Her Life Is Her Art | Amber Doyle

Amber Doyle is a custom tailor and designer with a worldly point of view. Her designs reference an eclectic yet timeless array of traditions. Victorian, art nouveau, Savile Row, punk rock, and old Hollywood vibes combine with her superior craftsmanship to create the glamorous clothes you may have seen in magazine spreads and on celebrities like Snoop Dogg, Alec Baldwin, Janelle Monae, Paris Hilton, and most recently, Albert Hammond Jr. of The Strokes. For as long as Doyle can remember, she thought beyond the confines of what she calls "classic middle America", namely her suburban Chicago hometown, a place that is home to a buffalo ranch and goat farm, alongside the requisite shopping malls that fill the landscape of suburbia. As a child and teen she was "angsty, and wanting to leave". She would throw temper tantrums proclaiming her desire to live in New York, wondering why her family couldn't live in the "big shiny world out there, where the action is happening". What she did cherish about her upbringing, was her ability to sew. Amber has been sewing since she was three years old, and sewing was something of a family tradition. Her grandmother sewed, and she, in turn, taught Doyle's mother to sew. Neither sewed as a form of livelihood; it was Amber that took her well-honed skill, and ran with it. Sewing was the thing that she kept trying to get better at. It was, of course, virtually inevitable that Doyle would move to New York City to study at the Fashion Institute Of Technology. Upon graduating, she boldly started her first company. At 24, she opened a second custom suit store, and at 29, she parted ways with her business partner and launched her namesake line. We talked to Amber about her career's biggest moment, being a shopkeeper, the power of the suit, and more.

What's the hardest thing about maintaining a brick and mortar boutique? Everything was a challenge. All this responsibility fell on my shoulders. When you're working for yourself, you can't offload your tasks. I had to always face the music. When something went wrong, if there was an issue with our building, the lighting... At this really young age, I became very responsible. It was hard to do while my friends were running around partying.

In owning your own store, did anything come as a surprise to you? No one thought I was the owner! I was given a hard time by certain people. They didn't believe a woman was the owner, and that someone as young as I was behind it. My approach to my career was always 'why not?' So that always took me aback.

What is your daily uniform? The thing that I feel the most confident and sexy in, is a suit. No matter where I'm going. A suit is powerful and can work for every occasion, from brunch, to the opera, to a rock show, to running errands. It's the one thing, whether young or old, male or female, that someone has a version of in their closet. I love that the suit has had its own identity, decade upon decade, time after time.

How long does it typically take you to create a suit, from conception to final tailoring? I usually allow 4-6 weeks. It depends how soon I can get the fabric, it depends how easily I can schedule fittings with a client.

How would you advise women to style their suits? It depends where you're going and what you're doing and where you live and the weather, but generally it should be all about comfort. If you don't like to show skin, put a beautiful camisole or mock turtleneck underneath your suit. Have the pants tailored like the favorite pants that you always wear. If you're a jeans girl, try and find a suit pant that mimics that cut, or tailor them to that cut. Find the fabrics and cuts that will allow you to feel really good about yourself when you're wearing your suit.

How do you get your best ideas? I'm always trying to take in what going on around me as much as possible, from conversations like this, to the way a beautiful room is set up. It could be just a light fixture that will inspire me. It is SO my environment that inspires me. This is why I live in New York City. This is why I'm always walking around. It's the culture, it's the mix of so many people. I'm inspired by what I see, what I hear, what the exhibitions are in the city. I'm a total museum nerd. From reading to movies to music, I always try to feed my mind.

What do you do when you're stuck? When I'm making something and I get stuck or frustrated, I always let myself walk away from it because I don't want to ruin a garment or do something I can't reverse. I'll go for a walk, go running, go for a workout. I like to box and I like running on the West Side Highway. I either need fresh air, or I want to sweat. I force myself to come back to it, looking at it with a new angle and a clear head.

What's been the biggest moment in your career as a designer? Generally I feel really lucky to be where I am because I've never had backing or funding, or a publicist. On Thanksgiving Day in 2009, I was on the front page of the New York Times Sunday Styles section. It was a story about the young designers and privately owned boutiques in my neighborhood during the recession. Also, the first time I was in Vogue it was for a custom suit I made for Alec Baldwin, for a shoot styled by Grace Coddington and shot by Annie Leibovitz. The men's stylist on the shoot lived in the neighborhood where my shop was, and he gave me five days to make this suit they had been trying to find for Alec, which didn't seem to exist. I remember staying up so late with my tailor begging him to finish it, and then delivering the suit to the stylist by 3am. And then it was shot! I also dressed Snoop Dogg for a movie and I'm really proud of that, I love him so much. Right now I'm designing a capsule collection with Albert Hammond Jr. of The Strokes for their tour. I've been dressing him on and off stage for over a year and a half, and our collaboration is developing into this ready to wear line. He's my favorite person to work with, he's the coolest, it feels really great to have someone to bounce ideas off of.

Are you afraid of anything? I really try to not let any of my fears intimidate me, but have them empower me instead. I like to face my fears head on. I try to break a situation down, and take it day by day. It's why I am where I am right now. I just keep on going, keep pushing. I'm afraid of death, taxes, and my coned bill!

What is your most amazing recent discovery? Being able to collaborate with people again. Going from working with a partner to being on my own, to now having people to collaborate with, has been great. I love having people to share the weight, creativity, and process with.