Phoenix Fashion Week, the leading fashion industry event in the Southwest, returns Oct. 20 and Oct. 21 at Chateau Luxe. Today, meet participating designers Antonio and Amber Hall of Pastiche La Femme…
Hometown: Coolidge, AZ
First fashion job: Tony: My first fashion job was at Old Navy. I worked as both the Service and Training manager and a department manager. There, I learned about merchandising and how to draw customers’ attention. I also developed a desire to start our own brand. As Service and Training manager, teaching the team about product, loyalty and the brand vision was my passion. Now I can take all of these skills and apply them into my own brand.
Amber: My first fashion job was during my undergraduate study. I acquired a design internship with Maggie’s Organics, a well-known organic apparel company out of Ypsilanti, MI. It was paid, and I worked for her for three months and that taught me the depths of producing fashion apparel.
When did you know you had a passion for fashion: Tony: My passion for fashion started when I was 17 years old. That’s also when I developed a desire to be a business mogul. I remember buying my first sewing machine from CVS and not having a clue of what to do. With that machine, I started my first project. I never completed that project because the sewing machine broke before I had a chance. Despite that challenge over the years, I developed my own unique style which incorporated pops of color. Incorporating pops of color became a mantra for our company today.
Amber: When I was 8, my granny taught me how to sew. I told her I could be whoever I wanted to be, so I decided to become a fashion designer, even though I did not know what that would entail. It was my desire to create unique fashions for people.
Person who has impacted your fashion life the most and why: Tony: My wife is the person that has impacted my fashion life the most. I never really looked to other people for inspiration for style. That was always led by my emotions, but my wife came in and taught me the fundamentals of sewing. From there my mathematical brain took over and now there are endless possibilities to what we can create.
Amber: My granny inspired me to start the journey, but I never actually thought I could achieve this goal because as an individual I shied away from leadership and applying.
Your biggest fashion accomplishment in your eyes and why: Designer Bootcamp 2022. Tony: Our biggest fashion accomplishment to date is being an Emerging Designer at Phoenix Fashion Week. In the bootcamp, we have learned so many fundamentals that are propelling our business forward. Phoenix Fashion Week Emerging Designer Bootcamp is priceless.
The biggest fashion obstacle you have overcome: Tony: The biggest obstacle that we face is working toward being vertically integrated. While many fashion companies outsource, we want to keep all our development, manufacturing and designs in house. Because our business is currently just me and my wife, our plates are always full.
Amber: Being confident in my skills and abilities as a designer.
A designer who inspires you and why: Tony: Helen Larson is our biggest inspiration. We love her design aesthetic. She is what we desire to become. How she takes textile art and turns it into beautiful fashion pieces that are beyond amazing.
Amber: Coco Chanel because she came from nothing and worked hard to create a brand that described her view of fashion.
Advice to someone pursuing a career in fashion as a designer: Tony: Learn construction fundamentals, learn how to build a collection, make some samples and then do the Emerging Designer Bootcamp.
Amber: Trust your gut on your style and make clothing based on that style.
What can fans expect to see from your collection in October? Our Fall collection is all about breaking down barriers. People typically wear colors based on a season, but we are going to bring spring into fall. In our collection, you will see pops of color everywhere.
See this runway brand in person! Purchase tickets for Phoenix Fashion Week 2022 at eventbrite.com. Use promo code FABAZ for a $25 gift card good toward any seat (not applicable toward VIP front-row tickets).