Short Bio
Basic Info
Name: Amy M. Cools
Age: 31
Occupations: Designer of original women's
clothing and accessory line AC Clothing and Bags;
created and owns independent designer boutique
afterglow in Oakland, CA
Line: AC Clothing and Bags
Blog:http://amycools.blogspot.com/
Original hometown: Riverside, CA
Now calls home: Oakland, CA

Background
Learned to sew: By hand, as a small child.
By machine, in freshman year of high school. Pretty
much self-taught. It's amazing what you can learn when you
just really love to do something & are determined to do it well!
Schooling: Was an English & Fine Arts double major; but
stopped attending during junior year. Originally a pen and ink
artist from a young age; this experience and subsequent figure study
training developed an understanding of the human form which directly
informed design style and pattern drafting skills. Never went to design
school; instead, developed design, drafting, and sewing skills through
practice, trial & error, & the advice of other friendly indie designers.
Fashion Experience: Years of childhood design and creation of hand
sewn and crocheted clothing for dolls and little sisters; over 6 years
as a buyer and salesperson for a large vintage clothing shop in
Southern California, and creating a line of custom clothing for same shop;
1 year stint designing and creating original costumes in wide variety of
themes for a 30-member-plus Vegas-style show band in New Mexico;
and over 15 years creating and designing original clothing and art quilts.
Influences: California casual and beach town wear; the hippie styles of early
college days; vintage clothing 1910's - 1980's; modern day streetwear

       Long Bio
I, Amy M. Cools, was born in the city of Orange, California, and raised in the Riverside
area. Early on, much of my sense of style was formed through my love of flowers and through the stories
I read of nobles and fairies in their flowing gowns of rich fabrics and gorgeous colors, bedecked with jewels
and, conversely and less romantically, by my cousin Mo's 1970's hand-me-downs (looking back, they were
really cool clothes; as a child in the early 80's, they were not!). My games often involved dressing up in the
most elaborate costumes I could devise. Otherwise, however, I was very tomboyish in play, always
wanting to run faster, jump higher, throw farther,  and display more playground 'war wounds' than any
boy. When I went to school, I began to develop an interest in dressing stylishly, and I loved the bright
colors, easy-to-wear,  and sassy styles of southern California. Even then, as much as I wanted to look as
cute as my schoolmates, I always felt the need to be unique in my own style, and would always try to
combine and alter pieces so as to look different than any one else (sometimes the results were really
funny!). Today, my style and designs still strongly reflect these early influences on my tastes: for clothes
that look lovely, are fun to wear, and are as comfortable as they are flattering. As an adult, upon moving
to the bay area, I was impressed by the eclecticness and fearlessness of expression of personal style I
saw all around me. As I fell in love with a bay area man I fell in love with his home, and now as I am settled
here with him I realize how much these later influences reflect themselves in what I do.

I learned to crochet and hand sew from my grandma, and used these techniques to make dresses and
caps for my ceramic doll, my Barbies, and my baby sister, but I fell in love with sewing in earnest after
taking a class in freshman year of high school. Learning how to use a sewing machine and patterns
opened up a whole new world for me. I started out making crazy quilts, household linens, clothing, and
purses. Over the years, I gradually taught myself to make my own original patterns and designs, moving
from simple shirts, apron tops, and hippie dresses to sleeved tops, fitted and knit clothing, jeans, and
fully lined handbags. Though my style morphed and matured over time, my basic taste for vibrant colors,
mixing colors, prints, and textures together for a rich and varied effect, and combining girlish fancy details
with tomboy comfort never changed.

I first began making custom clothing to sell when I was around twenty. I worked in a vintage clothing
store where, aside from my other duties, I did some repair and tailoring work. This expanded to include
customizing denim with patches, fur, and flared side panels,  to altering muumuus or other unwearable
clothing of great fabric into a into a cute and flattering piece, to making my own line of one-of-a-kind
designs made from recycled fabric. In time,  I moved on from the vintage clothing store, and it took me
awhile to decide what I wanted to do for a living. In the meantime, I continued with my sewing, sometimes
just for me and family and friends, sometimes to sell, but always for fun. After considering and trying out
a variety of different professions, I started my AC Clothing and Bags line, taking it from a part-time side
job to a full-time business, finally opening up my first retail store and design/production studio. Today,
designing, creating, and helping my customers find the perfect piece of clothing is my main profession and
talent, and I am committed to giving my best effort to creating the most wonderful pieces I can and
sharing my love of great clothing, handbags, and accessories with you. I am also committed to keeping my
designs fabulous and imaginative, well-made and durable, and sweatshop-free!
***AC Clothing and Bags
*lovingly designed, meticulously crafted clothing
and bags for women who love comfort & beauty,
artistry & quality, style & fun
*timeless and edgy, flattering and playful,
easy to wear and artistic pieces that are set apart
by couture details, specialty and vintage fabrics,
fresh & unexpected conjunction
of elements
*meticulously crafted of contemporary and original
(but new) vintage fabrics, buttons, & trims
*all pieces are produced in limited runs; each item is
a rare piece to add to your unique
& adventurous style
*all-original designs are designed in Oakland,
California & produced in-house or locally: they're
sweatshop-free!
***************
afterglow is the embodiment of
an independent designer & artist's ideal.
It's a design studio & boutique for people who love to
wear truly unique and beautiful things, who have those
old-fashioned standards of excellence in craftsmanship,
tailoring, construction, and fit, but who look for
freshness, artistry, and innovation that will last long after
the latest fad is long forgotten. When you shop at
afterglow, you buy designer clothing priced for its quality,
artistry, workmanship, and materials, without paying extra
for multi-million advertising campaigns, a big-brand label,
overseas shipping, or celebrity endorsements. Therefore:
What you will not find at afterglow:
cheap, mass-produced, run-of-the-mill, overpriced,
unimaginative, faddy, sweatshop-made,
poorly constructed anything
What you will find at afterglow:
quality, small-run, out-of-the-ordinary, fair trade,
artistic, designer, USA-made, well crafted
clothing, jewelry, and accessories
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