Brand to know: Interview with Amanda Uprichard

We are excited to learn about the woman behind contemporary women’s lifestyle brand, Amanda Uprichard. Amanda started her eponymous company in 2008 in NYC. Her clothes help you live your life to the fullest. She is known for her rich hues & feminine styles. AU pieces make one feel powerful & sexy, and we can’t wait for you to learn all about this brand!

Below is a Q&A with Amanda, and beneath that is a hand-selected roundup of some of our favorite Amanda Uprichard styles just for you!

What led you to start your brand? Did you always want to have a business of your own?

I have always made clothing, this brand is a result of years of trial and error. I learned a lot about what women want to wear, what makes them feel great, and exactly who our customer is. I definitely always wanted a business, but was not always sure what I wanted to do.

How did you learn to start, run and grow a brand?

I learned by doing. When I first started the brand, I did everything myself and learned how each part of the business works.

After you started the brand, how did you get the word out?

I focused on wholesale, so I cold called retailers, attended trade shows and was able to build a loyal following. 

Tell us about your relationship with Patricia Field.

Patricia was an early supporter of me and my brand. She is a true fashion pioneer and had a tremendous influence on my career.

Where do you get your inspiration?

I find inspiration everywhere. I especially love seeing how confident a woman can be when wearing a great outfit. I want to recreate that feeling when I’m making clothes. 

What does a day in the life of Amanda Uprichard look like?

It varies from day to day, but I usually come into the office in the morning and check in with each team. In the afternoons I focus on designing upcoming collections. 

Walk us through the process of designing a collection. How far out do you begin?

Right now we’re working on Spring/Summer 2021. We work about 6 months in advance. I start by looking at the fabrics and color palette for the collection. From there I sketch the clothing. Then, we make muslins to see what the clothing will look like before making samples. After we get the look we want, we get samples made, fit those samples and finally photograph the clothing for our buyers to place their orders through our wholesale selling site. 

What design details are important to you?

The fit of the clothing is incredibly important to me. I want the fit to be perfect. The quality of fabric is also important.

How have you gotten to know your customer?

I have gotten to know our customer in many  ways. Instagram has helped in getting to know what our customer likes, wants to see and wear. We also get incredible feedback from our retailers on what is working and not working for customers. 

How have you balanced wholesale and direct-to-consumer? Are you looking to grow one of those?

It definitely takes constant work. Our wholesale partners and our DTC business are different. Our DTC customer tends to want newness more often. Throughout the month we release new items to keep them excited and interested. 

“You can’t data inspiration/magic” – we agree!! Will you expand?

What I mean here is that not everything can be tied to data, you have to leave room for fun, magic and to be inspired. Data can put you in a box if you’re not careful. 

Tell us about the importance of being designed, made & packaged in NYC.

It is important to give business to NYC factories. Our collections are designed in our NYC showroom and most of our samples are made here. Everything is shipped out to stores from NYC as well. 

How do you stay motivated?

I’m motivated by all the opportunities there are to grow our DTC business. We’ve grown a lot this year and it’s exciting to see. 

Thoughts on the future of brick & mortar?

I think it’s a tough time for brick and mortar, but the boutiques that are growing and changing are successful. A lot of our retailers that take advantage of social media are doing well. 

What’s next for Amanda Uprichard?

We’re focusing a lot of our energy on our DTC business. We are continuing to find new ways to introduce our brand to new customers. We recently launched swim,  aprons, and masks. I can’t wait to see where we go next!