Irish Design Spotlight: Aleo

Tell us about you and your brand
When my partner Tara and I met in Sydney almost nine years ago, we both had a keen interest in fashion and in particular textiles and sustainability. Together, we started a small label that focused primarily on handmade dresses and skirts made in small batches. This was so exciting for us at the time and we sold them at various markets around Sydney. It was mostly a passion project for us as we both had separate careers outside of our label. Fast forward five years, and we were still dreaming about our own full-time fashion label based on slow fashion, but never really pursued the idea seriously up to that point. During the first Covid lockdown, we found ourselves with more time on our hands than usual and one night over a bottle of wine (or two), we started sketching shapes and silhouettes of handbags, gloves, shoes etc. 

We had so much fun that when we woke up the next day, we thought, ‘Let’s give this a real go’. That was basically day one of our brand Aleo. In early 2021, we left Australia and moved to Northern India where we found ourselves surrounded by the splendor of the mighty Himalayas. It was here that the brand really came to life. We worked tirelessly on designs, securing eco-friendly supply chains, sourcing the best available Italian leather and building the confidence to actually start the company. 

The brand name Aleo represents a small village nestled in the Himalayas, where our son was born. With our new baby in tow, we moved back home to Ireland and set up our new home and office. We’ve had incredible support from both our families in recent years, be it in India or here in Ireland and for that we feel really blessed. Having lived together in Australia and India and now launching the brand here in Ireland, we want our experiences together to be reflected in the brand and we look for inspiration from all over the globe. 

We knew from the outset that we needed to be dedicated to a slow fashion approach in all aspects of the brand. By taking our time with the launch and ensuring that we remained true to our original goal, we feel that Aleo reflects an expansive palette of global influences underpinned by understated luxury.  

What is your mission?
Our mission is to grow and represent our families and team on a global scale while remaining true to the initial concept of employing slow fashion principles. We are always aiming to ensure we are making our jobs both a fresh and enjoyable process. The fun we had on that first night in 2020 has become a guide for how we work on a daily basis. We are focused on creating playful, modern shapes that women/individuals/fashion lovers can feel good wearing every day, while also giving them the confidence that they’ve spent their hard-earned money on a high-quality, sustainable product. We pride ourselves on our attention to detail and refined aesthetic and are committed to always employing the use of skilled, high-quality artisanal craftsmanship. 

Did you always know you wanted to be a designer?
My background had always been more retail-focused as opposed to the design aspect of things. I got my first job as a sales assistant in 2005. My brother worked in some really cool stores in Cork City so I always grew up wanting to be like him. Looking back, I probably never thought I would be here, to be honest. Tara is the true heartbeat of Aleo when it comes to design. From her initial design education in Singapore in 2009 and later in Sydney where she completed her degree, to today as a very talented UX/UI designer, she really is the driving force behind our designs and concepts. 

What kind of items do you stock?
We primarily focus on leather handbags and accessories. Who knows what may lie ahead in the near future but for now Aleo is focused on handbags and leather accessories. 

What new brands or items are on your radar?
Probably the most exciting brand I’ve seen over the last year or so is Karu Research. Their collections have been amazing so far and really are so unique. We absolutely love their story and dedication to traditional craftsmanship. Another brand that has been around for a little bit longer but I only came across earlier this year is Flower Mountain. For all the sneakerheads out there, this is a truly exciting brand. I saw their AW23 collection when we showed at Scoop International in February and fell in love with their designs. 

Was money/funding a concern when starting out?
Yes, of course. We both had established careers in Australia when the pandemic hit in 2020. It was such an uncertain time for everyone but we quickly knew that we needed to be closer to our families in India and Ireland. We knew leaving these jobs and starting the brand would always carry an element of risk but we felt it aligned with our aspirations and plans to be closer to our families so we took that decision and haven’t looked back. We have also received tremendous support from our Local Enterprise Office. They supported us from the outset and helped us with our travel and print materials for our first trade show at Scoop International in London earlier this year. We have also taken advantage of the amazing mentoring sessions they offer to new companies just starting out. We are extremely grateful to Carmel Moran and her team for believing in us from the beginning. 

Best business advice you’ve gotten
The best piece of advice I’ve been given in any capacity was by my father which can readily be applied to business or any aspect of life. It’s quite simple, he told me, “Always listen to advice, no matter who is giving you the advice. Whether it’s good, bad or indifferent. There might be one grain of worth in it and it’s up to you what to do with.” That always stuck with me so I try to listen to people from all walks of life and learn as much as I can from everyone. 

Favourite fashion accounts you follow
I love checking out Sunnei’s Instagram page for so many different reasons. They constantly find quirky and immersive ways to show their products in new forms. Second to that would probably be Drôle De Monsieur, both these are at the top of their game right now. 

Best fashion purchase
I picked up a Le Bonnet hat in an amazing boutique called Amari in Cork that I absolutely love… I now have the same hat in five or six different colours. It’s a super cool brand whose colour palette is really great.

Other Irish brands you love
We really love another Irish handbag brand called August Night. Their styles are so unique and exciting. That’s one brand everyone should check out. We also love Niamh O’Neill’s stuff, we are big fans of both these brands. 

Most useful learning since setting up a business
Getting enough sleep. I used to take sleep for granted before our son was born but now, I really value it. Starting a business with a young family is always tricky in terms of finding a balance between work and spending as much time as possible with our son. Going to bed early and waking up early allows us to find that balance.

Proudest moment so far
That would have to be initially seeing our designs come to life and showing them to our families for the first time. That was quite special. 

I want my brand to be remembered for… that’s a tough question. It would be nice to be remembered for being a brand that remained true to its goals and didn’t sacrifice on production standards and quality for financial gain or the perceived benefits of mass production.  

If I could have anyone wear my designs it would be… right now, I think it would have to be Rhasidat Adeleke. She’s super talented and seems like a lovely person so yeah definitely her. A close second would be Ellie Roswell from Wolf Alice, she’s amazing.  

Imagery provided by Aleo.