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 would have rather dressed them in wedding dresses. My Mom had a sewing machine, so I asked her to take me to buy fabrics of various types and colors. I designed the dresses for the dolls, cut the materials, and sewed them. 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, I studied fashion design informally through books, magazines, and working for the top dress designers in Hong Kong. As a teenager, I became an independent dressmaker, and developed a strong foundation in making made-to-measure design by crafting custom prom dresses, bridesmaid dresses, and bridal gowns.
I received formal training in fashion design at the Sophia Fashion Design House in Hong Kong. This training included pattern-cutting and 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.
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, Texas 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 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.