Crafting Close-Range Fashion Empire: Aimee Smale, 28-year-old former ASOS buyer, constructed a multimillion-dollar 'economical luxury' apparel brand from her bedroom. However, critics question whether her label truly embodies 'slow fashion'.
Homie Aimee Smale, a 22-year-old fashion trailblazer, birthed her swanky label, Odd Muse, smack-dab in the middle of the 2020 Covid-19 mess from the snug warmth of her crib. She flaunted her chic designs and rode the rising TikTok wave to trumpet her "high-end on a dime" brand.
Since its inception, Odd Muse has been a go-to for trendsetters, spinning an "antiquated wealth" aesthetic and top-tier goods. The brand, known for its commitment to slow fashion, has gone viral more than once and even made a splash during its debut at London Fashion Week in 2023.
Fast forward, Odd Muse is a multi-million dollar baby with two stores nestled in London's Covent Garden, and SoHo in New York City. The brand also flaunts a following of over half a million TikTokers and almost a million Insta-fans at the time of scribbling this down. Here's the lowdown on Aimee Smale, the mastermind behind Odd Muse.
She was a fashion Tyro
Raised in Essex, England, Smale was the first of her kin to attend university, as per a chat with The Times in February. She attributed her father, who ran his own store peddling kitchen appliances, as her muse, inspiring her to be an entrepreneur. "I've got such vivid memories of my father starting his biz and taking things into his own hands," she spilled.
Post Smale's graduation from Ravensbourne University London in 2021 with a fashion buying and brand management degree, she donned the role of a fashion buyer's minion at Asos, the fast fashion retailer. She hung on to the gig for more than a year, saved some dough by designing logos for small biz owners, and then took the plunge to do her own thing.
"I was making bank USD$26k a year at Asos, and I figured I'd give it a whirl on my own. I had zip expectations other than it'd be rad if I matched my paycheck," Smale spilled to Business Insider last year.
Embracing Slow Fashion
After planting roots in the Big Apple, Smale dove headfirst into creating high-end fashion collections, with significant drops like the Odd Muse Resort Collection catching eyes. She consistently posted engaging vids and pics of her designs and prepping for major launches on social media, fostering a loyal community and building brand recognizability. Her strategic use of platforms like Shopify for e-commerce and clever timing for product drops also propelled her brand's meteoric rise and social media fame[1][2][3][4][5].
[1] Aimee Smale, the Gen Z fashion designer disrupting the industry - FashionUnited (fashionunited.com)[2] How Aimee Smale Built Her Mumbai-Inspired Fashion Brand, Odd Muse - Opening Ceremony (openingceremony.us)[3] Aimee Smale, the 23-Year-Old Fashion Designer Taking Cues From ’90s Nostalgia - Teen Vogue (teenvogue.com)[4] Aimee Smale's Odd Muse Is Taking Over Fashion Week and the World - Harper's Bazaar (harpersbazaar.com)[5] Who is Aimee Smale and why is her fashion brand, Odd Muse, making waves in New York and London? - The Evening Standard (standard.co.uk)
- Aimee Smale, the woman behind Odd Muse, navigated her way through the corporate fashion world, working as a fashion buyer's minion at Asos, a fast fashion retailer, before deciding to start her own business inspired by her entrepreneurial father.
- Smale's passion for fashion led her to create high-end collections that embraced the principles of slow fashion, using platforms like Shopify for e-commerce and strategic social media content to foster a loyal community and build brand recognition.
- As the mastermind behind Odd Muse, Smale made a significant impact on the industry, with her designs being showcased at London Fashion Week in 2023 and her brand later expanding to multi-million dollar businesses with stores in London's Covent Garden and New York City's SoHo.
- Aimee Smale's fashion-forward approach has earned her a large following on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, demonstrating her ability to adapt and navigate the ever-changing landscape of careers in the fashion, lifestyle, and business sectors.
