Behind-the-Scenes: Amsale Spring 2021
While the runway takes a pause this season, we wanted to find a way to share the hard work of our team while supporting fellow creatives, honoring our shared commitment to stay home, and celebrating love.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we've been adapting to new models and ways of working over the past month, including virtual appointments, Amsale Virtual Try-On, and additional layers of customer service support, and the unveiling of our Spring 2021 collections was no exception.
Prioritizing the health and safety of our sewers, patternmakers and other employees, we pressed pause on production of our in-the-works namesake Spring 2021 couture collection last month—but, with Nouvelle Amsale, Little White Dress, Bridesmaids and Evening already complete, we wanted to showcase and celebrate the hard work of our team.
With all of New York shut down, we enlisted the help of creative partners—real-life married couples isolated together—to orchestrate beautiful and out-of-the-box collection imagery. Models/multi-hyphenates Angela and Asio Highsmith and Broadway star Laura Osnes and photographer Nathan Johnson were sent pieces from the Nouvelle Amsale and Little White Dress collections and were tasked with putting their own personal and creative spin on intimate wedding-moment imagery.
“Broadway is shut down, projects are on hold; livelihoods are being impacted by this,” said Amsale Design Director, Margo Lafontaine. “We wanted to show support for others in creative industries.” The resulting images—shot in a light-filled Brooklyn brownstone by the Highsmiths, and a lakeside home in Connecticut by Osnes and Johnson—embody the intimacy of couples on their wedding day and showcase the collections in a unique way. They are authentic to each couple and their personal love story—and proof that love endures through all.
Providing an outlet for other creatives, and pivoting the way we would typically share the new collections with retailers also impacted by the crisis, was our dual intent. “Our motivation was not to sell dresses,” Lafontaine said. “We had the collections ready, and wanted to share the imagery to inspire brides.”