1. So, Amren Tulano. How did you guys come up with that name?
From our names: Amy Tung & Karen Elano
Amy + Karen = Amren
Tung + Elano = Tulano
2. What is the focus of your company?
We are first and foremost a high fashion company but with the added benefit of also striving to be responsible, sustainable, and charitable. The scope of how responsible and how sustainable a business can be is never truly ideal, but we aim to continuously improve and maintain as much as we can this ultimate ideal. We also want to break the stereotype that sustainable fashion is dowdy, not attractive. We want our customers to look good on the outside and feel good on the inside.
3. That sounds great, but what does “high fashion” mean exactly?
High fashion features finely crafted pieces with an emphasis on high quality materials. Each design is tailored for a certain look and inspiration. It is often more unique and what everyone calls "designer.”
4. What would you say your design style is?
Modern simplicity with a touch of drama.
Photographer: Tommy Wu of Tommyphoto
Model: Isabelle Du
Hair & Makeup artist: Michelle Arcilla
Amy: It's great working on fashion projects together! Each of us has a different style and a different set of skills and talents that is brought to the design and execution table. We also balance each other
out in shortcomings so that we can create a design/product that is creative and wearable at the same time. Being able to throw ideas back and forth in conversation helps formulate the idea and is very helpful during the process of figuring out the answer to "so how do I make this?"
Karen: Working together on a design process is a conversation about inspiration. We start with an overall idea go back and forth about our interpretations then decide on execution. We each have a different style but we always come together on what we want the person to feel when wearing our pieces. Having another person to keep you on track and provide creative criticism, I think, helps keep the design moving forward and have direction.
Photographer: Michael Liu of Amfect, LLC
Model: Teara Michelle Spivey
http://www.modelmayhem.com/Hair & Makeup Artist: Kelsey Ramirez
6. Who or what would you guys consider to be your inspiration(s)?
Our inspirations are drawn from everything around us. It's free form. Whatever stirs something inside
us, draws us, or attracts us becomes our inspiration for a future collection. We document quite a few of our inspirations on our blog. We do however have some basic inspirations that we draw the core of concept from which are the ideas of a confident person, a feeling of accepted presence, shine, mystery, wonder, allure, and depending on how much influence which one of us has on a collection, either more sophistication and modern simplicity (Karen) (modern simplicity) or more spunk and drama (Amy).
Photographer: David Cutts
Model: Rain Valdez
http://www.modelmayhem.com/
Hair & makeup: Michelle Arcilla
Both of us were in research and preventive medicine related jobs before going into Amren Tulano. Although we love public health and preventive medicine and think it is a very important field of work and study, we were continuously drawn to the artistic outlet of fashion because of the ability to create and be creative for a hopefully useable product. It's wearable art. So we decided that we wanted to fuse these two passions and create Amren Tulano, a brand that doesn't compromise the culture and creativity of fashion potential and still upholds basic values of public health advocates in business and product responsibility. From a public health advocate and environmentalists' perspective, the fashion industry is often at complete odds with the goals of public health advocate and environmentalists. So why not add to the number of companies that are trying to bridge the huge gap between excessive fashion forwardness and important responsible ideals like fair trade, sustainability, reducing chemical run-off, increasing wind power, decreasing waste, and all kinds of other public health and environmental concerns? And that is how Amren Tulano got started. We aim to change how the public views sustainable fashion into something attractive. And we aim to change how the fashion industry views sustainable and responsible practices as something important, profitable, and just simply the right thing to do.
Photographer: Steven Larson
Model: Mikey'a Pickett
Hair & makeup: Celina Yun
change your undergarments, you can wash that outfit, and you didn't have to sleep in it), what would it be? Compare this question to the "if you were stuck on an island" type of question.
Amy: Mine would look like this Alexander McQueen dress.
Karen: And mine would be a flowy and airy maxi dress like this.
Spring 2012 Mulberry
From London Fashion Week 2011
9. Can you give us an idea of your current projects and what fans can expect to see in the coming months?
We are currently working on making a few items for a tv web series. We are also working on our upcycled/organic fabric mix 15 piece Spring/Summer 2013 collection, as well as pieces to put on etsy. Over the long haul, we plan to produce a limited edition organic and sustainable fabric produced line, which should be exciting. Our followers can also look forward to us being on Fashionstarter as part of the emerging designer database.
Photographer: Tommy Wu of Tommyphoto
Model: Isabelle Du
Hair & Makeup artist: Michelle Arcilla
