home styling design about contact

Perhaps it was predestined that Amanda would become a stylist after getting her first sewing machine at age six. Time spent sewing alongside her mother soon turned from doll clothes to remaking her own clothes, and she was off and running.

She had made a complete outfit in 4H before she was old enough to take a sewing class in school, and while still at home continued to experiment with covering shoes, crochet, embroidery and knitting. Having a father who built two homes for her family, Amanda became keenly aware of the structure of other things, and appreciating the similarities between houses and clothing was knowledge that would serve her well.

Learning to weave with classes on color and natural dyes seemed the next logical step; and not long afterwards Amanda moved to LA to study fashion design. After graduation she had the terrific serendipity of being invited toTahiti on a Kent cigarette shoot (after making the wardrobe that couldn’t be found).......her first job as a full-fledged stylist! (Couldn’t resist putting a picture from that job on the “Behind the Scenes” page.)

Amanda stayed in LA and freelanced as a stylist before becoming a producer where she learned the ins and outs of all aspects of advertising shoots. But as much fun as she was having even after ten years, a move back home to New Mexico beckoned, and she settled north of Santa Fe where she built a studio and began studying the art of painting on silk. This was a glorious investigation and worked easily with styling. Amanda had a line of hand painted silk scarves that were marketed in Santa Fe, and after a few years this segued into studying surface design (the art of applying dyes and fabric paints to fabric through a series of steps including silk screening, stamping, painting, and immersing).

So life is a terrific combination of traveling for location work and sharing her knowledge of New Mexico with photographers who come here to shoot. Being a stylist, which of course in still photography can include props and set dressing, and producing smaller jobs here in New Mexico where she handles the casting, scouting and styling is a marvelous way to stay busy. And her continued interest in fabric manipulation and growing interior design work makes the perfect mix!

Life is about having fun, and this perspective serves her well.