Why Don’t You …? With Amy Roiland

Roiland’s portfolio includes eyewear and shoe designs under the Betty and Veronica and AmRoi brands

… trust your UNIQUE artistic process ?

The uplifting #88 Love Life: 88 Thoughts On Love And Life by Diana Rikasari gives lots of good energy and is personally very awakening for me. It really helped me realise what matters in life, and for me, it is creating beautiful and fun imagery. Location scouting is a big part of it and I love finding the best places to shoot my super fun looks, and then editing them on Adobe Lightroom to make them come to life. I love every step of the process—I go with the flow and make stuff up as I go.

See also
Why You Could Be Self-Sabotaging Your Success

… find a film that propels you to produce your best work?

Masculine Féminin is one of my favourite French films from the ’60s. Starring Chantal Goya, the story revolves around a romantic idealist who goes after a pop star, and makes a lot of references to pop culture icons. It always inspires me with my designs and sense of fashion.

… explore a locale that aligns with your creative pursuits?   

Hands down, no questions asked, New Orleans. I have only been once but I am dreaming to go again. I have travelled the world but New Orleans is something else. The French Quarter feels like you’re on the set of a new Wes Anderson film. Everything there is exceptionally colourful and textured; it’s perfect for shoots.

… soak up inspiration wherever you are?

See also
#CultureList: Three Exhibitions to Catch in London

I recently went to the grand debut of Frieze Los Angeles at Paramount Studios. They have 70 galleries showcasing some of the most wonderfully refreshing art I have seen in a while. Artists transformed one-time storage units into interesting displays, as well as redesigned the back lot into fake storefronts and streetscapes. I absolutely loved everything and left feeling really inspired.

… invest in sustainable fashion?

I started my own vegan line called AmRoi, which includes shoes, bags, and camera straps. I feel like most vegan brands are on the dull side, in monotonous shades of brown, black, and grey. AmRoi aims to inject a little colour and fun into your lives with the motto, “I can’t believe it’s not leather”, and my goal is to get non-vegans to join in on the fun, too.

Serious pin-up style