fabric she wants to use. While many designers tend to avoid using certain materials and fabric, she believes that you can always find a spot for something. Although Amanda dislikes the fact that silk is expensive and hard to work with, she’s still a fan of using the material in her collection—especially in the summertime, because the material is really light.

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Amanda became her own boss straight out of design school. She started Amanda Maria shortly after graduating from the design program at George Brown College in Toronto. “I’ve got a couple of people that work for me—doing the technical aspects such as my website, but I just literally started the line this summer,” says Amanda.

As in any career, there are many challenges in the fashion industry. Amanda found the startup process of her career to be the most difficult. From finding the right fabric to sourcing and pricing all of your items, there’s a lot to take care of. This is even more challenging when you’re working alone like Amanda. Essentially, you’re doing it all. Let’s not forget scheduling your time! Amanda explains: “When you work for yourself, there’s no one waking you up in the morning and making sure you get things done. That was definitely an adjustment.”

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It has not been easy, but Amanda’s hard work is not going un-noticed. Right now she’s already working on designs for her 2016 New York Fashion Week debut.

To shop Amanda’s collection and find out more information, visit her website and check out her Instagram. 

 

 



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