October Issue 06

in the U.S. The goods, workforce, and distribution facilities are all
here. We’re making Los Angeles as an important city that would
compliment Fashion Weeks from cities like New York, London,
Milan, Paris, and Tokyo. I believe that Los Angeles is respected and
noticed world-wide.
JP: On the day of your show, do you get nervous? How do
you stay calm and collected?
AM: Oh, now that’s a tough question! I go crazy on the day of a
show! (laughing). Usually on the day of the show, I wake up, not
having had a lot of sleep the night before because, even though the
collection is finished, I’ll have other things on my mind. It could be a
number of things because we don’t live in a perfect world, so anything
can go wrong. I’ll be thinking about props, accessories, or anything
outside of the collection itself that is an important element to the show.
I’m a Taurus, so I can be a bit stubborn and very set on something once
my mind is made up. I like to make sure all the elements of the show are
taken care of ahead of time because I don’t have time to create a “Plan
B” on how to present my vision. On the day of my show, I make sure
to take a few minutes to lock myself in a corner to be alone and quiet so
that I can find my center and collect my thoughts.
JP: How involved are you with the factors that go into your
show such as model selections or song choice?
AM: I’m very hands on with those decisions. The whole artistic concept
and vision comes from me. When I create the collection, I already see
the types of models I want in the garments. Even in the quietness of my
atelier in the middle of the night when I finish a certain garment and
it’s draped on the dress form, I will look at myself in the mirror while
listening to music and figuring out a walk with the garment. The entire
creative process of the show is 100% from my vision.
JP: Explain the backstage experience from the designer’s
perspective on the day of the show.
AM: (Laughing) Now that’s a fun question! It’s a little chaotic, but I
always talk to my creative team beforehand. I usually share my vision
and my points of view and the looks with my stylists and beauty team.
I show them the boards weeks before and then again right before the
show to go over final looks with styling, hair, makeup, etc. So it’s kinda
chaotic at first, but when I see that everything is done the way I want it,
then I know I don’t have to throw a fit. LOL.
JP: Who do you typically invite to your shows?
AM: I want to make sure that all the elements of my show are balanced,
and that even applies to the people in attendance. It’s important to
have the right celebrities, the right buyers, and the right VIP’s attending.
In short, I don’t want random riff-raff in the audience of my show. I
align myself with the right production/organization that puts my show
together to ensure this.
JP: Is there anything that you haven’t done with your runway
shows that you hope to accomplish one day?
AM: I want flying models! LOL. No, but in all seriousness, I admire
the craziness that I see from shows like designer, John Galliano. It’s a
challenge to achieve certain things, but I like those challenges. I want
to be able to bring my ideas to life rather than just leaving them in my
imagination. If I can have models floating on water, elevated in the
air, or descending from a capsule, I think I would like that. There’s so
many crazy ideas that I can come up with to shock the audience. There’s
always room for improvement, and there’s always a way to get something
done.
120 The LA FASHION MAGAZINE