Founded in 2008 by best friends Adrian Norris and Edwina Forest, Aje is making waves in the realm of fashion brands that celebrate raw beauty, becoming increasingly important across the industry. The founders have every intention of making it the sole focus, educating their customers about the importance of tough femininity and effortless cool wardrobe

<ol></ol>
L'OFFICIEL: How did you both start out in fashion?
Adrian: After training at the art school Liceo Artistico Venezia in Venice, I returned to Australia and started a boutique in the coastal town of Noosa, with the ambition to find a balance in my pursuits of merging artistic interests alongside an Australian coastal fashion and lifestyle.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Edwina: Both of my grandmothers had impeccable style, and I remember always being enamoured with fashion. I studied Journalism with the desire to move into the&nbsp;fashion magazine world.&nbsp; Following a two year tenure as a fashion stylist with Australian fashion magazine RUSSH, Adrian and I founded Aje as we saw a gap in the market for a brand that spoke to the Australian cool girl, who effortlessly navigated life between her coastal and urban settings. &nbsp; 
L'OI: How and why did you decide to launch Aje?
Adrian: Edwina and I met in 2008 and instantly connected - as friends, creatively and as business partners. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/_aje_/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aje</a> is a marriage of minds, Adrian joins Edwina. We feel very grateful to still be here almost thirteen years on.&nbsp;
L'OI: How has your background influenced who you are today?
Adrian: With a mutual love for the arts, everything we do at Aje is inspired by this sense of contrast, a deep appreciation for the raw beauty of artisanal techniques and craftsmanship, luxurious quality design and effervescent pieces that last the test of time. &nbsp;
L'OI: How would you describe Aje&rsquo;s aesthetic?
Edwina: Aje is dedicated to raw beauty, tough femininity and effortless cool. We are an advanced contemporary fashion brand with luxury sensibilities and a focus on delivering statement style with artisan detailing for the curious and cool.
L'OI: What's the inspiration behind the Resort 2022 collection?
Edwina: The vision for the collection was to create the ultimate escapist summer reverie. We wanted to speak to summer beyond the sense of a season, rather to view it&nbsp;as a mood,&nbsp;a feeling - the feel of the sun on the skin, salty hair and lips, blossoms blooming and long summer romances. And no summers spelt freedom and happiness more than those of the swinging sixties, so there is a definite nod to this era in terms of print, fabrication and silhouette direction.
L'OI: What inspired the prints and silhouettes in the Resort 2022 collection?
Edwina: We were inspired <a href="https://www.lofficiel.co.uk/fashion/fashion-trends-spring-summer-mini-skirt-brigitte-bardot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">by iconic 1960'</a>s films like La Piscine - a rich, sun-drenched serenity with colour and volume pushing saturation point.
L'OI: <a href="https://www.lofficiel.co.uk/fashion/milan-fashion-week-hilights" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Next summer must-have</a>&hellip;
Edwina: The Mirage Woven Braided Clutch Bag is a timeless piece from our Resort 22 collection, a wardrobe staple to be loved for seasons on end. The braiding used on the statement strap is a new, in-house technique we crafted specifically for this season - a testament to the craftsmanship of the Aje design team.
L'OI: Adrian, which Aje piece is your forever favourite?
Adrian: I believe colour theory has a huge hold over our emotions. Anything that features colour, colour and more colour instantly makes me happy. There are so many fantastic fabrications, hues and prints in our latest &lsquo;Scent of Summer&rsquo; collection, in particular, our Sunset Stripe Print, a hand-painted and digitally printed fabrication in saturated summer tones of pink crafted sixties silhouettes.&nbsp;
L'OI: Edwina, which Aje piece is your forever favourite?
Edwina: For a tried-and-true, everyday look, I never go past my well-tailored black Aje suit with a tie waist, for a feminine take on an androgynous silhouette. Paired back with a strappy Aje heel, gold drop earrings and a red lip - I feel instantly more confident and collected wherever I&rsquo;m going.&nbsp;

L'OI: What tips do you have for wearing bold prints and colours?
Edwina: Colour and print is so personal, it can be seen and styled in so many different ways depending on the wearer - with multiple meanings, nostalgic ties and complexities.&nbsp;My advice is simply to follow your intuition, ask yourself how you want to inject yourself into the world and choose styles that reflect that. Project your own personal meanings behind your colour and print choices, this will help you tell your own story.&nbsp;
Adrian: We&rsquo;ve seen of late a trend towards joyful dressing, coming out of lockdown in Australia in particular, customers have leaned towards bold, vibrant colours and exaggerated silhouettes. Our community is dressing in alignment with increased dopamine thanks to reconnections and festivities ahead, an expanding world around us. Colour has the power to reflect, change and uplift our spirits.&nbsp;
L'OI: Who has had the most formative influence on your creative process?
Edwina: The meeting of creative minds has always been a formative, driving influence on my creative process. The wider Aje team and our collaborators are a constant source of inspiration, storytelling and innovation. 
L'OI: Where do you look for inspiration in general?
Edwina: Inspiration is everywhere and boundless. We are forever inspired by our surroundings, looking at the natural landscape and biodiversity of Australia, First Nations voices, architectural gems discovered on our travels, cinema, street style and works of art, often collaborating with inspiring people at the helm of these practices. I have an endless curiosity for culture and the arts, it&rsquo;s food for the creative soul. 
L'OI: Describe the &lsquo;Aje woman&rsquo;
Adrian: The Aje woman is curious, cool and considered. She&rsquo;s intelligently playful, looking at style as an extension of her interests in art, interiors, travel and culture. 
Edwina: She has a discerning eye that appreciates craftsmanship, flattering design and timelessness, consciously placing value in pieces that can last beyond single wear or season. 
L'OI: If you could have anyone wear Aje, who would it be?
Edwina: Georgia O'keeffe
Adrian: I adore seeing the two women closest to me in Aje, my mum and sister.&nbsp;
L'OI: Aje&rsquo;s quote to live by&hellip;.&nbsp;
Minimising Our Impact on Earth, Maximising Our Positive Impact on Humanity.
L'OI: What can we expect from Aje in the near future?
Adrian: As the world reopens, so will our offering to international markets. We are excited to continue our expansion as a world-class contemporary fashion house, reaching new customers globally.
Edwina: Our upcoming collections in 2022 are inspired by the natural world and its relationship to both man-made objects and theory. Lots of verdant colours, sophisticated structure and artisanal accessories.&nbsp;

The RE22 &lsquo;Scent of Summer&rsquo; collection is available now from <a href="http://www.ajeworld.com">www.ajeworld.com</a>

Aje's ultimate escapist summer reverie

Tags

Related Articles

Fashion

Poster Girl: Welcome To Paradise Bay

Fashion

The Importance of Grey, because GRAY MATTERS

Fashion

Katimō's way to live minimalism

Recommended posts for you

Man

Jake Gyllenhaal Says It Was 'Humbling' to Learn MMA; Talks 'Roadhouse,' Return to Broadway

Pop Culture

Kate Middleton Spotted 'Happy, Relaxed and Healthy,' But No, There Aren't Photos

Man

Brad Pitt's Complete Dating History

Beauty

Celebs Ditch The Makeup in These All-Natural Selfies

Art & Design

Gucci Premieres 'Who is Sabato De Sarno? A Gucci Story'

Art & Design

An Ode to Joy, Maserati GranCabrio: the new Trident spyder, between design and comfort

Fashion

«Being a leader means inspiring» says Jia Wei of Xiaomi

Fashion Week

Chloé Reintroduces Bohemian Chic for This Fall/Winter Season