Designer · Creative Director · Entrepreneur · Author · Speaker · Television Personality

I believe a creative life should be a big one.

Hi, I'm Amanda. For nearly two decades, I've built a career around one idea:

Make things that make people feel something.
Amanda Perna in a bold printed dress in front of a colorful mural
Hi, I'm Amanda.

I've designed fashion and interiors, built brands and retail businesses, written and illustrated books, appeared on television, created experiences, spoken on stages, collaborated with global brands and turned more than a few wild ideas into actual businesses.

I've also failed.Changed directions.Started over.

And learned that the most interesting careers rarely fit neatly into one box.

Mine certainly doesn't.

Thank goodness.

Life is the occasion.

And I intend to make something of it.

Project Runway ×2 ✦ Vogue ✦ ELLE ✦ Forbes ✦ Harper's Bazaar ✦ Saks Fifth Avenue ✦ Neiman Marcus ✦ Four Seasons ✦ Disney ✦ Target ✦ Anthropologie ✦ Good Housekeeping ✦ Project Runway ×2 ✦ Vogue ✦ ELLE ✦ Forbes ✦ Harper's Bazaar ✦ Saks Fifth Avenue ✦ Neiman Marcus ✦ Four Seasons ✦ Disney ✦ Target ✦ Anthropologie ✦ Good Housekeeping ✦ Project Runway ×2 ✦ Vogue ✦ ELLE ✦ Forbes ✦ Harper's Bazaar ✦ Saks Fifth Avenue ✦ Neiman Marcus ✦ Four Seasons ✦ Disney ✦ Target ✦ Anthropologie ✦ Good Housekeeping ✦ Project Runway ×2 ✦ Vogue ✦ ELLE ✦ Forbes ✦ Harper's Bazaar ✦ Saks Fifth Avenue ✦ Neiman Marcus ✦ Four Seasons ✦ Disney ✦ Target ✦ Anthropologie ✦ Good Housekeeping ✦
The story

I was always going to make things.

I was one of those kids who was constantly creating something.

Eventually, that obsession led me to study Apparel Design at the University of Alabama, where I graduated magna cum laude, followed by further study at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York.

Then came the dream.

Oscar de la Renta.Calvin Klein.New York fashion.

I learned how extraordinary things get made: the ideas, craftsmanship, discipline and thousands of tiny decisions nobody sees in the finished product.

But even while working in an industry I'd dreamed of joining, another idea kept getting louder.

I wanted to build something of my own.

So I took the money I had, left the security of my job and started The House of Perna.

Everyone thought this was an excellent, very sensible idea.They did not.
Amanda Perna with models wearing her designs
New York
An Amanda Perna fashion illustration
sketchbook days
The House of Perna boutique
The House of Perna
And then things got interesting

One idea led to another.

The House of Perna became my first laboratory for what happens when creativity and entrepreneurship collide.

National audiences met me on Project Runway. Twice.

My work went from my sketchbook to runways, boutiques, department stores and women around the world.

  • Collections
  • Fashion weeks
  • Television
  • Books
  • Retail
  • Art
  • Interiors
  • Speaking
  • Experiences
  • Brand collaborations
  • Hospitality
  • Community

One creative door kept opening another.

And somewhere along the way, I realized:

Fashion was never the destination.

Creativity was.

The career so far

Ten chapters. So far.

From a sketchbook in New York to runways, stores, bookshelves, television and stages. Every chapter handed something to the next one.

  1. Amanda Perna with models wearing her designs in New York
    01

    New York

    Oscar de la Renta · Calvin Klein · FIT

  2. Amanda in her first atelier
    02

    The leap

    Founded The House of Perna

  3. Amanda in the Project Runway workroom
    03

    Project Runway

    Selected twice to compete on the nationally televised series

  4. A House of Perna look on the runway
    04

    The runway

    Collections and fashion shows across major markets

  5. The House of Perna trunk show at Bloomingdale's
    05

    The stores

    Work sold through major retailers and independent boutiques

  6. Amanda with F is for Fashion at Neiman Marcus
    06

    The books

    Author and illustrator of two bestselling children's books

  7. Amanda filming a segment in her studio
    07

    Television

    Project Runway · Flea Market Flip · hosting and appearances

  8. Amanda and her daughter at Coterie New York
    08

    The businesses

    The House of Perna · A Little Wyld · more creative ventures

  9. Amanda speaking to a full room
    09

    The stage

    Keynotes · conferences · hosting · emceeing

  10. Amanda hand-finishing a couture piece in her atelier
    10

    The work today

    Fashion · interiors · art · hospitality · experiences · media

The worldview

I don't believe in staying in your lane.

Today my work moves between fashion, interiors, art, hospitality, retail, publishing, television, speaking, experiences and whatever I become completely obsessed with next.

On paper, those things can look unrelated. To me, they're all the same thing.

They're opportunities to make people feel something.

I believe the things surrounding us matter.

  • The dress that makes you stand differently.
  • The room that makes you exhale.
  • The table where everyone stays too long.
  • The hotel you still think about five years later.
  • The ridiculous pair of shoes that makes absolutely no practical sense but makes you wildly happy.
These things aren't frivolous.

They're the texture of a life.

And I want life to have texture.

I believe...

  • In wearing the dress.
  • Using the good plates.
  • Ordering dessert.
  • Buying art because it makes you feel something.
  • Going somewhere you've never been.
  • Inviting people over before your house is perfect.
  • Trying things you might fail at.
  • Making ordinary Tuesdays less ordinary.
  • That creativity is a muscle.
  • That kindness is wildly underrated.
  • That beautiful things can also be meaningful.
  • That there is almost always room for another pattern.
  • And that becoming more yourself is infinitely more interesting than becoming more like everyone else.
Life is happening now.
The official stuff

Yes, there's a résumé version too.

Amanda Perna is the Founder and Creative Director of The House of Perna, Co-Founder of A Little Wyld, a two-time Project Runway designer, award-winning entrepreneur, bestselling author and illustrator, television personality, keynote speaker, host, artist and creative consultant.

Her work and collaborations have connected her with globally recognized brands and organizations including Disney, Target, Anthropologie, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale's, Pinterest, Hearst, Four Seasons and others.

Her work and story have appeared across Vogue, ELLE, Harper's Bazaar, Forbes, Marie Claire, People, Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping and hundreds of additional media features.

The House of Perna is also a member of the United Nations Fashion & Lifestyle Network, where its work in sustainable, small-batch fashion, responsible production, artisan partnerships, community impact and mentorship is represented alongside global efforts advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

But the accomplishment I'm most interested in is still:

Whatever comes next.

By the numbers

The short version.

  • 2×Project Runway designer
  • 500+Press features
  • 2Bestselling books
  • $750K+Helped raise for the YMCA
  • 100+Nonprofits + community organizations supported
  • 100+Emerging creatives mentored
Member United Nations Fashion & Lifestyle Network
The hard work has led to some pretty wonderful moments.

A few things I'm really proud of.

Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce Business Person of the Year award presented to Amanda Perna
  • WWDEmerging Designer Showcase
  • WWDEmerging Designer Showcase All-Star Brand
  • Good HousekeepingBest of 2020
  • University of AlabamaJack Davis Professional Achievement Award
  • Delray BeachBusiness Person of the Year
  • Verizon Small Business CompetitionSouthern Region Winner + Third Nationally
  • Luminary FellowsAward Recipient
  • Delray BeachHometown Hero Recipient
International + sustainability recognition

Creativity can be a force for good.

Small-batchLess wasteRepurposed materialsArtisans + makersMentorshipCommunity

The House of Perna is a member of the United Nations Fashion & Lifestyle Network, with its work represented through initiatives supporting sustainable production, responsible consumption, economic opportunity, women and global partnerships.

The House of Perna's approach has long centered around small-batch production, reducing overstock and waste, repurposing materials, supporting artisans and local makers, mentoring emerging creatives and using business as a vehicle for community impact.

This isn't sustainability added to a marketing campaign.

It's part of how I believe creative businesses should be built.

Okay, enough of the résumé.

A few things you should probably know about me.
Amanda laughing on a pile of colorful clothes in her closet
A colorful pile of Amanda's favorite shoes
Favorite color
Pink. Obviously.
Natural habitat
Making something while simultaneously having ideas for three other things.
Very serious weakness
Sparkly shoes.
Take my money
Chanel. Unfortunately.
Ideal afternoon
Wandering around somewhere in Italy, finding a tiny restaurant and ordering whatever the person next to me is eating.
I get irrationally excited about
Stuffed squash blossoms, incredible tile, vintage anything, flowers, beautiful packaging and really good hotel bathrooms.
Secret talent
I used to sing. I even performed at Carnegie Hall and Disney World.
Current number of Pinterest boards
None of your business.
Design philosophy
Wear and use what brings more joy to your life.
The part that matters most

Success means more when you pass some of it on.

Community leadership and philanthropy have been part of my life and work for years.

I've served on boards supporting children, families and local businesses; chaired and co-chaired major fundraising initiatives; mentored more than 100 emerging creatives; supported more than 100 nonprofit and community organizations; and used fashion, art, design, retail and my platform to raise money and awareness for causes I believe in.

That work has included helping raise more than $750,000 for the YMCA, four years of fundraising leadership with the Delray Beach Public Library, board and leadership service with Achievement Centers for Children & Families and the Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce, and creative partnerships with organizations including Habitat for Humanity, Roots and Wings, the American Cancer Society, George Snow Scholarship Fund and many more.

I've learned there are a thousand ways to make yourself useful. But my philosophy is much simpler:

Kids in handmade masks at a community event
Delray Beach Public Library tote bag designed by Amanda
Young creatives at a design workshop
Do something good today.
The philosophy

Just one a day.

Help one personMake one introductionGive one opportunitySolve one problemDo something good

You don't have to change the whole world today.

Just change someone's world today.
Explore community + impact →
Chapter: currently being written

The most exciting part? I'm not done.

I'm building a bigger creative life. One where

  • Fashion can live next to interiors
  • Art can live next to travel
  • Business can live next to family
  • Television can live next to books
  • Beautiful things can coexist with meaningful ones

And I'm sharing more of it now.

  • The ideas
  • The experiments
  • The places
  • The people
  • The things that work
  • The things that spectacularly don't

And everything I'm learning while building a creative life on my own terms.

I don't know exactly where all of it leads.

That's kind of the fun part.
Amanda Perna in a joyful, colorful look
There's more to come.

Come along.

Life is happening now.

Let's make it colorful.

Follow along → Work with Amanda →
We're just getting started.
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Amanda Perna | Designer. Artist. Author. Speaker. Creative Director.
Amanda Perna | Designer. Artist. Author. Speaker. Creative Director.
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Amanda Perna | Designer. Artist. Author. Speaker. Creative Director.
Amanda Perna | Designer. Artist. Author. Speaker. Creative Director.
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