DESIGNER BIO

  "When I was growing up, old movies and Hurell photographs were the biggest inspiration to my becoming a designer . . ."

 Amy's design career started some twenty years back when she did a three-year stint as a bridal fabrics buyer. After that she opened Bridal Alternatives, a custom design studio and ever since has been working with brides who want that extraordinary one-of-a-kind dress on their wedding day. Her best work has stemmed from translating the trends of fashion history into contemporary bridal fashion.  Based on her esteem for Hollywood chic and fine-tuned dressmaking skills, a design philosophy evolved that has to do with seeing fabrics drape well and mold to the skin like sculpture. 'A wedding gown should be comfortable and beautifully lined so the woman wears it like a second skin . . . the whole component moving with her as if it is part of her body . . . .'

Amy likes to work with the retailers who carry her gowns in the same way she works with her individual clients: on a very personal level. She believes in keeping the one-on-one dialogue open to all her clientele whether they live in Portland, Maine or Portland, Oregon.
Other connections to fashion include columnist for San Francisco Art and Fashion News and writing articles for The Wedding Gazette and Pash.   In addition, she's added blogging into her life with Bride Chic: An Online Fashion Resource for Brides.  She lives in The San Francisco Bay Area with her husband Edgar and Chihuahua.