MIUSE: ISSUE 1

Interviewed by Erika Hanson
Page 46
ERIKA: HOW WAS BY AYLIN KOENIG STARTED? WAS
THERE A GAP IN THE MARKET YOU FOUND?
AYLIN: We founded the label by Aylin Koenig in the
end of 2018. I already had the idea to establish my
own label for a couple of years as fashion is my
absolute passion. The start of the label was preceded
by several months of preparations, the whole founding
phase was very complex and detailed. In this sense
I didn’t see a gap, but rather followed my dream:
To create products that carry 100% of my signature.
Fortunately, the response has been very positive
since the beginning and it’s still a nice confirmation
of the daily work.
ERIKA: AS A DESIGNER, WHERE DO YOUR PROCESSES
BEGIN WHEN YOU START DESIGNING YOUR NEXT
COLLECTION?
AYLIN: I’m on a daily search for inspiration: in classic
fashion magazines, on social media channels or
when strolling through the city. It is very important
to me to have my own signature in the product
development: it’s all about products suitable for
everyday use in high quality at affordable prices.
Often ideas arise spontaneously, which I then
discuss with the team and coordinate in close
cooperation with the production facilities in Italy.
It is always an exciting process, especially since
the entire coordination process takes a lot of time.
ERIKA: YOUR COLLECTIONS ARE THE PERFECT
EVERYDAY STAPLE PIECES. WHO DO YOU DESIGN
FOR? WHOM DO YOU ENVISION THE BY AYLIN
KOENIG CUSTOMER TO BE?
AYLIN: I want to be an inspiration for fashionconscious
women. I have the feeling that trends
aren’t really tangible for some women or that there’s
uncertainty about changes. Our new SS20 collection
is designed in such a way that individual pieces
can be worn perfectly as a look, giving customers
a better feel. In addition to aesthetics, I also want
to make my customers being aware of materials and
compositions due to the fact that the sustainability
and durability of garments are essential parts of the
value-added chain. At the end of the day, I simply
want my customers to make a conscious purchase
decision for or against the label.
ERIKA: YOU HAVE MASTERED MANY TALENTS; SOME
INCLUDING BALANCING A SUCCESSFUL BLOG,
DESIGNING A WOMENSWEAR LABEL, AS WELL AS
CREATING CONTENT AND STAYING ACTIVE ON AN
EVER-GROWING INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT WITH 644K
FOLLOWERS AND COUNTING. WHAT DOES A TYPICAL
DAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
AYLIN: It is difficult to describe a typical everyday
life. Due to the current corona situation, I spend a
lot of time in our office in Hamburg. Since we still
see the label itself as a start-up, all processes are
done in-house: product development, content
creation, storage & shipping, customer management,
accounting etc. It is exciting and incredibly fun to
accompany this process.
The whole thing wouldn’t be possible without a
team anyway. Everyone shares the same spirit and
enthusiasm for building the label and daily exchange
with users and followers. Being authentic and
approachable is an essential part of our daily work,
we always try to consider the customer’s feedback
and opinions in our decision making. The fact
that I have been able to convince so many people
with my enthusiasm for fashion and social media
over the years is still just amazing. Even if there are
difficult times and bad phases, you have to go on
and concentrate on the positive aspects of your daily
work-life-balance.