Starting out as a Buyer's Assistant at ASOS to taking the plunge in lockdown, Aimee is now the founder and creative director of her slow fashion brand, Odd Muse.
Aimee Smale is the Founder and Creative Director of the slow fashion house, Odd Muse. Striving for change in the way we consume fashion and view high-quality clothes, she took the leap of leaving her buying role at ASOS to begin her dream, which has now become a seven-figure business in just two years.
It all began in Essex
Aimee began studying Fashion Buying and Management in London, with the original goal of becoming a fashion buyer. Growing up in Essex where she still lives today, she was just on the cusp of London. Inspired by those around her in her hometown, many worked for themselves, including her Dad, whom she had watched build his own independent business. Admiring his work ethic and the freedom that comes from working for yourself.
While the thought of starting her own business was always in the back of Aimee's mind, looking back she doesn't think she would have exceeded without the knowledge she gained at University. While many people may believe studying fashion design over buying would be crucial for launching your own fashion brand, Aimee explains that understanding how to run a business and launch a product is just as difficult and as important. "If I knew how to make clothes as in-depth as I knew how to run a business and the numbers behind it I don’t think I would have exceeded in Odd Muse as well. I know exactly what profits we need to make put into the next step of the business and how to merchandise cost prices and understand profit margins.”
Even when completing university Aimee felt like she could do more. Facing the dreaded self-doubt of comparison and feeling behind after looking at her friends who chose work over education and had three years of experience already.
“I felt like, although I'd gone and got myself a degree, I felt like I was behind in life. Because obviously you live these extra three, four years in education, and you're not earning, and your not gaining that professional experience.”
Holding this drive, Aimee went into her first graduate role in ASOS ready to gain some professional experience and work her way up the industry.
Facing the Fashion Industry
Landing the role swiftly, ASOS was one of the first companies she applied to. As Aimee explains that it's once you're in the entry-level boundaries the competition begins. With around 500 girls fighting for the same promotion, the reality of the exclusive fashion industry set in.
“When you get in the door at fashion, that's when the real work begins.”
Aimee loved the role, every single day was different and she was learning so much but she quickly realised progression here was going to be a slow journey. She knew there was going to be a moment in her career when she would have to face that she knew all she needed to but couldn't move up the ladder. Working her way up for years to aim for a normal wage at a place she felt would not look after her in the long run, Aimee knew she didn't want that for herself. “And even as an employer now like I really tried to challenge that like even though I'm a much smaller brand. You know, fashion is so low-paid until you literally make it.”
ASOS was the place Aimee built up the skills she learned at University. But the most important part was that industry experience was incredibly character-building. Aimee explains she was someone who would shy away and was timid, before being thrown into the industry. Aimee would get involved in as much as possible, from overseeing and approving orders to dealing with real numbers, real cash and real units offering her that real-time experience. As she explains, “I'm really grateful for the manager I had at ASOS, she would delegate tasks to me, for example, writing orders, which a lot of people in ASOS at that time wouldn't have the responsibility to do. But I was very lucky that my buyer would get me involved in as much as possible.”
Introducing Odd Muse
Odd Muse began with Aimee’s drive to change the narrative and show people that buying high-quality, timeless pieces that last a lifetime is better than buying a bulk of fast fashion garments for one-time wear. Turning the business into a seven-figure slow fashion house with pre-orders and sell-out garments that have even been featured in issues of Vogue. As a university student who was once an avid purchaser of fast-fashion brands such as Pretty Little Thing, the realisation hit that these companies capitalise on those with low incomes.
“I genuinely don't think fast fashion is a preference for anyone, I don't believe people who shop at Pretty Little Thing over slow fashion if they had the choice and options. Have you felt like there's essentially no benefit to it other than the cheap prices?”
While these fast fashion brands promote excessive overconsumption and wearing something once that won’t stand the test of time, Aimee began to realize people her age were spending just as much as luxury buyers. As she explains, “My blazers might be £145 but people are easily spending that monthly on Pretty Little Thing.”
This is where Odd Muse started to fuse together for Aimee, her luxury slow fashion brand was launched for those with lower incomes to invest their money in timeless garments, not aimed at those who already bought in luxury.
“I targeted the PLT girls and said to them, Hey, put your money into investment fashion. Put that same spend, I'm not asking you to spend any more money.”
Every product Aimee puts out on Odd Muse embodies this vision of timeless garments, giving the option of quality staples to the younger generations. From their pearl dress or iconic blazer that continue to be staples year after year.
“I really feel like this is why Odd Muse has done so well. I really feel like at the time, I was like the only young person in the industry picking up on that.”
Encouraging young women to reconsider how they spend their money in fashion and putting it towards something they will want to wear for years to come. Aimee continues to create garments with that wow factor that lasts year after year, which always remains her motivation. Aimee explains, “I genuinely felt like I had I'd cracked something. I was like that not enough people doing this.” Feeling like no one was really targeting these young girls in hindsight who don’t even want to shop for PLT but feel like they have no other choice.
As Odd Muse continues to grow at rapid speed, recently becoming a seven-figure business, the biggest challenge Aimee faces is the growing pains of the luxury label. In the very beginning, the quick growth was overwhelming leading Aimee to hire her first employee, now from 2021 to 2022 Odd Muse has grown five times over. Facing the quick growth, the difficult aspect has been hiring new staff and finding bigger offices and warehouses to accommodate the growth.
Crafting small, impactful collections, Odd Muse follows their ethos and unique selling point of designing timeless garments. “That’s your biggest marketing point and the reason people come back to you,” Aimee explains that she’s constantly learning and critical of herself, after growing phenomenally this quarter of 2022. Everything remains authentic to the brand, Aimee explains “I had a moment at the beginning of this year where I did like loads of stuff in colour. We had a pink blazer and pink trousers. And it just performed so horribly. I sat myself down and said, of course, this isn't going to do well. No one wants the pink blazer to wear every day. And that was a real learning curve for us”
The Role of a Creative Director at a Slow Fashion House
As founder and creative director of Odd Muse, Aimee is beginning to realise that it’s impossible for her to oversee everything with the brand growing so quickly. Something she deems as incredibly important to her role is managing all the social accounts.
“Every single post is made by me that same day. I want it to be so authentic to what I'm feeling that day. And I'm in all the content as you probably might see.”
As Aimee stands on the importance of genuinely connecting with your consumers, while onboarding help, it’s important to her that she creates this deeper connection online. While she is currently juggling a million tasks, moving into 2023 Aimee will solely focus her role on growing the brand through social media and marketing. A big part of Aimee’s responsibilities is running the business from checking the accounts to managing her staff.
“When you are at the top of the business, you have to sort of expect your role to be a little bit all over the place.”
Designing a Sell-Out Staple
The design process at Odd Muse is forever evolving, when Aimee first started on her own she would sketch way before working closely with the manufacturers. Constantly looking to vintage runways for her inspiration, from certain necklines that are a statement to sleeves.
“ I'm looking for like old vintage shapes, I never ever follow a trend.”
An important part of this process is asking herself and her team if they would wear it, only releasing items they absolutely love and will continue to want to wear for years on. Before going through plenty of samples until the garment is perfect.
“I would rather spend 10 years on one thing than make a huge collection. It’s super important for us to always be super, super refined.”
Now Aimee works alongside her product development assistant to perfect final designs. The designs become a collaborative process for the whole office. As a team of five, they filter through samples offering improvements and tweaks, “Five great minds have come together to perfect one design".
Small Town Girl Advice
For anyone aiming to start their own slow fashion brand, Aimee explains the importance of prioritizing gaining experience and building up your confidence in the industry. Aimee poured her life savings into starting Odd Muse, and she expresses the importance of going into the challenge of starting your own business with the confidence to critique yourself.
“Have the confidence to admit that product might not be right. Or you know like for example if something takes me five months to sell, I am aware that that product was not good enough.” Aimee explains it’s tough, but you have to assess things and analyse them constantly.
The best advice Aimee has ever heard, it’s impossible to fail if you haven’t given up yet. She explains you will get thrown so many curveballs and new ways to adapt, but even when you feel like giving up you have to keep going because if it was easy everyone would do it.
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