Abbie Roden founder of amie wine studio and Roden - is an aspirational female entrepreneur. Her brand amie was created when she and her husband Will saw a gap in the UK market for an on trend, beautifully produced rosé. Two years after launching amie, Abbie & Will opened their wine bar -- amie wine studio -- in Eccleston Yards, London.  

She envisaged the studio to be a community space in which friends could come together for a glass of wine & enjoy the beautiful integration of art and wine - the decor of the wine bar is dreamy and reflects the pretty branded amie wine bottle - a perfect pairing!

A friend of Iris and fan of the by Iris collection, which she often uses to style for her shoots or wears on nights out with friends, we caught up with her to chat about the inspiration for her business and her future plans - also what she had picked for her festive parties from the by Iris collection this season.

The branding of amie is beautiful - what inspired it?

We thought up the idea of amie during lockdown in June 2020. It was a time when we couldn't see friends, and couldn't gather together. Once we were set on 'amie' for our brand name -- which means 'a female friend' in French -- I knew that I wanted the label to reflect this; to be a minimal, design-led label that reflected that feeling of drinking wine with friends. 

What are the benefits/pitfalls of being in partnership with your husband?

I love working with my husband! Our skill sets really balance each other out! I am responsible for all things brand, creative, and marketing, and Will is responsible for basically all of the rest! He's really good at the things that I am not good at: finance, anything number-related, logistics & ops, plus he's an 'ideas person' who is always thinking big picture and 'what's next.' Another benefit is that we get to have FUN. We are so lucky that we have built an incredible team, and we all have so much fun together.

In terms of pitfalls -- honestly, there aren't many, but if I had to pick something, I'd say it is sometimes hard to switch off and stop talking about work. But on the other hand, we always joke and say 'what do other couples talk about if they can't constantly talk about their next big work idea!?' 

What do you envisage in the future for amie - are you planning on opening more wine bars?

We have big plans for amie. We have a new Head of Sales starting in January, which will be amazing for scaling our business and getting into more bars, restaurants and hotels here in the UK. We are expanding into more international markets, starting with Sweden in the Spring, and will continue to push amie in our existing markets. Keep your eyes peeled for new product launches too 👀 As of now, we don't have plans to open any more amie wine studios, but if the right opportunity pops up, you never know.

What do you love about the by Iris collection?

I love the variety! It's so fun that we could style a mix of so many textures; velvets, sequins, shimmery fabrics. They all look so festive and fun!

What made you choose the pieces you wore from our by Iris Christmas collection, and talk us through how you styled them?

We wanted to wear a mix of different styles, so we love the variety! The sequin jacket looked amazing with the black slip skirt. I love the two pieces that I wore; it's so great together, but also will look so great as separates. The velvets were stunning and looked so chic and festive. The pieces didn't need too much in terms of styling, just a good festive shoe and you're good to go!

You can find out more about amie wine studio here 

ABBIE'S IRIS FAVOURITES

BY IRIS

Mabel Alpaca Cardigan- Cherry Red

£185

BY IRIS

Imae Frill Lurex Blouse

£165