At the tender age of 20, Amber Atherton has already set her foot firmly on the business ladder.She is founder of My Flash Trash, a thriving online boutique which sells jewellery from designers all over the world.On top of this, she has a starring role in hit TV show Made In Chelsea, and has also carved out a successful career as a model. With all of this on her plate, you can imagine she is one very busy lady.
But the lovely Amber has taken some time out from her jam-packed schedule to give hellomagazine.com the lowdown on the 'reality' aspect of Made In Chelsea, what it has done for her business and, finally, bumping into Prince Harry.
What gave you the idea for MyFlashTrash? In the beginning it was a practical reason to get rid of jewellery stock from Hong Kong which I used to sell at school. It since blossomed into the online boutique with a selection of jewellery from over 35 talented and established jewellery designers. How did you become involved in Made in Chelsea? Funnily enough it all started in Shoreditch. A friend of mine introduced me to a researcher who was developing the idea for a UK version of The Hills and I got a few of my friends involved who got more of their friends involved. We then filmed a pilot that got commissioned by Channel 4 and it's been all go ever since. Has it been a good platform for your business? Yes, its been a fantastic way to introduce the brand and all the talented new designers we represent to more people. Our website actually crashed three times because of so many visitors! Do any of the cast members wear items of your jewellery? Yes the all do! Particular favourites are Allumer, Anabel Campbell and the boys particularly love the joya bracelets. (Ollie is pictured below wearing an Allumer necklace)
How much of what we see on the show is real? I would say about 60/40 split between manipulated situation and real life drama. Obviously the cameras can't be there to follow our every move but they manage to capture all the fun yet not necessarily all the behind-the-scenes drama. Are you looking forward to the next series? Should we expect any surprises? The next series is going to be amazing. It's a lot more fun with less awkward silences. Also there's some interesting new characters who I'm sure will cause some controversy. How would you describe your personal style? Quite laid-back and I like experimenting with new designers. This season my essential wardrobe accessory is the Obi belt which I manage to team with everything from dresses to high-waisted trousers. And of course a lot of jewellery! Where do you shop? I shop online a lot actually but I prefer to buy my wardrobe abroad when I go back to visit my parents in Hong Kong. My first stop is Lane Crawford and the backstreet malls full of up and coming Korean Chinese designers. And finally, we've heard that you're acquainted with the royals...?!Yeah, I often run into Prince Harry and Beatrice, who are really down to earth. Although I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Kate yet.
Amber is offering lucky readers 10% off the above 9ct yellow gold, sapphire and diamond necklace by Allumer that was inspired by Kate Middleton's engagement ring! Simply go to myflashtrash.com and enter Mftok