If you haven’t heard of Odd Muse before, this is your sign to get them on your radar. Pitched as a luxury, slow-fashion womenswear brand founded by Aimee Smale in 2020, their approach to marketing has been the foundation of their success.
Aimee Smale has always positioned herself as the face of her brand, and by this point, we know that having visible and accessible founders is key to a brand’s success. But aside from this, her honesty and transparency has been what sets the brand apart from competitors.
Having initially gone viral for their iconic blazers, the brand is focused on creating staple wardrobe pieces that you can reach for time and time again. The blazers led to the brand making $139,000 in just 3 months and their success has just spiralled from there.
In order to promote her brand, Aimee used herself as a marketing tool to model her designs. Aside from keeping her expenditure lower by not having to pay for models, this also meant that each product launch and its associated marketing was filled with the passion she held for her own brand. Who better to promote something than the person who created it? The pieces sold well because she knew just how good they were and was able to fluently market that to consumers.
Not only is Odd Muse a brand that listens to what their consumers want, they also take on constructive criticism and make adjustments to their products based on that. For example, when they received a number of comments about the fit of their iconic (and also viral) pearl dress, they took it back to the drawing board and relaunched it in the most iconic way.
The pearl dress was relaunched with a community campaign that took a number of ‘Muses’ and photographed them around London in the new version of the dress. The girls who took part represented all shapes, sizes and ethnicities, showing the versatility of the design – it looks good on everyone! They were also encouraged to make their own content from the day, which led to further coverage and online discussion for the brand.
This is an example of consumer listening that we haven’t seen from any many brands. To recognise and hear things your customers would like to see improved, act on it and then use it to inspire a new campaign is top tier marketing from the Odd Muse team.
Odd Muse is one of those brands that recognises how their community is the driving force behind their marketing, not just their sales.
The Odd Muse team also take a different approach to social media marketing, compared to most luxury brands. Their stripped-back, casual style and candour online makes their content more relatable to the average viewer, whilst the stunning visuals of the pieces are strategically inserted throughout each item of posted.
Founder Aimee also uses her channels to push the brand, sharing insights into what it’s like to be a 20-something brand owner. This adds so much personality to the brand, and when their audience recognise how much work has gone into the company and pieces, it builds that connection and customer loyalty that is key to brand longevity.
In November of 2023, the doors officially opened on the permanent Odd Muse store in Central London, and on the 9th November, their first event store in NYC will open. This is a true testament to the hard work of Aimee and her team and their ability to curate a community and following internationally in the space of just a few years.
