Fashion has always been part of Amie's life. From a very young age her A-po (grandmother) taught her to sew garments in Beijing and, aged just 13, she moved to the UK to study fashion – achieving a Bachelor's and two Master's at Istituto Marangoni, University of the Arts London and Regent’s University London. Now, as she launches her own sustainable fashion company, she reflects on how much those early experiences have shaped her journey.
'My mother and my grandmother are very creative and artsy, and I always knew I wanted to follow in their footsteps. At first, I thought perhaps I might want to go into acting, but as soon as I started working on the costumes for a Shakespeare play we were doing, I knew fashion was where I wanted to go.
'Regent’s was the perfect option for the second year of my Duo-Masters. I had the design and creative knowledge, but the marketing acumen was the piece that was really missing – and the small class sizes and personal approach at Regent’s meant that I was really able to immerse myself in the business side of fashion.
'As a designer, often the first thoughts are "what can I design? What can I dress you in? What are MY ideas?" Whereas Regent’s has taught me how to approach my business in a way that is much more suited to the market: what does the consumer want and how can my ideas meet those needs?’
Amie chose Regent's MA International Fashion Marketing course for the marketing aspect, but realised very quickly Regent's expertise in entrepreneurialism and business. ‘I took an additional elective in entrepreneurship and this has really supported me in launching my own brand.’
Amie believes the supportive network is one of the strongest aspects of the Regent’s offer. ‘I’m still in touch with my tutors every week. They offer so much support and advice and have made so many introductions. The Regent’s network really does open up some great opportunities.’