Meet the face behind the brand House of AM, Amna Kardar. Having studied in London and New York, Amna offers a different perspective in fashion design and has a unique collection of costume jewelry and bridal wear. She launched her bridal wear collection after seeing the success of her jewelry line which uses various crystals and semi-precious stones. Read on to learn more about her collection, shoe line and where she hopes to have her fashion house in the next five years.

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How would you introduce yourself to our readers?

I’m Amna Kardar and my brand name is HOUSE OF AM; the only brand that makes costume jewelry in Pakistan and provides you everything under one roof.

Tell us about your educational background?

graduated from PSFD and then went to London to do my courses in shoe designing from the London College of Fashion and Jewelry Design from St. Martins. In 2004, I studied accessory design from FIT in New York.

You have gone to fashion design school both in Pakistan and the UK, how would you compare the experiences?


There is a world of difference between studying in Pakistan and abroad. In Pakistan, you have many restrictions as far as opportunity and availability are concerned; you learn about trends and fashion mostly from books and magazines. In London or America, however, you can physically go and compare brands with what you have studied. For instance, one can go and study the quality of shoes from Dune or Shelly’s, and you learn far more that way than just reading about it in a book or magazine. There is much more exposure when you are studying abroad.

Tell us about the brand you have created - who are your target customers? What is your design philosophy?

I started with AM accessories and now have a fashion house by the name of HOUSE OF AM. My aim was to fill the void in the market for costume jewelry and do something no one had done before. A lot of people were into the clothing industry and were doing a great job, so I wanted to do something different. What I realized when studying abroad was how most accessories available were made in India, so I thought to myself if India can do it, so can we! The target market for my brand ranges from ages 15 to 35, but it also varies a bit. My design philosophy is to look glamorous without the effort.

Accessories from HOUSE OF AM

With so much competition in Pakistan for bridal and formal wear, how do you manage to create a niche market for yourself? How does one differentiate?

Well, first of all my brand was different to begin with, and I recently entered the bridal market because at the end of the day we live in Pakistan and the biggest market out here is for weddings. I provide my clients the option of matching bags, shoes and jewelry with the clothes so one can find everything under one roof. Secondly, with so much competition in Pakistan today, if you are surviving and well known, then you must be doing something different, right?

How do you feel about people copying your designs?

Some do not like this at all, but I personally think the more you are being copied, the more popular you are. You should feel proud that you are making something good enough to be copied rather than spending time getting upset over it. If you have the confidence to create something new, then this should not be such a bother. All famous designers get copied everywhere in the world.

What is the price range of one of your bridal outfits? What kind of budgets do you work with?

My jewelry ranges from Rs. 300 to Rs. 3000, and bridals start from Rs. 90,000. Plus, I work with any budget that suits the client.

You have also studied shoe design, do you currently have a shoe line or do you plan to launch in the near future?

I take out very few designs in shoes, like about 6 every season and they are mostly party shoes. Currently, I am working on my new collection.

Tell us what kind of accessories you design. Where do you get your inspiration to create your pieces? What kind of stones do you use?

I design all sorts of accessories from bags to shoes, to jewelry and belts. In jewelry I create necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings and hair pins. I get inspiration from anything and everything, sometimes I get them from the stones I’m working with. I follow trends abroad because there is no trend to follow for costume jewelry in Pakistan. The main stones I work with are various types of crystals and pearls, and some semi-precious stones also. These pieces are one of a kind.

Do you have an outlet store? How does one go about ordering an outfit, jewelry or shoes from you?


My studio is in 3-H Model Town Lahore, and you take an appointment for clothes but jewelry is on walk in. I will also start stocking up jewelry at different salons at the end of June to make it more accessible. You can book an appointment by calling 0300-9471721.

What plans do you have for the future, and where would you like to see your brand go in the next five years?

I have big plans; my first and foremost plan is to export. In the next five years, I want my brand to be a household name and to be in every major city of Pakistan.

Lastly, what is your message to the readers of The Saturday Post?

Always go to new and different designers, they will provide better quality at a more reasonable price. Also, never be afraid to start something new because unless you try, you can never know what you are worth.