Amarewear
In high school, my biggest project was Amarewear: a dancewear line that evolved into a sustainable t-shirt brand, now living on in the form of a sustainable brand directory.
The story begins…
October 2016
I started dancing in middle school, and by 9th grade, I had fallen in love with dance as a form of self-expression. Every day, I spent hours at home training to improve my technique and artistry.
However, I don’t have the ideal dancer body type, so I always felt uncomfortable wearing the leotards that were available in Shanghai at the time.
One day, I started sketching leotards that I would want to wear to class — and I couldn’t stop. I had so many design ideas that I began to wonder if I could make a dancewear line a reality.
Testing my concept
November 2016
Luckily, I lived in the best city for an aspiring fashion designer with no sewing experience. Shanghai’s ‘fake market’ is filled with incredible crafters who can render a pattern from any drawing. For only $20 USD, I found a swimsuit vendor who could make my first design. This remains one of my favorite leotards — I felt so confident walking into class in my design!
With proof that I could design a solution to my leotard problem, I started looking for a potential vendor on Alibaba, China’s online supplier marketplace. After sending inquiries to various dancewear manufacturers, I found a company in Beijing that looked high-quality and was willing to make a sample for a modest price. I pitched my plan to my incredibly supportive parents, who were willing to cover the $65 sample fee.
The first sample
The first sample turned out even better than the fake market prototype — and was already a hit with the girls at my studio. Their feedback helped me to choose which designs to move forward with, and they generously volunteered their time to model for photoshoots so I could launch my brand’s social media profile. My friends’ support gave me even more confidence that I could commit to building a business.
I quickly got to work setting up a free website on Weebly and designing a logo. I studied Latin at the time, which led me to choose the brand name Amarewear (amāre = to love). My first design was called ‘Curvare,’ meaning ‘to curve’ or ‘to bend.’
The first collection
December 25, 2016
The best Christmas present: the samples for my first collection arrived! My posts started to receive engagement on Instagram from competitive dancers such as Diana Pombo, Kiarra Waidelich (NBC World of Dance), and Paige Glenn (Little Big Shots). I was so excited to see my designs receive recognition from some of my favorite dancers.