SARA
Sara founded the Sara Berman label in 1998 by designing a mini range of skirts as a summer project. Taking advantage of her mother, Helene’s contacts in the design world, these skirts were soon selling in Harrods, Joseph, Tokio Boutique and Fenwick Bond Street. What had started as a little holiday work experience soon snowballed into a full-fledged business on Sara’s graduation from Central St Martins in 1999. The fledgling business was established in Helene’s back office with one assistant to help out, but soon expanded and in 2003 Sara was joined by her sister Amiee, upon her own graduation from Central St Martins. Sara Berman HQ is now in their own premises with a bustling team of six and the four stockists have multiplied manifold into a business with a global distribution as well as its own online store. As Managing Director, Sara is responsible for running and directing the business as well as designing.
Sara’s passions are still firmly wrapped up in the business and she admits that shaping the brand is an ongoing fascination. However, this doesn’t preclude her from her other passions – painting, writing and travelling – in fact one seems to inspire the other. ‘For me the greatest luxury is the freedom to travel, see, experience and enjoy the textures of life. I am incredibly lucky that my work brings me that privilege and that that my interests inspire my work.’
AMIEE
Amiee joined Sara in 2003 following her graduation from Central St Martins. However, this was not before establishing her own t-shirt line before she even graduated from St Martins. Amiee’s decision to join forces with Sara meant that D’Ami t-shirts came to an end and she was free to pour her creative and commercial abilities into the Sara Berman brand. Amiee’s focus has been the development of a number of own label projects as well as maintaining the balance with Sara in the design of the Sara Berman collection. The commercial savvy Amiee brought with her has proved to be the perfect complement to Sara’s directional approach as the girls have shaped the brand together in the perfect amalgamation of their dual vision. Amiee is now maximizing her commercial vision and has moved to LA to open a Sara Berman office and build the brand over the pond. In only a very short time she has put Sara Berman into the coolest shops in LA as well as working with the top stylists and their stars.
Amiee has always had a huge love of fashion and never doubted she would be involved in the industry somehow. That said, she has an enormous talent for painting and divides off a small part of her time to pursuing that gift. She is often found behind the canvas burning off the stresses of the day.
HELENE
Helene is the 3rd and silent partner in the Sara Berman brand; however her silence is questionable and her contribution great. With over 35 years of experience in the fashion industry, she devotes herself to running her fashion labels Charles Gray London and Helene Berman London, selling to stores worldwide with a special focus on the American market. She has generously shared her knowledge with her daughters and encouraged their entrepreneurial abilities. As a working mother, she has been a huge source of inspiration to her girls in how to raise a family while juggling a demanding career and it is doubtlessly down to her that Sara and Amiee were able to develop the Sara Berman brand into the business it has become.
