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Having survived the boom-and-bust cycle that can plague many of our homegrowns, Australian juggernaut brand Aje celebrated 15 years in the fashion game on November 1. Media and people of note gathered at a private seaside residence, its palatial grounds punctured with the feminine ruffles and off-the shoulder silks of Resort 2024, as Aje founders Edwina Forest and Adrian Norris toasted to the brand.
With such a milestone now under her sculptural gold belt, we felt it a good time to ask Forest 15 lessons she’s learnt across the 15 years of being with Aje. From the ability to let things ebb and flow, and balancing work and motherhood, to taking the road less travelled, and her cure for jetlag, Forest’s 15 are worth a read.
- To lead by example. To be aspirational, nurturing and courageous.
- To be cognisant of each other’s strengths and weaknesses. To allow the strengths to flourish and to balance out the weaknesses. In relationships, people aren’t always ‘up’ or ‘on’ at the same time, it’s important to be able to ebb and flow when necessary.
Model Gabriella Brooks celebrates Aje’s 15th anniversary in Sydney on November 1. Credit: Courtesy of Aje - Have a good idea, or a theme—something that resonates, that binds people together and moves them forward. I always consider this when working with my team.
- Through adversity comes strength and innovation. [Adrian and I] have often found that through a design not turning out as per the original intention, a runway location falling through, or a store build taking longer than expected, it has forced us to think in a different way. To question and to challenge the narrative and something better has come as a result.
Actress Krew Boylan celebrates Aje’s 15th anniversary in Sydney on November 1. Credit: Courtesy of Aje - Neither Adrian nor I are trained designers and I think that has allowed us to not feel constrained nor bound by the foundations that good training instils. Whilst I wholeheartedly believe in education and training, I don’t believe it needs to follow a straight path. If there is a will, there is most definitely a way, many of the most innovative doers and thinkers come from this methodology.
- It’s cool to go against the grain. Whilst it might feel difficult at the beginning, it’s generally a sign that you are creating something truly unique which may just take a little more time to be understood.
Model Shanina Shaik celebrates Aje’s 15th anniversary in Sydney on November 1. Credit: Courtesy of Aje - I once heard Barack Obama say that he had his outfit chosen for him every day, because one day only had room for five big decisions to be made, and he couldn’t allow that to be one of them. It really resonated with me. I need to make important well-founded creative, design and business-related designs— in addition to life decisions–and I have less space for wardrobe decisions to enter the equation.
- Consequently, my day-to-day dress has become quite uniform. I have favourite pieces, generally black, that I love for their silhouette, fabrication and versatility and I wear them on rotation. It takes away the decision, empowers me and gives me a sense of grounding and unwavering identity.
Actress Pia Miller and Aje co-founder Adrian Norris celebrate Aje’s 15th anniversary in Sydney on November 1. Credit: Courtesy of Aje - Duality or contrast is key to any great outfit.
- I’m just learning how to balance work, life and motherhood. I haven’t yet found the right equilibrium. Sometimes you just have to keep turning up, putting one foot in front of the other, and things begin to fall into place.
Aje’s 15th anniversary soiree in Sydney on November 1. Credit: Courtesy of Aje - The older I get, the more I realise that love, passion and authenticity need to drive all professional and life decisions. When these are missing, the result is rarely outstanding.
- To stay inspired, you need to take yourself out of your comfort zone.
Model Kristen Apollos celebrates Aje’s 15th anniversary in Sydney on November 1. Credit: Courtesy of Aje - Tension creates the magic. There always needs to be a push and a pull to take you where you need to go.
- When travelling, try to land in the morning, and then make sure to get into the sunshine, take your shoes off and plant your feet on the grass somewhere. It resets the circadian rhythm and grounds the energy helping immensely with jetlag.
- Journaling is the best remedy for over-thinkers. It gets the thoughts out of the head, and transmutes them into the universe where they seem to make a lot more sense.
