Amanda Brooks: Inside My Métier

Inside My Métier

21 October 2026

Amanda Brooks has built a career spanning fashion, writing and retail — with a few reinventions along the way. In 2012, after nearly two decades in New York fashion, including a stint as fashion director of Barneys New York, she traded Manhattan for her husband’s family farm in Oxfordshire. There, she opened Cutter Brooks, an eclectic emporium of fashion, antiques and objects for the home, which became a much-loved fixture in the Cotswolds during its seven-year run.

Today, she lives between her farm in England and her recently renovated (and predictably exquisite) apartment in New York’s Lower East Side. For Inside My Métier, Amanda shares the contents of her bag — including a lucky coin from her father, an assortment of French spices and enough hair accessories to tame what she calls her “lion’s mane.”

What's one thing you never leave home without?

AirPods for the subway and Korres lip balm (I get antsy when my lips are dry).

What's your notebook, pen, or diary of choice?

My notebook from Choosing Keeping in London. Though I use my phone for many practical things, I have to hand write my to-do list. Putting pen to paper helps me keep everything straight.

What object in your bag says the most about you?

My collection of hair bands and barrettes. I have a lot of hair and am constantly looking to tame the lion’s mane.

What's the strangest thing that's ever ended up in your bag?

Cinnamon, pepper, or any spice from Epices Roellinger in Paris. I stock up every time I go and often carry them around with me to add to food.

Is there anything in your bag that has sentimental value?

My lucky Kennedy Half Dollar coin that my dad gave me.

What are you reading right now?

Us: The New Rules of Marriage by Terrence Real. My 25 year marriage is the thing I am most proud of in my life, and it requires constant curiosity about how to be kinder and more patient with each other.