Inspiring Women: Amber Fryer

What’s your role?

I am a Senior Lead Designer and Art Director at DEPT.

What’s something people would never guess about you?

That I am queer! Sadly, stereotypes are very much still a thing, and what/how a queer woman looks and acts like is still a topic of debate.

Who did you want to be as a kid?

I wanted to be a vet; my mum always jokes that my first word was ‘dog’, and I am still very much obsessed.

What is your biggest driver? What excites you?

I am wildly fascinated and obsessed with people. Talking to people, hearing their stories, and what they’re drawn to really inspires my creativity.

I get a real buzz from discovering a new trend, visiting exhibitions, and live music, travelling as much as I can, going to new hotels and restaurants, and being in spaces that truly ignite my senses.

Can you share a highlight in your career?

Pride 2019, I worked as a brand ambassador for Away. I wrote a ‘Queer-life guide to London’, a guide of queer places and venues to go visit in London, which then became a live event. I hosted a panel of influential queer people and business owners, in the retail and hospitality industries, for a Q&A about queer life and the future of queer travel and tourism. I collaborated with queer illustrator Josh Mckenna to create a suite of visuals and stickers for the event and enlisted queer vendors, such as Queer Beer, to complete the most dreamy project ever.

Who are the women that have inspired you the most?

Many humans inspire me, not just those who solely identify as women, but I admire those who are carving out their own space, being unapologetically themselves, and speaking out amongst an industry that does not equally represent them.

Aisha Shaibu-Lenior — LGBTQIA+ Educator, Entrepreneur & Founder of Moonlight Experiences
Kelly Anna — Artist & Designer
Kaylene Langford — Business Coach
Puno Dostres — Web designer, Entrepreneur and Founder of ilovecreatives
The Lionesses
Kelly Wearstler — Interior Designer

What’s good about being a woman in the creative industry?

Being able to give a much-needed and unique perspective that reflects the world around us, using our voices to create designs that are inclusive, empathetic, and sustainable.

What challenges have you faced?

The advertising industry remains to be directed and managed by straight white males. Being a woman working in this space is tough, often being underestimated, undervalued and underrepresented. We may have to work harder to prove ourselves, but I can definitely see some improvements as the years have gone by, but those changes are very slow, especially for women of colour, disabled women, and LGBTQIA+ identifying women.

What change in the creative industry would you like to see?

The industry still has a long way to go when it comes to diversity and inclusion. It starts at the educational level, making university or internships more accessible and inclusive. Also, recruitment – hiring to represent the world around you, not what outdated societal norms state, hiring for talent, hiring for diversity, and having different perspectives and points of difference is a necessity, not a hindrance.

What advice would you give your younger self starting out in the creative industry?

Experience as much as you can, travel the world, collaborate with different people, and don’t tie yourself down by climbing the corporate ladder, but instead try out different roles, pursue your passions and always keep learning.

Social Media:
Amber’s Website
Instagram
Business Queeries podcast