Meet Amelia Murphy | Fashion Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amelia Murphy and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amelia, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I have always had a desire to be entrepreneurial. My parents are entrepreneurs and I looked up to the way they created businesses from scratch, have been very successful, and their own bosses. I have also had an interest in fashion design since I was young. In high school the idea of my own fashion line decided to flourish, and as I continued on through college, I realized that I can tie my love for the sea and the island life and love for fashion design into my very own swim line. I decided to seriously explore this as a career in college, but pushed it off due to my own excuses and procrastination. When I recently came to terms with the fact that my fashion wholesale corporate job was not serving me, I decided to move forward with what I had learned and explore the idea of starting my own swim line. I had meetings with peers who had began their own lines, and took their advice, and jumped in!

Over the years of traveling, and my background, I fell in love with the Italian coast, and wanted to draw my inspiration from Italian ways of life and style for my swim line. I landed on the name La Vita al Mare, which translates to “life by the sea” in Italian, and wanted to portray elegant and feminine designs in my swim line. I drew up sketches and found a manufacturer to produce my swimsuits. Although in the early phases, I am very excited about the new opportunity that I have created for myself!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
When I was a young girl I watched “The Parent Trap” and saw the mother as a wedding dress designer and at such a young age, knew that is what I wanted to be when I grew up. I would plan outfits that I wanted to wear and walk through stores in the mall and never be able to quite find what I was looking for, as well as always had issues with fit or quality of garments. I knew that I wanted to create my own designs to have full control over what I put on my body, as well as allow others to feel beautiful in what they wore, too.

I went to college for fashion design, but was unsure if I had what it takes, and found myself loosing a bit of interest. I switched my major to design & merchandising, which taught me the business of fashion. As I approached my final year of college, I found myself feeling regret that I didn’t continue to pursue design. I thought about my 5-year plan and what life I wanted to create for myself, and realized I still wanted to have my own clothing brand. As I spoke to mentors and colleagues, I thought about what inspires me. My answer to that question was the beach, island life, and the ocean, the place where I am happiest. I figured it’d be a great idea to tie the two and design swimwear. I thought about where else I may gain inspiration, and thought back to my semester abroad in Florence, Italy, and my trip to the Amalfi Coast. I wanted to create swimwear that embodies the Italian essence and way of life, is elegant and feminine, and makes others feel beautiful. A swimsuit shouldn’t just be an article of clothing that allows one to go into the water, but a garment where you soak up the sun and feel confident, it should be a work of art highlighting your features and allowing you to experience the joy and euphoria that I feel when I am in the sun and by the sea.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Continuing with the inspiration that I get from the Italian coast, I would take my best friend to Amalfi, Italy. Although it is quite a journey to get there, it is very exciting! We would fly to Rome, and then take a train up to Naples, then a ferry to Amalfi. To get the full experience, we would stay in an Airbnb in town, rather than a luxury hotel. We would drop our bags and go for some Aperol Spritz’s and pizza for dinner by the sea. The next morning we would sit for some cappuccinos and then lay out on chairs to soak up some sun and swim in the sea. It is so warm and beautiful, we could spend the entire day doing this! In the late afternoon we walk around the square and look at some hand-painted ceramics, and shop. We’d get some cacio e pepe pasta and red wine for dinner. The next day we could rent vespas and ride along the coast, down to Sorrento with a stop in Positano. We’d look over the cliffs at beautiful views of the sea and stop for gelato. We’d explore the towns and get some local seafood for an early dinner, before heading back to Amalfi. As we’d likely recovered from jet-lag, we’d be excited to go out on the town for a few drinks. We’d take a cab to Music on the Rocks, a nightclub built into the cliff in Positano to have a few drinks and dance before heading back to our house in Amalfi. Our third day would be the boat day, where we’d vespa to Sorrento at sunrise and hop on a boat to explore Capri and the Blue Grotto caves. We would jump from the boat into the sea and snorkel. We could enjoy some prosciutto, pesto, and tomato mozzarella sandwiches for lunch and swim in the waters of Capri island. We would take the boat back to Sorrento and vespa home to Amalfi at sunset. At dusk, we could go to a lovely hole in the wall restaurant and enjoy some pasta and salad for dinner. With only a few days left in Italy, we would want to check out some unique spots on the coast. We could head down to Fiordo di Furore to cliff jump and snorkel. We then could hike the Path of the Gods that afternoon, after we get some bruschetta for lunch. We would need our sneakers and workout gear so we would stop home first. It is a long hike, with gorgeous views, so afterwards would likely be famished! For dinner we could get steak and a tiramisu dessert! On our last day of the trip we enjoy a cappuccino and croissants and then head down to the marina. We soak up our last bit of sunshine before heading back to the US in the morning. We have gotten quite a tan and decide to swim in the water under the beating sun. Our lunch is light with some Peroni beers and arugula salads. We shop around in the town for a bit before heading to the grocery store to buy some food. We get an array of meat and cheeses, as well as tomatoes and fruits and pesto, to create a very Italian charcuterie board. We have a lovely picnic at dusk overlooking the sea, and are sad to have to head home tomorrow!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would love to shoutout my parents for being role models in entrepreneurship, as well as my teachers at Drexel University for the teachings that allowed me to have the skillset to design my own fashion line.

Instagram: amelialmurphy

Linkedin: amelialouisemurphy

Other: Brand Instagram: lavita.almare

Website coming soon!