Aimé Leon Dore

(Source: @michaelcuasito)

Aimé Leon Dore (ALD) is a relatively young New York-based brand that continues to grow in popularity. The brand started in 2014 and ever since then has exploded into a small cultural phenomenon. In this article, we are going to explore how ALD has been able to grow and what makes the brand special in our eyes.

The New York Influence

ALD is an example of a New York brand that is incredibly proud of its New Yorker heritage. The brand’s creator, Teddy Santis, has a deep connection to Queens, and this city represents the birthplace of ALD. Everyone in the world understands New York’s influence when it comes to fashion, art, and culture. What ALD has created is a brand that directly taps into the endless fountain of New York’s energy. Another aspect of New York that has surely propelled the brand’s growth is the rigor of the city. One of the oldest quotes about New York was said by Frank Sinatra and it reads, “If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.” Brands like ALD that have found a way to thrive in an environment like New York typically find themselves growing in a challenging yet special way. 

Quality 

The influence of the city is not the only facet that has helped ALD grow over the years, the brand also consistently releases quality items time and time and again. The quality of a brand’s products determines the quality of their customer and the longevity of the brand. One of the most important aspects that ALD has nailed is creating quality products. Whether it is hoodies, tees, or bottoms, the brand has done a fantastic job of creating high quality items over the years. They source a good portion of their non-collaborated products from Canada, and have dedicated their product designs to clean and easily communicated graphics. ALD’s quality is something that separates them from their competitors and has helped them build up their community. The community that the brand has built is also a result of high-level collaborations with established industry players.

Collaborations

ALD has had some tremendous collaborative projects with a handful of really great companies. The most notable ones, in our humble opinion, are New Balance, Woolrich, and Porsche. Collaborations are always fun for both the brand and the audience they cater to. Collabing also creates great synergy between brands and brings credibility to the smaller brand that is involved. The collaborations that ALD has been able to put together have really helped the brand catapult into a new level of popularity.

Final Thoughts

Today’s article focused on a brand that Edward Joiner is greatly inspired by. If you enjoyed this article, let us know of other brands you want us to cover in the future.