The Founder's Story

 

Alicia Appleton
Founder & Designer

A practice rooted in identity, material, and form.

 

The Beginning

Alicia Appleton is the Founder and Designer of Amber Poitier, established in New York in 2015.

Before founding the brand, Alicia spent over a decade in the fashion industry, working as a Fashion and Technical Designer and later as a Merchandiser managing multi-million-dollar categories. While successful on paper, the intensity and structure of corporate fashion led her further away from what first drew her to design.

She returned to the beginning—creating not for industry, but for herself. What began as a personal reconnection to craft became the foundation of Amber Poitier.

 

New York & Foundation

A proud Bronx native, Alicia is the daughter of Jamaican immigrants and a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she studied fashion design.

Her upbringing—grounded in discipline, creativity, and resilience—continues to shape her work. Supported by her parents and influenced by a lineage of makers, entrepreneurs, and thinkers, Alicia approaches design as both personal expression and cultural reflection.

 

Inspiration & Heritage

Alicia’s work exists between two visual languages.

From New York, she draws structure—angular lines influenced by the city’s skyline and architectural rhythm. Her maternal grandfather, an architect and entrepreneur in Brooklyn, remains a quiet but enduring influence.

From her Caribbean heritage, she draws form—organic, sculptural shapes inspired by her paternal grandfather, an agriculturalist in Jamaica whose work reflected a deep connection to land, community, and growth.

This balance—structure and fluidity—defines the visual language of Amber Poitier.

Her grandmothers further shaped this perspective: one a dressmaker and designer, the other a financial professional. Together, they represent craft and strategy—both essential to Alicia’s practice today.

The Work

Amber Poitier is a sculptural accessories brand centered on leather as a material of identity.

Each piece reflects a dialogue between architecture and nature—between precision and movement. Designed and made in New York, the work is intended to evolve with the wearer, becoming more personal over time.

Purpose

Alicia is committed to creating work that empowers.

Each piece is a reminder that the wearer is dynamic—beyond expectation, beyond limitation, and continuously evolving.

Recognition

Alicia Appleton has been recognized for her work through:

• African American Craft Initiative — Smithsonian Museum
• ArtsWestchester Grant Recipient

 

Amber Poitier

The brand has been:

• Carried in the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture Gift Store
• Featured in the Kennedy Center Gift Store (Washington, D.C.)
• American Entrepreneurship Award Finalist (2017)
• Best Emerging Artist — Art Providence (2019)

Amber Poitier is a reflection of place, heritage, and intention—crafted to be worn, lived in, and remembered.