Career: Conceptual Art Director / Bespoke Prop Creator / Wardrobe Stylist
Location: Los Angeles
Who’s your Fred?: Kevin
Amiee Byrne is a force to be reckoned with. A maker of beautiful things and boasting a CV that’s as extensive and diverse as it is successful and original, she consistently raises the bar for what it means to be an artist. She’s a storyteller at heart, draping models in gorgeous fabrics by day and conceptualizing custom backdrops by night. In between these roles, she’s sculpting acclaimed, hyper-realistic ceramics for various art shows around L.A.
Her work in set design and wardrobe styling has been featured in dozens of high-profile brand ads and media releases, and her ceramics earned a shelf spot at Fred Segal for their 60th anniversary. All in all, the facets of her career are even more numerous than the individual glass panels featured on her Disco creations.
Without a doubt, Amiee is imaginative, but we have to give due credit to her muse: fluffy shih tzu girl Kevin is a show-stopper and a name-flopper and she knows it. With an aesthetic expert for a mom, Kevin regularly strikes a pose in the absolute cutest dog sweaters, and with the JUST FRED Lil Baddie Sweater, she and Amiee are dominating the set scene in Hollywood’s illustrious hills.
FRED: We appreciate you taking the time to chat today, Amiee! Are you working on any special projects at the moment, either personally or professionally?
Amiee: I have a few things on the go! I’m working on a ceramics solo show for late August. It’s being held in one of the Neutra houses on Silverlake Boulevard and is about my interpretation of Bert and Ernie’s life after Sesame Street. I’m also working on a tabletop collection and building a shoppable website. I wanted to create some more attainable pieces for people. Each piece will be functional-ish. So far there are ketchup face plates, grass-shaped vases, and cigarette candle holders.
FRED: It’s clear from your multi-hyphenate title that you enjoy crafting visually stunning pieces of art. How do you manage to cultivate such an inspired point of view across several mediums, and which are your favorite?
Amiee: It’s all about the idea. That’s the fun part for me, and then working out the process. I have definitely found clay to be my favorite medium. It allows me to take whatever hair-brained idea I have and turn it 3D with my bare hands. I’ve always had all of these ideas and I get excited by them, but to finally have a way to create them myself has been a very rewarding process.
FRED: There’s a strong tactile quality to the clothing you style, the sets you design, and the pottery you throw that just makes us want to reach out and grab it. What specific emotional or intellectual experiences do you want to elicit from your audiences?
Amiee: I want to see teeth. I want people to grin. I want people to look three or four times and keep smiling.
Everything I make usually has a backstory involving something I find amusing or nostalgic. I like to include humor in my work wherever I can. Humor, color, texture, and a bit of insanity. That's my usual go-to combo.
FRED: Some of your most ingenious installations involve wig-adorned brooms, a ten-foot basketball net, disco ball soda cans, and rose-covered ice skates, all of which exude the cool and clever energy that colors the rest of your work. We’re curious (and envious): where on earth do these epic ideas come from?
Amiee: Haha umm, I do not know! Actually, I do—my dad is very similar. He’s curious, an artist, and the most knowledgeable person I know when it comes to processes. He’s still making new art and cooking up off-the-wall ideas. He’s currently working on a wizard costume for a kids YouTube channel that he’s making. And yes, he is the wizard. I love having long conversations with him about what projects we’re both working on and what processes to use. His background is in science, chemicals, and art. All of it makes for very interesting and inspiring conversations.
FRED: You’ve been part of marketing campaigns for Bulgari, Venmo, Squarespace, Vans Kids, and Irvine Spectrum. While creating new worlds through fashion and decor is obviously a major component of your career, your eye-catching ceramics are making headlines in their own right. Tell us about that side of you.
Amiee: It’s become a real focus in my life, and it’s what I do most days of the week if I'm not on set. I have a studio in Silverlake where my dog Kevin comes every day to sleep at my feet while I work on pieces for galleries. I’m excited about my new tabletop collection at the moment. Doing production ceramic is new to me, and as everything is handmade, it's definitely a slow production line! But I’m excited to launch my new website: Scusi by Amiee Byrne.
FRED: You’ve participated in an incredible number of exciting projects in your career so far, and you definitely have many more on the horizon—what achievement are you most proud of in your personal or professional life?
Amiee: I think it’d be moving to L.A. six years ago at 38 and starting three new careers in props, wardrobe styling, and ceramics. I was a visual merchandiser back in Australia and moved here and started a new life! Looking back, it’s crazy. I am so glad I made the decision.
FRED: Needless to say, you’re hands-on in everything you do, including dog parenthood! Your authenticity as an artist also applies to your adorable pup, Kevin—how did she get that name?
Amiee: I had three pugs back in Australia and the last one died just before I moved here. Pretty soon after moving, I realized I needed a dog in my life—so I started visiting dog shelters, joined foster groups, and began the search for a new family member. During this search, we kept finding scruffy dogs that we wanted and they all seemed to be called Kevin. So, when a foster group reached out and showed us a messy-looking creature called Poochie, we said “Yes!” straight away and promptly changed her name to Kevin.
FRED: We love to see Kevin flaunting the cutest dog sweaters—especially JUST FRED’s Lil Baddie. It’s a real testament to our sweater’s quality that her stylist mom would add it to the rotation! What about this particular item made the cut for you?
Amiee: It’s so ridiculous and I love it!!!! I love that it’s not covered in bones.
It’s such a cool design!!!! Kevin is surprisingly long so it’s a little cropped on her and it makes it even cuter.
We love colorful knits over here!
FRED: Kevin’s perfectly coiffed, face-framing fur is giving us Sia vibes for sure, and you happen to be an Australian native too. In comparison, how different has it been to live and work in Los Angeles?
Amiee: Very different for me. I was always a full-time visual merchandiser back in Australia so to have the freedom to be freelance here, the time to work on my ceramics, and being surrounded by like-minded people has been such a valuable experience. I love working and living in L.A. and am so grateful I was given the opportunity.
FRED: Before we go, do you think you’ll ever try to sculpt a ceramic Kevin, or is her essence just too perfect to capture?
Amiee: My friend did, and it’s so perfect that I will never try to top it.
True to her hipster ways, Kevin is an off-the-grid girlie. Fortunately, you can check out Amiee’s work on her website or Instagram @amieeeeeeeeee and @amiee_byrne_ceramics (peep the Kevin cameos). JUST FRED’s Lil Baddie Sweater is clearly among the cutest dog sweaters out there, with two distinct colors to fit your pooch’s signature look—snag yours today.