With over a decade of experience in the fashion industry, designer, Amber Gardner was more than ready to launch her label, Shjark, in July this year, ODT fashion blogger Amy Parsons-King writes.
What’s the story behind the unusual name? I'm sure you're wondering! Well Shjark is named after Jacques Cousteau – the French marine explorer, only spelled differently.
“I didn’t want everyone trying to pronounce it incorrectly - its just pronounced as it reads," Amber says. "The brand needed a strong name with references to the ocean, and as a little girl I always wished I had a boys name!”
Amber started her career as a designer and pattern cutter for Murray Crane at Crane Brothers, where she was responsible for the numerous menswear brands under his umbrella at the time, including the Little Brother label and naval heritage line Gubb & Mackie.
During this time, Amber developed a love of tailoring and a fascination with utilitarian and vintage clothing, which forms the foundation of her design aesthetic today.
From there, she moved to Workshop, designing both the men’s and women’s ranges, and it was here her passion for denim was born.
“For me, nothing beats a rich, natural indigo dye, and the nature in which it evolves with its wearer.”
Amber then moved on to Gregory Limited, as designer for Ricochet, which provided a shift in focus and saw her hone her skills in womenswear, while still honoring her menswear background, and the distinctly rock 'n roll edge of her previous positions.
For Amber, Shjark is her reaction to the shifting tides of the fashion industry and a desire for a ‘more is less’ approach, making her pieces essential items for any wardrobe.