OUR FAMILY
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 global distribution across two branded labels – Sara Berman and Berman Black, as well as a number of other creative projects including the Creative Directorship of N. Peal heritage knitwear, Lux by Sara and Amiee Berman for Urban Outfitters and the By Berman line for on-line success story – ASOS.
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 – namely her family and her love of travel and experience. ‘For me the greatest luxury is the freedom to travel, see, experience and enjoy the textures of life.’
Sara’s Top 5 Favourite Things
1. Sunday mornings in bed with papers, coffees, kids and dogs.
2. Primrose Hill on a hazy summer evening.
3. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
4. Glen Goulds Goldberg Variations – Bach
5. Cycling along the Tel-Aviv coastline
One for luck: Good food, good wine, and good friends.
AMIEE
Amiee joined Sara in 2003 following her graduation from Central St Martins. However, this was not before establishing her own t-shirt line with her old friend (and now famous handbag designer), Amy Morris, while still studying. The D’Ami t-shirts were at the fore-front of the craze for all things embellished and Amiee found herself running a thriving business 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 creativity 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 branded collections. The commercial savvy Amiee brought with her has proved to be the perfect compliment to Sara’s directional approach as the girls have shaped the brand together in the perfect amalgamation of their dual vision.
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.
Amiee’s Top 5 Favourite Things
1. Holidays.
2. Singing along to the Jersey Boys soundtrack in the car with the roof down on a sunny day.
3. Cooking gluten-free vongole pasta.
4. Sunny early morning dog walks.
5. Runny cheese and rich wine.
One for luck: Dogs
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.
Helene’s Top 5 Favourite Things
1. Evening walks in Regents Park with Milly, the pug.
2. The South of France.
3. Gypsophila and white hydrangea.
4. Antiques markets in Paris and New York.
5. Glamour
One for luck: Milly again.
MILLY AND ROXY
The office dogs. An integral part of Team Berman, Milly (the friendly one) and Roxy (the one that looks a bit like Diana Ross) are central to studio life and are the true fashionistas. Known and loved by buyers and journalists alike, they are without a doubt, the brains behind the whole operation.
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 global distribution across two branded labels – Sara Berman and Berman Black, as well as a number of other creative projects including the Creative Directorship of N. Peal heritage knitwear, Lux by Sara and Amiee Berman for Urban Outfitters and the By Berman line for on-line success story – ASOS.
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 – namely her family and her love of travel and experience. ‘For me the greatest luxury is the freedom to travel, see, experience and enjoy the textures of life.’
Sara’s Top 5 Favourite Things
1. Sunday mornings in bed with papers, coffees, kids and dogs.
2. Primrose Hill on a hazy summer evening.
3. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
4. Glen Goulds Goldberg Variations – Bach
5. Cycling along the Tel-Aviv coastline
One for luck: Good food, good wine, and good friends.
AMIEE
Amiee joined Sara in 2003 following her graduation from Central St Martins. However, this was not before establishing her own t-shirt line with her old friend (and now famous handbag designer), Amy Morris, while still studying. The D’Ami t-shirts were at the fore-front of the craze for all things embellished and Amiee found herself running a thriving business 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 creativity 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 branded collections. The commercial savvy Amiee brought with her has proved to be the perfect compliment to Sara’s directional approach as the girls have shaped the brand together in the perfect amalgamation of their dual vision.
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.
Amiee’s Top 5 Favourite Things
1. Holidays.
2. Singing along to the Jersey Boys soundtrack in the car with the roof down on a sunny day.
3. Cooking gluten-free vongole pasta.
4. Sunny early morning dog walks.
5. Runny cheese and rich wine.
One for luck: Dogs
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.
Helene’s Top 5 Favourite Things
1. Evening walks in Regents Park with Milly, the pug.
2. The South of France.
3. Gypsophila and white hydrangea.
4. Antiques markets in Paris and New York.
5. Glamour
One for luck: Milly again.
MILLY AND ROXY
The office dogs. An integral part of Team Berman, Milly (the friendly one) and Roxy (the one that looks a bit like Diana Ross) are central to studio life and are the true fashionistas. Known and loved by buyers and journalists alike, they are without a doubt, the brains behind the whole operation.
