Aïla Studio on Friendship, Fabric Scraps and an Endless Summer
Fashion17 October 2026
AuthorIsabella Pettitt
PhotosJesica Ibobo
Built by best friends and made from fabrics with a past, Aïla Studio is stitching together its own world. Leila and Aisha talk patchwork, girlhood and making clothes to share.
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n a fashion world where trends come and go almost as quickly as they arrive, Aïla Studio is creating something a little different. Founded by Leila and Aisha, the London-based brand transforms pre-loved and leftover fabrics into one-of-a-kind patchwork pieces, giving materials a new life while making every garment feel completely personal.
They gave us the Aïla Girl: someone who sees fashion as a way of expressing who they are rather than simply following what is trending. From the fabrics they choose to the way each piece comes together, Aïla Studio is all about individuality and creating clothes that feel as unique as the person wearing them.
With sustainability, creativity and self-expression becoming increasingly important in fashion, Aïla Studio is proving that using what already exists does not mean compromising on creativity. We spoke to Leila and Aisha about where Aïla Studio began, their approach to creating one-of-one pieces, the inspiration behind the Aïla Girl and what they hope to build with the brand in the next few years.
Your garments are always unique, and no two pieces are exactly alike because they are crafted from a blend of different fabrics. Beyond the fabric mix itself, what do you think makes a garment truly unique? What gives a piece its own individuality and personality?
L: I would say what makes the Aïla garments truly unique is the thought process that has gone into each and every one of them. We have consciously tried to make items that are made for everyone, and with fabric that has come from places of meaning.
All the fabric used was given a second chance at life. However, I think the fact that this collection’s fabric has come from my mum means that it’s something that is very personal to us. The brand has been built not just by myself and Aisha. It has also been built by our friends and family, with their support.
Each piece is individual and each piece has taken weeks to make. From start to finish the process has included lots of trial and error. The experimental process was long and thoughtful as we wanted each product to be completely perfect and something we were really, really proud of.
A: I believe individuality comes from the story behind each garment. It’s not just the combination of fabrics, but where those fabrics came from, the marks and details they already carry, and how we choose to bring them together. Because we work with materials that already exist, we’re designing around what we find rather than starting with a blank canvas. That makes the process much more intuitive and means every piece develops its own character with its own narrative and history.
I also think individuality comes from the person wearing it. A garment can have its own personality through its shape, texture and little imperfections, but it really comes alive when someone makes it their own. The same way each garment is unique, we believe it becomes uniquely worn by the individual who eventually buys and owns it. Their personal style, their body, their perspective on fashion and their way of seeing the world all become part of the garment. In that sense, the story of the garment begins to intertwine with the story of its owner. We love the idea that a piece can start with one story, created from materials that already had a past, and then take on an entirely new one through the person who wears it.
Summer is a fundamental part of Aïla’s DNA. It’s not only about the feeling it evokes, but also about looking and feeling confident and comfortable while wearing the clothes. I’d love to know more about your creative process: what rituals or routines do you have when looking for inspiration? Is there a particular type of music, activity, place or experience that inspires you?
L: When making a collection, we base it around a place where we have visited. So this year we have been to Greece, which is what our first collection is based on, and our second collection is due to be based on Morocco, which we have also visited.
Looking at when we go out to concerts or festivals or simply out shopping, we noticed that normally what others wear is quite similar or repetitive. So we wanted to create something that was individual.
In this day, there are so many items that are duplicated or repeated, or trends that are followed. So we decided that we wanted to sort of break this and start creating our own garments that were completely different and unique.
I would say the idea of summer is the main inspiration as in our opinion it’s the best time of year. Normally, we hibernate throughout the rest of the year, and when it comes to summer, we’re always out doing absolutely everything. I feel like it’s the time where you take the opportunities and do as much as you can, which is kind of what inspired us to make Aïla, and create it during summer as well, as it’s a time of new beginnings and going places and doing new things.
A: A lot of Aïla’s inspiration comes from experiences rather than a particular routine or one specific source. We’re both really drawn to the feeling of summer, being by the sea, travelling, getting ready with friends, long evenings, music playing, and that feeling of being completely carefree. I think those experiences naturally influence the way we design and the way we want our clothes to make people feel.
We’re especially inspired by places with a strong sense of atmosphere, somewhere warm, colourful and full of life. For example, for Chapter 01, we drew our inspiration from our girls’ holiday in Greece, and a lot of it came from collecting little moments and ideas without really realising it.
When we see fabric scraps or leftover materials, they can easily be seen as waste or something to discard. What first drew each of you to the idea of giving these materials a second life, and how has this approach influenced the way you design?
L: So I think the idea of fabric scraps and leftover materials is going to inspire us, as there are so many great fabrics that aren’t used. And when you look into it, the amount of scrap fabric that comes out of making one garment is just absolutely astronomical.
I think there should be more of an understanding when people buy clothes and with fast fashion of how much goes to waste and how much isn’t actually used. And we wanted to draw attention to this with our brand.
So not only is it for people to buy our clothes, it’s also for people to understand how much goes to waste. It also comes to show how thoughtful people should be when buying their clothes and how they should take more thought into how much waste is being produced when they keep buying from fast fashion.
Obviously, we understand that we won’t have as much stock, and our clothes aren’t as easily accessible. However, we’re hoping that as times change, people begin to see that there should be a movement in more people buying sustainably, and also more people understanding how important it is for our environment and how big of an impact it makes if we keep buying fast fashion.
A: Sustainability has always been something I’ve felt strongly about, but studying fashion really opened my eyes to the scale of waste within the industry. I specialised in sustainable design at university, and the more I learnt, the more I realised that when I eventually had my own label, I wanted sustainability to be at the heart of how we worked rather than something added on afterwards. I knew I wanted to make a difference in whatever way I could, even if that started small.
In a way, collecting leftover materials has actually been part of my life for much longer than Aïla. Growing up, I was always collecting scraps of fabric from friends and family to use for little creative projects and hobbies. I’ve always found it difficult to look at a beautiful piece of fabric and see it as something that should simply be thrown away. I think that habit just stayed with me, and now I have the opportunity to turn those discarded materials into something people genuinely want to wear.
That approach has completely influenced the way we design at Aïla. Rather than deciding exactly what we want to make and then sourcing materials to fit, we often start with what we have in front of us. A fabric might inspire a shape, a combination of scraps might become the starting point for a new piece, or an unusual limitation might push us towards an idea we wouldn't have considered otherwise. In that sense, the materials become part of the creative process rather than simply something we use to execute a design.
And arguably, although it may take us more time and effort to create a singular piece, at least it is a piece we are putting into the world that we truly believe to contribute to a better future for the sustainable fashion industry. Through our practice, we hope to be as transparent as possible, using Aïla not only to create and sell beautiful, sustainable pieces, but also to inspire others, spread awareness and encourage people to think differently about the way we consume and engage with fashion.
Beyond the idea of an endless summer, what other inspirations shaped your first collection?
L: We were inspired by a sense of inclusivity for our first collection. We wanted to make clothing that would fit as many people and as many sizes as possible. Obviously, this comes with its challenges, however, we have done our best to create an item that can be worn by multiple different sizes and different body-shaped people.
Our main inspiration was also through Greece, where we went, and it was full of lots of different blues and yellows and all sorts of bright colours. This inspired us as the feeling of being in Greece was warm and fun and exciting, and I think this is something we wanted to embody into our first collection.
The feeling of being on holiday and being with your friends and being surrounded by a brand new culture is just so exciting, but you want to feel good while you’re in these places, which is why we created clothing that could be worn in hot countries.
A: We were also heavily inspired by the idea of inclusivity. When designing our one-of-one pieces, we didn’t want the uniqueness of each garment to mean that it was limited to one particular size. We wanted to challenge ourselves to create shapes that could accommodate as many bodies as possible within a single design. It was an extremely difficult process, but we were able to develop silhouettes that could fit across multiple sizes and body types.
The aim was never for the garment to look exactly the same on every body, because we recognise that this simply isn’t possible. Instead, we wanted to create pieces that could adapt to different bodies while still feeling beautiful on each one, so that every person wearing an Aïla piece could feel equally beautiful, confident and comfortable in it.
We were also heavily inspired by the idea of being a “girls’ girl” and the sense of community that comes with girlhood. Leila and I are part of a friendship group of eight girls, and we’re practically like family. We’re always there for one another, and honestly, life wouldn’t be the same without the girls. That sense of friendship, support and community is something we wanted to bring into Aïla. Beyond creating clothes, we want the brand to feel like a community of women who celebrate, support and inspire one another.
As a brand created by and for women, Aïla isn’t only about making clothes, but also about thinking about the women who will wear them. Which women have inspired each of you in shaping this vision for the brand?
L: I think the main inspiration for Aïla was my friends. We treat each other like sisters, and when it comes to sharing clothes, we’re all different sizes. However, we all do love to share the same stuff, but sometimes it doesn’t always fit.
I think the idea of having a clothing brand that’s completely inclusive and that would also fit all these different types of people is amazing. It’s the sort of thing we’d bring to before a night out, for example, and we’d bring a bag of clothes, and if they fit everyone, that would just make it much easier to share regardless of differences in sizes.
A: Honestly, the women who have inspired us most are the women we have around us every day. Our mums, our friends, our family and the women we’ve grown up with. They’ve all played such a big part in shaping who we are, and naturally that has influenced what we wanted Aïla to be.
Our friendship group especially has had a huge influence on us. (Didn’t realise this was the next question haha so as I mentioned above). There are eight of us and we’re practically family. We all have completely different personalities, styles and body types, but there’s never any judgement between us. We hype each other up, borrow each other’s clothes, give each other advice and are always there for one another. That’s something we really wanted to carry into Aïla.
We also wanted to create clothes that make women feel good about themselves without feeling like they have to fit a certain mould to wear them. We know that every woman is different, and that’s actually something we find exciting. We want to see how different women take the same Aïla piece and make it their own.
So, rather than one particular woman inspiring the brand, it’s really the women around us as a whole. Aïla is very much a reflection of the women we love and the kind of community we want to create around the brand.
How would each of you describe working together?
L: Working together has been so much fun. I couldn’t imagine anyone better than my best friend to build a brand with.
It has been very tumultuous because we love to talk, and it’s really easy to go off topic if we’re having an Aïla meeting. We’ve always got other gossip to talk about. So keeping it professional to Aïla has been a struggle, but one we’re navigating well!
I think it’s been so nice. As we are such good friends, we can be so honest with each other if we think things aren’t working or if we think we can change stuff. We have the friendship level where we can understand each other’s opinions and take criticism really well.
This has been a massive blessing, as it’s our first collection. We obviously ran into a lot of different problems, and navigating them was tricky. But knowing that we were in it together made it so much easier.
We’re so comfortable with each other that voicing our worries or opinions or stresses was actually really comforting, to know that it’s someone that you trust.
And overall, it’s been a really lovely experience, and I wouldn’t have wanted to do it with anyone else.
A: It has honestly been the best experience ever. Leila and I have known each other for around 12 years now, which is half our lives! We’ve grown up together, both as friends and as individuals, so working together feels very natural to us because we were best friends before we were business partners. We know each other really well, which means we’re very comfortable being completely honest with one another. If one of us doesn’t like an idea, we’ll say it, and I think that’s really important when you’re creating something this big together.
It’s also been such an insightful journey for both of us because we have very different strengths. I naturally focus more on the design and making side of the brand, whereas Leila focuses more on the business, branding and marketing. That being said, we’ve both had to step outside of our own areas and help each other along the way, which has meant we’ve learned so much from one another and expanded our strengths in the process.
I think being this comfortable with your business partner is such a blessing, because when things get difficult or stressful, you know you can share that load with someone who will always have your back. And knowing that Leila has the same amount of love for Aïla that I do is an incredible feeling. We’ve both built her from the ground up, so we both know just how much time, effort and love has gone into making her what she is today. There’s something really special about getting to experience that journey together.
How does each of you imagine an Aïla Girl and her world beyond what she’s wearing?
L: I can imagine the Aïla girl to turn heads when she walks in a room. I can imagine her to be sassy and confident, but equally just as friendly and nice and approachable.
She’s the one that will hype you up before you go out, compliment a stranger in the bathroom, lend you her clothes, and make everyone feel included. That’s what I see as an Aïla girl!
Like I said before, girl friendship is so important to me, and the idea of girlhood is just one of the most valuable things that I have in my life. So an Aïla girl should be the ultimate girls’ girl.
I think that sense of community is really important to Aïla, because although the clothes are obviously a huge part of the brand, it’s also about how you feel when you wear them and the people you share those moments with.
A: For me, the Aïla Girl is someone who really embraces life. She’s curious, spontaneous, independent and playful. She appreciates the beauty in everything, wants to experience life to the fullest, lives in the moment and she doesn’t take herself too seriously.
I imagine her as someone who has her own sense of style rather than simply following whatever is trending. She might wear an Aïla piece with something she’s had in her wardrobe for years, something vintage she’s found, or something she’s borrowed from a friend. I think that’s really important to us because Aïla isn’t meant to define who she is; it’s something that becomes part of her world.
More than anything, I imagine the Aïla Girl as someone who feels confident being herself. She’s surrounded by people she loves, she supports the women around her, she’s connected to her environment and she’s making the most out of her life. That feeling of being carefree, confident and completely yourself is really what we want Aïla to represent.
What do you think makes Aïla distinct beyond the clothes themselves?
L: I think Aïla is so distinct because I feel like there are no clothing lines that look like it. As the fabrics are so bright and mismatchy and colourful, I think it makes it stand out so much because it’s not to everyone’s taste, but that was never the point!
I love that it’s for those quirky individuals who want something different and who want to stand out. That’s exactly what we wanted to create Aïla to be.
I think it’s distinct because of the way it was built with a friendship. At the end of the day, this is just a silly little dream that we had and something fun that we managed to make into something.
I think it’s so distinct as well because those who know us would know how much time and effort we have put into Aïla, and that’s something we’re looking to share with everyone else, so everyone can see that we genuinely have a deep passion for changing the fashion industry and for more than just selling our products.
It’s a movement, and it’s almost like a love letter to the environment and something that we want to make an impact in.
In the future, we want to do more things with creating stuff that’s broader than fashion, like events and creating a space that people feel safe in, and building an Aïla community full of people that just love the idea of our values and summer and all these other things. It’s always more than just the clothes themselves.
A: I think Aïla is distinct because it’s never just been about the clothes. The clothing is our staple, but Aïla is really about the energy, love, community and sustainable message that surrounds it. It’s fun, mismatched, niche and a little quirky, but at its core it’s about much more than having a certain aesthetic.
We want Aïla to empower women and represent girlhood to its core, while also using our platform to speak openly about sustainability and the amount of waste that already exists within the fashion industry. We love the idea of taking something that has been overlooked, discarded or seen as waste and celebrating the beauty that can still be found in it. There is already so much material in existence that is going to waste, and we want to show people that it doesn’t have to be the end of the story for those materials.
For us, Aïla is a celebration, but it’s also a movement and everything in between. In the future, we want to expand beyond the clothing and create physical spaces and events where people can actually experience that feeling for themselves. We want to bring people together, build our community and create an environment that feels just as playful, welcoming and inspiring as the clothes do.
The clothing will always be at the heart of Aïla, but we have big plans for her. We want to keep growing the world around the brand and see just how far we can take it, while staying true to the values that made us start Aïla in the first place.
