Meet: Amalya Meira

Tell us more about yourself and your background.

I’m from the US and was born to a jewelry designer and an engineer. I was raised in a family with an appreciation of texture and who finds beauty in the mundane. I very quickly found fashion as a highly accessible art form and began experimenting with my own garments.

When did you study at UAL and what course(s)?

2009-2010 Foundation Degree, 2010-2011 BA Textile Design.

What were you working on before you started studying at UAL?

Self-directed garment and textile creation, together with abstract art/sculpture.

Have you always wanted to set up your own brand?

Yes, I’ve always been extremely inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit of designers like Anni Albers, Zandra Rhodes, and Vivienne Westwood - specifically the way their designs were so representative of their world.

What is the distinctive feature of your brand, Amalya Meira?

Each piece is one of a kind, from the textile to the seam finishing. Championing the inherent potential of materials while prioritizing fit and fluidity. I enjoy working within parameters - celebrating zero waste construction as a functional design element. I seek out deadstock and unorthodox textiles to be used in new ways. Upholstery miniskirts, hand-dyed silk slips worn under hemp crochet, and recycled sari silk "moss" pieces. My garments work together to build a textured and coloured world, where every angle is your best.

Based on your experience, what is the greatest difficulty in achieving sustainable production?

I am a one-woman show, which is wonderful for the control and freedom it gives me, but I can only work as quickly as I can. This hinders the speed and size of possible production. Perhaps one day I will grow the operation. For now, I am still thinking about how to maintain my personal and brand ethos, while growing.

In addition to your label, you are also the co-founder of an independent art, design, and thought space called Lagoon New York. Can you tell us more about it?

I have always been fascinated by the concept of a public place where you can leave your little mark on a city (places like Granny Takes a Trip etc.). In 2021, after dreaming about the various permutations of this idea for years I, together with fellow sustainable designer and good friend Logan Blagg, signed the lease for our store in our neighborhood of Bedstuy, Brooklyn. We built out the entire space ourselves with the help of our creative community and utilizing local sustainable resources such as Materials for the Arts & BigReuse. Today our dream space is home to a shop and the studio where we make our clothing collections. We sell our garments in the shop among other independent designers, working together to represent a cohesive, unique aesthetic. We also host exhibitions and events.

What are the future projects for yourself and Amalya Meira?

More of the same! I'm working on a fashion film with a fellow NYC-based UAL alum, which is exciting. I have also been thinking a lot about site-specific sculpture incorporating natural (and unpredictable) elements, such as sticks, to create unique shapes. This may lend itself to something in the housewares realm; I worked on a furniture collaboration last spring which left me curious for more. I'm also always looking for artist residencies and new environments to grow my practice in.