Amber the Conduit
4.22.26
ZC The Label was brought to my attention by another creative. Zara has designed a unique and fashionable handbag line that would be a perfect addition to anyone’s closet. I reached out to Zara to learn more about her and ZC The Label.
Here is Zara’s interview:
Intersecting Fashion & Spirituality
When we talk about Fashion & Spirituality; how do the two intersect and what are your beliefs on the intersection of them?
AMBER: “Fashion and spirituality have been the two pillars of my life. Like, I grew up obsessed with fashion. My whole dream, my whole career, I thought I was gonna be a fashion editor for magazines. I went to school for fashion with the concentration in fashion publications. I interned at the top fashion magazine companies, but also behind the scenes I was always spiritual too. I was always intuitive. I was always doing readings and things like that. And I think it wasn't until I used to have a blog and also contribute to magazines and writing about fashion. But I would look at certain looks, like runway looks, and be like, “okay, this is gonna look good on this person, or this is gonna be a popular style or popular trend.”
Little did I know that I was already doing my psychic fashion forecasting. I just didn't realize that, yes, it's a certain level of taste to be able to see what may be trending, but being being able to identify what a person is gonna wear this on the carpet. But then I realized, “oh, so that was one Prediction.”
Like I was in college, and I basically created my own modality called Style Vision, where it's basically psychic trend forecasting. And I think that the two are linked, because when we're getting dressed, we're going based on our mood, we're going based on our feelings. We don't realize that a lot of us when we're getting dressed.
It's all intuitive.
I think I just was able to identify it a little early and sort of formulate a practice by making it a more formal thing. And then that's when I integrate astrology. For example, when you're thinking about Venus, the planet of love and beauty. It's all connected. And again, I think when we get dressed, it's a very intuitive practice. Now, I think it's just about the intention behind it. Once you know that you're following your intuition, it helps you create better looks.”
How does the art of intention go into fashion? From shopping for clothing pieces to styling and wearing them?
AMBER: “Well, I think fashion overall is created with intention.
When you think about designers and their designing their fall collections, their spring collection, their pre-fall collection, it's all based around a certain intention, whether it's, um, activity, who they're designing for, the type of woman that they're designing for.
There's always the intention behind fashion. You have couture designers that are intentionally designing for people that have money, that are going to gala, Like Andre Leon Talley said, “The girls have things to do.” They have Dallas to go to, they have shows to go to. But just think the actual fashion industry itself is really intentional based on who they're designing for. I think it's intentional based on the patterns that they're using, or even the fabrics that they're using. New York designers may typically gravitate to more during fall. They may gravitate towards, like, more leather or like heavier fabrics. Whereas in London as well. Same thing because of, like, the climate.
Also,I grew up in mall culture. I think most of us, especially black women, grew up in mall culture. Like going to the mall every Saturday. When we going to the mall for, oh, I'm going shopping. I'm going to be with my mom or art and be with my mom or wet seal, because she's going out to the club tonight, and we need to pull a look for that.
I just think the art of getting dressed is very intentional.
Like everything that we do is with intention down to the colors that we're wearing. If you want to make a power move, you may wanna wear the color red.
If you want to attract beauty and love and being in your feminine energy, you may gravitate towards more pink hues.”
Styling with the stars
How does astrology come into play with a person's wardrobe and if they wanted to find their personal style, what aspects, planets and or houses would they need to look into?
AMBER: “Oh, absolutely!
I definitely have a workshop called German Code to the Cosmos, where I basically teach you how you can look at your chart for style strategy.
I think the most, famous aspect is Venus, because it's feminine.
Its the planet of beauty, love, pleasure, sensuality.
Your Venus sign is really good for magnetism.
So you wanna embody your Venus sign when you wanna draw people in.
Also, when you wanna be sexy, your first house is your house of physical appearance.
So I also feel like dressing for your first house, especially when you're in a public facing role, whether you're having, like, an interview or networking event; that's gonna be something that's going to align with your persona.
Now, your Mars…
People don't realize it. I think most people just kind of look at the beam this time.
But I love also like dressing for Mars energy, too, because that can guide you and tell you, you know what your personal style may be when you're in your comfort zone, whether you're lounging at home with your with when you're with your goal, when you're amongst family, but also.
Mars is very sexy, too.
So if you want to embody that sexiness, you can also look to your Mars placement.
might have a Mars in cancer. Um.
Cancer is like, very much so Holy. Mars also speaks about, like, working out in physical fitness.
So me having Mars in cancer, it just makes sense that I'm not gonna be a girl that goes to a bunch of classes.
When I do practice physical fitness, it's usually at home.
It's something that's slow, something that allows me to be connected to my body. But Mars, but cancer also rules the breast.
So you can also look into, like, what body parts that your um, that your Venus sign or your Mars sign or your Rising sign rule, and then sell yourself based on those party parts.
E.G., like I said, my Mars is in cancer. cancer rules the breast.
So when I'm feeling sexy, I may wear something that's like, a little bit more low cut, you know what I mean.
So if you're, if you're, um, say, if you're, Venus is in Taurus, and Taurus rules the neck in the throat, something that shows off your collar bone.
Maybe you wanna go for something shopless.
Maybe you wanna layer your necklaces.”
We all know the saying, "When you look good, you feel good." Let's talk about the energy behind people styling themselves based on how they feel energetically and how they can style themselves to bring in what they want and/or need at the moment.
AMBER: “Okay, I think that we should not style ourselves based on how we feel. I think we should style ourselves based on how we want to feel. Um, and I'm an avert believer that, especially of someone who works from home, I home school my son, so the home is pretty much my sanctuary.
I technically don't need to always get dressed unless I'm, like, doing readings and making content. But, um, I say all of that to say that, like, even when you're in the comfort of your home, they're gonna be more prone to, maybe not do your stay here, or maybe not do a little no makeup, makeup. Look, you you're gonna wanna stay in your pajamas. So I'm a firm believer of like, treating yourself like you're your sim character. So I believe in, like, dressing for manifestation.
So if you are trying to manifest a job, but say you're currently unemployed, still waking up, still getting dressed, still dressing as that person who already has the job. So if you're calling in a fashion job, you wanna be more fashion forward, even when you're not doing anything. If you're calling in a corporate job, where, where a little suit, where a little, something like, you know what I mean, this kind of dressing for just for the job that you wanna have, and just for the the life that you wanna have too.
If you're claiming they're going to be someone who is like a multifaceted boss, a multifaceted boss is not in their pajamas seven times a week. So I believe in to align with the person that you wanna be, and also, that helps you change your mood. That helps you shift your energy too.”
Amber’s closet
You have impeccable style. How do you curate your wardrobe according to your beliefs and do you always pick pieces to add to your closet based on your astrological and spiritual insight?
Amber: “So I would say that because I've always been in depression, my style has always pretty much been the same.
I think it's just like as I got older, um, maybe it's just evolved a little bit, but I just believe in having core staples.
We all have things that are our comfort zone.
We all have, like, staple things.
So, for me, um, because I love fashion, and, like, I didn't have rich parents, I was going to, aside from, like, shopping in my mom's closet, I was going to thrift shop.
So, like, one of my favorite things is like, vintage dancing or vintage t-shirt, jeans, boots, like, those are like, my poor things. And then I use jewelry to affect eyes. And I think Julie is kind of like, what brings the look together and what brings and kind of shows my personality, and also, you will be good. Also, when I was in college, I kind of created this, um, like fashion motor opera, and I would call it slb for leather black. So, like, those are like my core pillars. I like to call them glamour code or personal style codes. And I think if you know yourself, or if you want to build your own personal style, having some sort of style code, having some sort of glimmer clothes or style clothes will help you build your build up your personal style and build up your identity through your wardrobe. So for me, like I said, it's like for weather, black jewelry, um. And like, what? Where boot sneakers? Like, I'm a big sneakerhead. My dad, my parents, like, grew up. My parents grew up. Have you ever heard of The Tunnel? That's where, like, big you used to party in Daisy used to party like, my parents grew up in that, like, a Tribe called Quest, like, real hip hop, Big Daddy Kane and Lil’ Kim era. So, like, I also think that, my style is kind of influenced by that culture too. Like, very video bit thing, kind of odd, but also like, playful too, with, like, sexy without doing too much.”
What should our Readers take into consideration when curating their closets?
Amber: I think that each person who is reading this, should put a list of three adjectives that would describe them and make that their personal brand.
And when they’re shopping, when they’re putting outfits together, they should ask themselves, based on the three adjectives, is this on brand?
For me, doesn't the line with the story that I'm trying to tell about myself.
And that's how, you know, when you're getting back to yourself.
Connect With Amber
A Letter From The Editor
Dear Readers,
Thank you for taking the time to read up this special issue of FASH FWD. I started this publication to not only share my love for Fashion, but to help other fashion creatives share their stories and the brands they’ve built. My goal is to make sure they are able to connect with community and by you reading their stories helps me do just that.
Thank You!
The Credits
Interviewer/Editor & Graphic Design:
Ashley Simien
Images Provided By:
Amber