Window seat or aisle? I adore looking out the window but I'm a frequent pee-er and too damn polite so always sit in the aisle on a flight over 5 hours.
In a game of truth or dare what do you pick? Always dare! He who dares, wins ;-)
What are a few fun things you have learned from the individuals involved in the denim industry? Working in denim is not like working in fashion, it's way more chilled. It's quite bloke-y and there are a lot of dad jokers out there.
Why do you love denim? Denim is a good medium to bet on because it's so versatile. It's always in fashion in some respect. Grunge is cool? Great, you can mess up your jeans in a million ways. Ostentation? Look no further than Versace's baroque prints of the 90's. Historical nerd? You can't beat a 1947 501 Levi's replica. You're an artisan? Look no further than a slow-made Japanese jean hank-dyed in natural indigo. Trashy noughties is coming back in? Get out the diamantes. So it's the versatility firstly. Secondly, and probably most importantly, it's the soul. Jeans have soul because of the way they fade with wear so your jeans become your jeans the more you wear them. The scars make them more individual, more personal to you. It's the one item of clothing where you can actually celebrate the mess-ups.
What is freedom? I could get romantic about it, but at this stage of my life, having struggled with money along the way, I honestly think the dollar buys you a lot of freedom. I'm new to the feeling of 'comfortable' where I don't absolutely panic when something goes wrong that's going to cost me, and that feels amazing if you've not felt it before. On a more romantic note, freedom is having the confidence to do your thing and be okay with people not digging it. When I was younger, I was worried what people thought of me. Now people can join me for the ride or not. It's a fantastic ride though!
What is paradise? I spent a lot of time, money, and hard work on moving to LA so I could live in it. Paradise is here.
How do you recharge your batteries? I talk a lot when around people so if I've just come off a work trip or back from an event, I revel in my own company and silence for a few days. I'm actually a quiet person trapped in an outgoing person's body.
Tell me about Japan? Tokyo was the first city I fell in love with and really imagined living when I first visited in 2008. There's nothing I don't like about Japan really. I love the symbol of the Yin Yang and feel like it sums up a lot of my outlook in life because I love extremes. Japan is full of them: you have the polite, considered, and respectful culture which is similar to Britishness, and then on the other side, you've got the craziness that you'll find in the underbelly of Tokyo: its theme hotels and cafes, bonkers restaurants, and freaky 'adult entertainment' side. It's like walking through a circus. The exact same can be said for clothing. When I go out on a research trip, I am looking for both the artisanal, slow-made craft that is so prevalent in Japan, but I also adore crazy fashion, high color, and all the cutesy silliness of it all. There's nowhere like Japan, and I adore it for its extremes. Oh, and it's very safe, and I'm very forgetful, so many a bag can be left behind for hours in a store or at a restaurant and returned too intact. The Japanese's relationship with shame makes for a very chilled visit as far as belongings are concerned!
Who is your denim idol? That's a tough question. In cliche denim terms, I'd say Blondie on stage in 1978 in her 505's. In real terms, it would be people who have taught me the most or inspired me the most throughout my career, and that would be Ralph Tharpe, Mark Westmoreland, Sue Barrett, Madeline Harmon, and Lynn Downey.
What is your advice for someone who wants to buy nice jeans but knows nothing about denim? For me, finding the perfect jean is about finding the perfect person; follow your gut, listen to the universe, and your jean will find you and stick around! But failing that, hit up a good department store cos that's the jean equivalent of a dating app and at least you can swipe through loads of styles and find the 'almost one' while you wait for the perfect one to walk into your life ;-)
Tell me one Amy fun fact? I can do the splits and have been meaning to pull that stunt on top of the giant Levi's sign outside their head offices in SF. Just waiting for the right moment...
Why do you like smiley faces so much? I love the 70's, and I love yellow, and I love Japan, and I love kitsch. I challenge anyone who's into those things to not be into the Smiley! I also have a thing for hearts, Yin Yangs, and mushrooms. Think I grew up in the wrong era, dude.
Is there anything you can cook or bake really well? Nope. I'm more of a bachelorette, but when I'm in love, I make a mean vegetarian lasagna.
What is something you need to do before you die? I have a Word document on my laptop that I wrote on a plane once for someone to find if I die unexpectedly. The basic gist of the doc is that I live a very full life, and if I died tomorrow, I would feel happy with my lot. It was intended to stop the cliche 'she died too soon' thoughts from loved ones because I'm lucky to have done and seen more than most get to, so to want any more would be greedy. I'm not ready to go, but I'm totally okay with it. That said, I still haven't been to Mexico so, you know... trying not to die right now.