I’m super honored. Amy Kirchen, founder and designer of ALK Fashion, shared some sketches with me before even her closest friends and family got to see her 2011 Spring/Summer collection!
It’s amazing to see how far Amy has come. About a year and a half ago, we met for coffee and she told me about a new fashion line she was going to launch soon. Today, she has several designs and collections under her belt, a new one on the way, and – get this – a retail space soon to open! Word on the street is that it’ll be in OTR, but that’s not confirmed yet.
I’m really excited for her. And for this new collection! Amy’s first collection was filled with a bright color palette and creative hue pairings. Her next one went to the other extreme and featured mainly all-black dresses (and a few dark blue sequin pieces).
Her third collection, 2011 Spring/Summer, is ready-to-wear and much more casual with a nice blend of grays, prints and color. While I only got to see two looks in my sneak peek, I can tell so much from them. First of all, they aren’t dresses, which is what Amy exclusively designed in her previous collections. For this 2011 Spring/Summer collection, she designed three prints, introduced a denim line (skinny jean in four washes), and even has a few “beach” pieces.
At first I was a little bummed because I love wearing her pretty cocktail dresses and feeling like a princess in them. But I soon cheered up when I realized that, while I unfortunately don’t get to be a princess very often (sad face), I do wear some of the things Amy now designs – like denim – almost every day. It all makes sense now: Amy is bringing her experience with special occasion designs into the every day… so that every day can be a special occasion.
I say this because she is using silks, wools and other high-end materials to make her garments. But her prices are much lower than other high-end designers using the same materials. Amy said most of her garments in this new line will be under $100. I’m not exactly sure how she’s making a profit with those materials at those prices, but more power to her. She figured out how.
She’s hitting a huge niche here. It’s more expensive than The Limited, but not as expensive as Saks/Nordstrom. The fake-it-till-you-make-its, corporate ladder climbers, and the people with Cristal-taste-on-a-Korbel-budget. She’s allowing people to enjoy couture without the cost. Introducing them to fine garments and fabrics without breaking the bank. I think Amy Kirchen is becoming the gateway drug of fashion, my friends… please enjoy responsibly. : )