The joy of My Life
I had lots of Barbie dolls when I was a little girl. Each Barbie came with only one outfit to wear, but I wanted to put other Wedding Dress on them. My Mom had a sewing machine, so I asked her to take me to buy fabrics of various colors and cloth types. I designed the doll dresses, cut the material, and sewed it. In giving my dolls different looks, I taught myself how to design, to make patterns, and to choose colors and fabrics. Many people remarked that I was a gifted little dressmaker.
In my early teens, studied fashion design informally through books, magazines, and working for top dress designers in Hong Kong. As a teenager, I became as an independent dressmaker, and developed a strong foundation in made-to-measure design by crafting custom prom dresses, bridesmaid dresses, and bridal gowns.
Between the ages of 21 and 25, I received formal training in fashion design at the Sophia Fashion Design House in Hong Kong. This training included pattern-cutting - both on the dress stand and flat. I studied the changes that took place in men’s and women’s dress clothing over the past 500 years. I also learned how to cut, fit and construct period corsets and frames to give a gown the perfect silhouette for each major design period. My training included selection of sumptuous satins, silks and laces, imported from many parts of the world. I learned how to get the highest quality of finish - through pattern-drafting, fitting, finishing, and trims.
Soon after my graduation from Sophia Fashion Design House, I created the Amy Lee brand of wedding gowns and special occasion dresses, and opened my own business. From my life experience, I easily accepted the roles of operations manager and financial manager. I hired people skilled in cutting, sewing, and custom fitting, while I personally designed every dress and selected every fabric. Drawing on my extensive background, I extended the Amy Lee line to include Flower Girl dresses, Quinceanera dresses, prom dresses, and party dresses. Many designs changed each year to keep abreast of current fashion trends, yet I personally designed every dress.
Although I had customers in many European and South American countries, most of my customers were in the United States. To get closer to these customers, I opened a store in Houston, TX in 1992, and moved the marketing and distribution sections of my company from Hong Kong to Houston, while manufacturing and alteration remained in Hong Kong.
Since then, the company has continued to grow, and today the Amy Lee brand is widely recognized for design excellence, beauty, sound construction, and form-flattering presentation. I provide dresses and accessories to individual customers and to stores in many countries. Just as when I outfitted my Barbie dolls many years ago, my greatest satisfaction continues to be the creation of dresses to beautify the feminine form.