Super styling
Words Emily Pattullo
Photo credit: Wendy Fenwick, Shot for Baya, photography Mel Jenkins, art direction Amber Armitage
Amber Armitage is a stylist and art director with an ever-evolving style and eye for the inspirational.
How did you become a stylist/designer?
I studied for a Bachelor of Design in Visual Communications before working as a graphic designer and stylist for Homestyle Magazine for eight years. I then set up my own practice art directing and styling photoshoots for both editorial and homeware brands. This year we are expanding our offering to our clients with the inclusion of social media roll outs and graphic design to work alongside the images created.
Where does your inspiration come from?
My inspiration comes from the everyday, seeing textures and colours while walking in nature or random things that catch my eye and spark an idea. I also read a lot of trend forecasting information from overseas, which looks at what is happening around the world, be it political or environmental, and interprets how we will respond to these changes in terms of trends, colour and style.
Who do you admire, and why?
I admire all the phenomenal women I am surrounded by who I get to call friends, who are carving out world-class creative businesses in a variety of fields – interiors, graphic design, fashion, photography and inspirational podcasts.
Where do you source from?
Sourcing for photoshoots is very time dependent as we work to short deadlines, and often selection comes down to what will work for the concept along with what is available at the time. I aim to source locally and I try to support a range of businesses as I am very aware how hard retail is at the moment, and product placement in an editorial shoot can mean a lot to smaller NZ-owned businesses.
Does your own home represent your style?
I would say my style is ever-evolving as I am exposed to new ideas and fall in love with new colour combos, so my home is a representation of a snapshot in time of what I was inspired by while creating it. I change things around a lot, play with layout and different combinations of things to keep it interesting.
What are five things you would recommend to create a space similar to your design style?
A great colour combo in an edited space, loads of texture, feature artwork, plants, and a mix of old and new.
What are the themes/colours for this year?
So many bold colours coming through that are influenced by a reaction for breaking out after being locked down, but I would say there will be a lot of lilac and nature-inspired palettes.
What are your hopes for the future?
To stay inspired and keep creating spaces and content that I am proud of, to keep pushing the boundaries and be unafraid to be bold even when things are tough.
Where is your favourite place?
It is so cliche, but the beach will be a forever inspiration and place of calm.