Alie Mackintosh launched AYM Studio straight out of university with just a sewing machine and a vision to create truly women-centric clothing. What began as a hobby quickly grew into a social-first brand known for its sculpting silhouettes, made-to-order models and sustainable ethos.
AYM, which stands for ‘All Your Moments’, was born out of Mackintosh’s obsession with design that solves real problems. Her designs, which you have probably seen on your TikTok feed, are cleverly engineered style solutions built to flatter the wearer’s shape with waist syncing features and double-lined fabrics.
With a combined social following in the hundreds of thousands, both the Founder and the brand have cultivated a loyal, engaged community that plays an active role in shaping AYM’s direction.
In this interview, Mackintosh shares the lessons she’s learned from building AYM from the ground up, how community and social media helped shape the brand and the importance of listening to what customers want.
Can you take us back to the beginning? How did AYM first come to life?
AYM first came to life as a hobby. I taught myself how to sew and started experimenting with making dresses when I was at uni. I was (and still am) obsessed with good design. Good design, to me, is finding a way to solve problems through aesthetic and functional solutions that truly deliver what the customer wants.
@alie.mackintosh I started AYM as ‘Boom Boom Boutique’ with a box of scrap fabric I found for £14 at a charity shop. I borrowed my sister’s sewing machine and made my first collection. Reinvested the money into fabric and kept going. Somehow my designs have ended up on Kim Kardashian, Hailey Bieber & Kylie Jenner. But best of all, I’ve had my designs worn by you. My incredible customers. To you, I am forever grateful for this journey. I can’t wait to continue creating for you #businesswoman #buisness #aym ♬ Reality of entrepreneurship – Imogen | Brand Strategist
You launched AYM straight out of university, without traditional industry backing. What were the biggest lessons you learned from building a brand from scratch?
Learning to understand what is important and what isn’t. When you’re growing your own business, everything can feel important, but that can lead to total overwhelm. Prioritising the right things and giving them the time they need to excel makes a huge difference.
Getting the right people in the right seats. I know it sounds cliché, but it makes a huge difference. Aligning myself with people who get the vision and are just as passionate, with the right skills to match, unlocks huge potential for making the dream a reality.
There is truly no such thing as a stupid question. I have asked some outright bold and – a bit bonkers – things. I honestly feel that unless you ask, you’ll never know what is possible and what isn’t. The worst that’s going to happen is someone will laugh, and then it’s okay to laugh with them. They’ll at least respect the desire to be bold, and if they don’t, then it’s not the right person to be having those conversations with anyway.
In the early days, AYM gained traction through word-of-mouth and social media. Can you tell us about your social-first approach? Was there a defining viral moment that propelled the brand forward?
We’re still gaining traction this way. Building a community of like-minded people who love what we stand for, great quality design that is created thoughtfully. Our social-first approach is born out of our desire to have feedback from our community, and to have real-time feedback through interactions we have online is completely incredible. When we post something on socials, it’s clear to us instantly whether that style or approach is loved or not-so-loved.
When did you think ‘ah we’ve made it’?
I haven’t got there yet! The best feeling for me is when I hear other people telling stories about an AYM item and how it has made someone feel. For example, I’ve heard friends talking about how they’ve been at a party and spotted someone wearing AYM, and when they’ve spoken to the person wearing it, they shared how amazing the dress makes them feel.
How did you translate that online momentum into a sustainable retail model, and what were the biggest hurdles when stepping into the commercial side of fashion?
Online momentum is hard to predict as viral videos might snowball overnight. Within the space of 24 hours, you could have a completely different level of demand than you had the day before. The nature of that means that it is important to pay attention to what is working during the average days, lean into things that feel right and make sure that the retail model is continuously evolving to get better and better. Being able to respond quickly – even if that is to say ‘we can’t take more orders at this time’ – is an important thing to master. We’re not there yet, but we’re working hard every day to continue learning what our customers want and how we can serve them in the best way possible.
AYM’s made-to-order approach stands out in a world of overproduction. How are your pieces made, and how did you convince customers and partners to embrace this slower, more thoughtful way of shopping?
For 10 years, we made all our clothes on a pre-order model. This meant that we didn’t build stock, but we focused on producing only what was ordered. We’ve now got to the point that we can start investing in small quantities of stock. It’s taken 10 years of learning, data and customer feedback to get to this stage, so it’s a slow but very considered approach to stock creation.
We now make a very small quantity of stock when we launch a product. This is based on all the data we’ve acquired and our continuous evolution of our product offering, so that we feel confident that styles will sell well before we make any stock of them. We take very few risks when it comes to stock production as once a raw material is turned into a finished garment, there’s no room for changes (unless you’re able to rework – but that’s costly on resources!).
Our pieces are made by hand in London. We use double-layered fabric, sewn into what is called a ‘bagged out’ design. This construction technique hides the internal seamlines, creating a smooth and comfortable finish on the inside of the garments as well as the outside. We think carefully about what women want from their clothes and make sure garments do that, making dresses bra-friendly, supportive, and sculpting.
Retail traditionally favours speed and scale—how have you resisted pressure to compromise on values for the sake of growth?
Quite simply because I want to make great products. Great products take time to make. I’d rather make fewer but better. I don’t want to compromise on quality for short-term wins.
From self-shooting lookbooks to handling customer service, you’ve worn many hats—how has your role evolved as AYM has grown?
My role has evolved from being a ‘jack of all trades’ to now being able to take a slight step back and look more strategically at the business. I love being able to jump into the projects that require getting really into the weeds, but also love being able to take a step back and recognise if that project is necessary for the long-term vision.
Looking ahead, what’s next for AYM? Are you exploring new categories, retail partnerships, or other ways to scale? Can we expect any third-party partnerships or any brick-and-mortar retail openings?
We are continuing to focus on evolving our product offering and services to be the best they can be. We’re committed to that first and foremost. I don’t see us as chasing the next big thing, but focusing on how we can deliver excellence to our customers.
