Introducing Ambre Jabir, where fashion meets personal expression in a fusion of creativity. From bold designs to intricate details, Ambre Jabir’s creations redefine traditional fashion with a touch of emotion and authenticity. This interview, featured in L’Officiel Monaco, promises insights into Ambre’s unique style journey.
By Sofía Alurralde
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your brand, Ambre Jabir, and what sets it apart from traditional fashion labels?
Beyond being a clothing brand, it’s a philosophy I want to advocate for, that of a caring community of spiritually engaged women, all with the aim of uplifting and inspiring each other.
I draw inspiration from strong emotions, particularly the strength of resilience and the act of repairing something damaged, which gives a dual dimension to the clothing, with the damaged part and the element that will sublimate it, like the yin and yang. It’s this interesting contradiction in clothing, with a focus on highlighting the woman’s body and her femininity.
The goal is not to simply cover up flaws by adding glitter on top because disagreeing with oneself creates a deep discomfort that is felt. On the contrary, it’s by highlighting our difficulties and our qualities that we can create harmony with ourselves, and it’s this revelation/fusion that will naturally make us shine. The goal is to get closer to oneself, understand one’s values, and assert one’s individuality through appearance.
How do you infuse emotions and personal expression into each piece you create?
I continuously take notes of my inspirations, which can range from the pattern of a sewer grate to a new contemporary artwork. From these inspirations, I most often create poems, but I note the movements, battles, philosophical spirits that I appreciate at the moment. It is from these notes that I then sketch the curves that form a garment. I never create from a mood board or an image but from my notebook, which gathers all my thoughts.
Most of my close family is in psychoanalysis, and I think, like Obelix, I absorbed it until I developed a highly associative mind. For me, every word, color has a deep meaning. I seek a peaceful place, I wait for my mind to be calm and in tune with the environment, and I create quite instinctively. I start from my ideas, and I let my unconscious modulate them. What interests me is rather a post-creation analysis, where I realize that my references are often much more distant than my current inspirations. Children have difficulty expressing their emotions in their psychotherapy sessions, and they animate them through drawing, which they then dissect to understand their emotions. I like to think that creating in this way nourishes my inner child and innocence.
What is your philosophy on fashion, and how does Ambre Jabir challenge conventional glamour and elegance?
My philosophy is “dressing reveals the self.” The body is not just a shell; it stores all feelings, every trauma is reflected in a grimace, a wrinkle, and the face, like the body, is formed by character. Clothing is for me our second skin. That’s why I like to see it from a psychological perspective. For me, the clothes make the monk because it’s the first thing that will define how you unconsciously or consciously want others to see you. Ambre Jabir is aware of the influence that clothes have on others, and she plays with it. She doesn’t hide; on the contrary, she puts herself forward, to be aligned and become even more confident. She embraces this part of herself that shines and draws her confidence in this symbiosis with herself. Clothing has allowed me to reveal a part of my personality that I couldn’t express. Wearing it on oneself allows you to accept this personality even before you fully embody it. This gives you the confidence to continually reveal yourself in your own way.
Depending on the sensitivity, the perception of this image will attract people with the same spirit, that is, with good energy. The first notion we have as children is beauty; children are naturally attracted and dazzled by beauty because it is fulfilling.
Could you describe the process of selecting fabrics, colors, and details for your collections, and how customization plays a role in your designs?
I think that here too it’s very intuitive.I think I’m first attracted by color, but I place great importance on softness. For me, a fabric that isn’t soft on the skin has no value. There must be a real connection with the garment. Because discomfort is felt through attitude, posture in clothing, whereas a person who is refreshed by the softness of the fabric with every movement will retain that freshness in their clothing. For me, customization represents the sensations and the way of seeing things at a given moment. Perception changes depending on many factors and everything around him. This painter’s impressionism inspires me enormously. I see variations as endless embellishments because they are inspired by many factors.
Outside of your work in the fashion industry, what are some of your personal passions or hobbies that inspire you creatively?
I am passionate about sports, which gives a useful dimension to my clothes. I always see them in explicit situations, like dance. I like to choose fabrics that go with body movements. But my favorite sports are circus, aerial sports, and especially flying trapeze. That’s why I like clothes that are close to the body, pantsuits, bodysuits; all this reminds me of the shows that I adore. I also love going to events, themed parties, to explore my stylistic universe from different perspectives and reveal new passions and inspirations that define me and define my style. Things in eternal recurrence, thanks to the enrichment of the world. But what really excites me are people, observing their behavior, studying sociology, human psychology. Learning, reading, understanding myself too, and above all, always making the association of a psychological dimension with clothes.
Can you share a memorable moment or experience in your life that has shaped your perspective or influenced your approach to your career?
I would like to share what I think is the most enriching experience I have ever had, but also the most traumatic. It may seem dramatic at first glance because it was the fire in my old apartment. I lost a lot of material, but first my pet. But resilience allowed me to grieve; it allowed me to find solace instead of crying and to continue building despite the omnipresent destruction in my life. At a time when everything could overwhelm me, losing something dear to me made me realize only that life was short but that this loss would not be in vain. The best farewell gift I could give was to realize my projects and to be happy.
I had dresses that I collected, fabrics that I adored, which came from my great-grandfather, a tailor. This allowed me to be less materialistic, which doesn’t mean not getting attached to objects but rather specifically attaching myself to the memories they convey and the sensations they offer us. Thanks to this deep nostalgia, I was able to continue doing what I liked; I simply transferred all these feelings into other materials, made a selection of other fabrics that could be related to them. Like Kintsugi, I repaired some burnt pieces with gold seams, adding jewelry with shiny stone chains to sublimate this stage of my life and to keep a good memory of it instead of burying it. To create something personal, unique, and above all, 100% authentic, that was the only requirement I had set for myself.