The Story of AUME
On 22 February, after a bottle of wine and one of our many late-night conversations, we looked at each other and said: let’s do this.In many ways, AUME had been forming long before that moment.
From the day we met during our Master’s in textile sustainability, there was an immediate sense of alignment between us; creatively, personally, and instinctively.
We often joke that it is almost scary how often we think the same thought at the same time, but from the beginning, we knew we shared something rare: the same energy, the same ambition, and the same quiet certainty that one day we would build something of our own.
Why loungewear, and why now
Before deciding what AUME would become, we wrote down what mattered most to us.At the top of both lists was sustainability. Given that we met while studying textile sustainability, there was never really another option.
We knew we wanted to create something that could offer genuine value; not only aesthetically, but in the way it would be made, worn, and kept.Loungewear felt like the natural place to begin.
In a market saturated with polyester and overproduction, it offered an opportunity to create something softer, slower, and more intentional: pieces designed to be lived in, cherished, and worn repeatedly.
For us, comfort should never come at the expense of responsibility.
What Italy taught us about comfort
Living in Italy changed the way we think about everyday life. It taught us that life is not something reserved for weekends or holidays; it exists in daily rituals, in long lunches, in beautiful imperfections, in slowing down enough to notice what matters. That perspective naturally shaped AUME.
Here, comfort and femininity do not oppose each other. Elegance feels effortless. Softness carries strength. You can feel sensual, grounded, and completely at ease at the same time.
That is the feeling we want our pieces to hold.
Two founders, two perspectives
AUME is built through contrast.
Kayley naturally gravitates toward structure, strategy, and branding, while Michelle leads through design intuition, fluidity, and creative instinct.
We also come from opposite sides of the world; Australia and Mexico, and that difference shapes the way we think, question, and build. Even our name reflects that balance: AUME, one part AUstralia, one part MExico. What one of us might not immediately see, the other often instinctively feels.
That tension is one of our greatest strengths.
What quality means to us
For us, quality goes far beyond fabric.
It begins at the design stage: how a garment moves with the body, how it holds its shape, how often it will realistically be worn, and how long it can remain part of daily life. We never wanted to create pieces designed to be worn twice and forgotten.
From the beginning, we chose natural and, wherever possible, single-fibre materials; not only because of how they feel, but because of what happens at the end of a garment’s life.
Quality, for us, means creating fewer pieces, better made, with intention behind every decision.
What we want AUME to become
Looking ahead, we want AUME to become part of a woman’s daily rhythm.
A space where she feels comfortable, authentic, feminine, and completely herself; without pressure, without restriction, without needing to perform.
More than clothing, we want AUME to feel like a daily ritual: a small act of care, softness, and self-connection.
An invitation to live gently, consciously, and entirely at your own pace.
Kayley & Michelle
Xx
