Undercover with 'Aimee-Cherie Intimates' founder Aimee Kendall
Oh boy are we glad Aimee decided to make lacey bralette's to fit her wardrobe 7 years ago. For those who don't know Aimee Kendall, she is the Founder and creative talent behind Aimee-Cherie Intimates, a Melbourne based ethically made intimates brand. We fell in love with the Aimee-Cherie range of relaxed, 90s nostalgic line of lingerie and we know you will too!
We speak to Aimee about how an idea that started on her mum's kitchen bench has now turned into a successful intimates brand as she gives us an insight into her manufacturing process, ethical & sustainability practices, the new Bowie Collection and more!
Your brand has grown so much over 7 years, could you please share with us how the idea of Aimee-Cherie Intimates came about?
A
imee-Cherie Intimates is one of those 'started on my mums kitchen bench' stories. After I finished studying at TAFE the little lacey bralettes from my graduate collection became popular on what was a fairly new platform back then, Instagram. Back then there was no plan or strategy to make the brand what it is now, it was just making a product that fitted into my wardrobe which was super relaxed and refined to classic, no frills kinda of things. It was over time that I realised there were plenty of other women out there that wanted comfortable but not daggy lingerie too.
Each piece in your collection is handmade by your team in Melbourne. Was this something that was always important to you since launching? How has it benefited your brand having everything made in your Melbourne studio?
This was something that was never purposely intentional but helped define the brands values and keep me true to mine as I got older. When I was 21 or so starting out, I just couldn't afford to have anything made offshore and didn't need the large minimum order quantity either. Local manufacturing was super difficult to secure, especially living in Perth at the time. It has been a blessing making everything ourselves since day dot, as it means we've been able to introduce new pieces, or updated versions of old ones, and discontinue past ranges when we see a change in our customer without all this excess stock or waste.
Your new Bowie bamboo collection has already proven to be super popular amongst customers. What was the inspiration behind this collection?
I'm so excited to have the Bowie collection finally live! It feels like the most true intention of where I've been trying to go with Aimee-Cherie Intimates for years now. These pieces and the cuts are exactly what I wear every day, and was trying to find for years before hand. I like my underwear to be simple, good in cut, functional, classic but still beautiful. They're simple crops and g-strings that are comfortable and compliment your natural shape.The fact they're made from bamboo is an added plus. I've wanted to start working with more sustainable fabrics for a while now but was never 100% happy with the samples I found. This bamboo is incredibly soft, breathable and the colours are so delicate.
How would you define the Aimee-Cherie woman?
I've always hoped for the Aimee-Cherie woman to be someone that's proud of themselves.That understands hard work, in whichever context that may mean for them. I hope that she is or is learning to be accepting of her body, and all the incredible things it will allow her to do in life. I hope she's someone that looks for the good in people, and is contributing her best self to the world and its effort to be a better one for the future.
I'm sure there has been many, but what has been your career highlight to date since launching?
I'm a super nostalgic, emotional person that I think smaller highlights are more memorable to me then any one big moment. I've found being in business, and one that I'm constantly trying to improve and scale has been very challenging. There have been one or two times over the duration of Aimee-Cherie Intimates where I've felt really defeated by some loses or poor decision making. When I look back at how I pulled myself out of that to an even better place makes me so proud.
We understand that ethical & sustainable practices is an important aspect of your business. Could you provide us with an insight into some of the things you do to improve your sustainability efforts?
Absolutely! We're by no means perfect yet, and I think no fashion brand is. At the end of the day to own more clothing then you're able to wear is an absolute luxury. As I've gotten older sustainable practises have become more and more important to me. I've simplified a lot of our packaging to make sure there's minimal waste, or at least making it compostable waste. I hand cut every piece of lingerie myself which allows me to use the most of any roll of fabric.
The amount of fabric I purchase is also only how much I know I can make and actually sell so it doesn't end up going to waste. When you come into our studio there isn't rolls and rolls of fabric and trims and notions everywhere. It's minimal to the amount we'll actually be using within a few months at a time. And where possible I try to source our fabrics and notions from local suppliers to reduce our carbon footprint.
The amount of fabric I purchase is also only how much I know I can make and actually sell so it doesn't end up going to waste. When you come into our studio there isn't rolls and rolls of fabric and trims and notions everywhere. It's minimal to the amount we'll actually be using within a few months at a time. And where possible I try to source our fabrics and notions from local suppliers to reduce our carbon footprint.
Are there any new collections you're working on that we should all be keeping an eye out for?
I'm really happy with the Bowie collection at the moment and the response we've had to that. So any future collections will be an extension of those. More fuller cuts in the bottoms, variations on the crops, perhaps one of our classic one pieces again. Since we do all production ourselves we are already absolutely pushed to our physical limits of what can produce and deliver in the best quality that I demand. In saying that it's been pressing on me for sometime to extend our size range and become more size inclusion. I understand the opportunity we have to cater to even more amazing women, and its absolutely one of the most important things to me right now.
How have you found the response from the local community during these uncertain times? The support of the local Australian community lately, especially in such uncertain times has been incredibly mind-blowing. I've been so touched by the support of Australians to Australian made and owned brands. I hope this mindset continues when life goes back to our new normal, and we continue to learn why local business is so rewarding.
