A sunflower-blonde girl runs barefoot through the pine trees in the Tar Heel State of North Carolina. It is September and a warm wind blows the long hair from her cheeks. She is wearing denim overalls and a smile. She is going somewhere.

Amy Stephenson grew up in a pastoral world. This world was to be the inspiration for her as a country girl on a mission. Her goal? To design devastatingly sexy, pure and clean denim clothing for the woman who craves understated luxury. She’s still running.

Fall 07 will mark the launch of her eponymous label, stephenson. The collection includes trousers, jeans and various other things for the customer who wants a perfect fit, fine production and refined look. The collection features items with unique detailing employing various techniques such as piped or clean-finished seams, hand stitching, trouser waistband finishing and intricate pocket detailing.

Amy has established a signature of “tom boy chic” silhouettes and fabrics. She is drawn to luxurious European cottons that are more organic than precious - fabrics that could endure a trip into the woods such as canvas, sueded cottons, oilcloths and Japanese narrow loom denims.

Amy is a New York designer who travels back and forth between SoHo and her new home in Los Angeles that gives her access to the most capable denim factories and wash houses in the world.

Stephenson worked in advertising for five years out of her undergraduate studies at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington but was drawn to New York to study fashion on the insistence of her friends whom she felt compelled to style and compelled to style.

After graduating from Parsons, Stephenson worked for industry icons such as Diane Beaudry and Christian Francis Roth, JR Morrissey and Jo Ann Langer. Her focus was on woven items and a hard line approach to the fit and construction of garments. After working under the aforementioned perfectionists, she scrutinizes every seam, dart and measurement to achieve fit perfection.

She draws inspiration from the fields, forests and streams of Eastern North Carolina , the enchanted rural paradise from which she sprang forth. In addition, she is an avid art fan and collector. Marcel Dzama and Amadeo Modigliani were huge inspirations this season. “Marcel’s colors are so clever and the casual, relaxed nature of Modigliani’s portraits was incredibly inspirational,” Amy says. Many of these influences can be seen in the details and color palette in her first collection. Stephenson’s silhouettes are modern yet practical. Her favorite uniform of late is a short shift dress. She has created 5 variations for the Fall 07 stephenson collection.

“I love the freedom of designing my own line. I make every piece in my size and monitor my desire to wear it. If I’m not in LOVE with it after a few wears, it’s edited. But the thing that has surprised me the most about building my own collection is the generosity and support of people in the industry.” Amy says. “So many folks have rallied behind me to help build my line. To these amazing and generous people, I owe so much."

At heart, Amy remains that little girl running under tall pines and through rows of tobacco. “Making a jean is a lot like farming; it’s a long and involved process that requires water, laborious hand work and constant monitoring. If you’re successful the cotton looks and feels natural.”

The line took Amy just under a year to launch. “It’s terrifying but exhilarating and so worth the leap to be on my own,"
Amy says. "I am on the go every second but my 16 hour days are effortless because I’m living my dream.”

Launch events are planned for early 2007 in two of the largest markets – New York City and Los Angeles. Follow her success and adventures at www.jeans.com