Fayçal Amor

Fayçal AMOR was born in Tangiers, city with international status, on November 24th 1949. His father was a Moroccan industrial leader, his mother a Russian painter.

He grows up in Morocco. His education partakes of both Oriental and Occidental cultures, he learns several languages and starts painting young. He then continues his formal studies in France and England where he obtains a degree in economics

Back to Morocco at the age of 24, destined for a career of businessman, he decides however to devote himself to fashion. He works out a new dying process, finds local textile mills to manufacture an innovative fabric and designs his first collection, which is immediately bought by French industrials who sell it under their own label.

In 1980, he decides to settle in France. Pierre d’ALBY asks him to be his artistic director, which he does for 5 years.

Willing to express his own conception of fashion, he creates in 1986 the label PLEIN SUD that is immediately successful in France and overseas. Since the creation of his label, Fayçal AMOR most important concern has been the development of the company’s structures integrating design, manufacture and marketing.

Plein Sud now boasts 15 flagship stores, including ones on Paris' Place des Victoires, London's Walton Street and New York’s Greene Street in Soho. The collection also retails in 400 multi-brand boutiques and department stores including Henri Bendel and Barneys. There's a lower-priced, funkier Plein Sud jeans collection, too.

Faycal is so determined to keep quality control, in fact, that he insists on keeping apparel production within Plein Sud's fully-owned factories, and has steered clear of licenses. Name one other significant French brand that can say that (the answer is Chanel).

Ironically, Amor publicly infringed his non-licensing rule last night, when he and old pal Joseph Ettegui, the founder of Joseph, hosted an opening party for the new Plein Sud store on London's Draycott Avenue. Joseph will manage the boutique, making their partnership a unique scenario, given Plein Sud's lack of licensing history.

All Plein Sud skins are prepared in Italy, and most of Amor's leathers have stretch silk backings, giving them a glove-like quality around the body. Faycal loves playing with proportions, showing off stretch wool tops held on with asymmetrical hook and eye seams.

The designer has also developed during the past years various lines complementing the main one PLEIN SUD. Following PLEIN SUD SOIR in 1994, he launches PLEIN SUD SUN in 1995, PLEIN SUD JEAN’S and SHOES in 1997 and PLEIN SUD TRICOT in 1999.