In Love With Ai Mei Li: Sustainable and Handmade Fashion

Ai mei le is a new brand birthed by London based designer, Emily Macfie, during the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Her upcycled designs includes unique pieces that are handmade and hand dyed. Her designs seem to be popular amongst the music industry, being worn by artists such as SZA and Grimes.

Peony petals for skin ✿ coming end of this month pic.twitter.com/zCQx9XoJoq

— skateboard E ^_−☆ (@ai_mei_li) March 23, 2022

“My brand has been in my head for a while, but being stuck in my house with not much to do at the beginning of the first lockdown allowed me to dedicate a lot of my time and energy towards design and making clothes,” explains Macfie of the label’s inception. ​“The limitations of what I had available helped me narrow down all these crazy ideas I had that overwhelmed me and made it easier to start. One day I just started shredding and braiding my old clothes.”

“I’ve always been fascinated by people with statement styles, regardless of whether it’s something I would particularly wear,” says Macfie of her own unique style. ​“I’m obsessed with the dedication and overall passion different people have with what they choose to wear and how they choose to present themselves.”

You can read more about the budding 23 year old designer in this interview from GUAP where she discusses her background and what it was like breaking into the fashion industry.