Here's the full article from The Sun - all from Tattle, esp. the "top heavy" staff part, the part about lack of promotions, etc. This is just me speculating, I'm no insider hahaha. Tragic reporting, could they really not have got someone from the company to spill some tea?!
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SITTING in front of the camera last week, Aimee Smale broke down in tears. It’s not the first time the 28-year-old has shown such vulnerability but it marked a huge shift in her attitude as between sobs she labelled her clothing company a ‘toxic monster’.
The Brit Odd Muse founder – whose brand is now worth over £5 million – was supposed to be having the time of her life in the city of dreams, New York, but one nightmare after another has left Aimee feeling broken, and here we can reveal what has really gone on to leave her relationship on the ropes as well as details of the feud that threatens to bring
her empire crashing down.
You will have seen the brand’s ultimate blazer and structured pearl dress all over social media, but behind the scenes, camp
Odd Muse is bubbling with tension as questions are raised about company standards and
Aimee’s ability as a boss.
Our insider told us: “What Aimee has achieved is nothing short of amazing but she’s come up against some obstacles – the main one being her claim to be sustainable and the huge feud that has sparked with an online content creator.
“Aimee was publicly called out over what her products are really made from and there were rumours that she stopped another designer from visiting the factory in China where her clothes are made, which really raised eyebrows.
“On top of all that her long term boyfriend is said to be battling some insecurities after giving up his own life for Aimee.”
The entrepreneur started dating Josh Murrell nearly ten years ago.
In a recent podcast he explained how he was working on a building site at the time and struggled to get his head around her going to university.
He has said it took some adjustment to see her dedicate herself to working hard but perfectionist
Aimee was determined to succeed and landed a job at Asos shortly after graduating.
Josh was the one who encouraged her to pack it in and launch her own brand – perhaps unaware of what his life would become, but he was and still is a huge part of it.
Aimee previously said: “When we first launched, I remember using a tiny label printer in my boyfriend’s kitchen.
“We didn’t fully grasp the volume of orders until we started printing labels and saw the stacks piling up.” She made over £100,000 worth of sales in the first two weeks. As the business grew Josh was struggling with his own self worth and questioning his own career. He put his own career on hold for her but wanted to do and be more. When she started making money, he invested it in flipping houses, but it wasn’t enough and deep down he dreams of being a social media star in his own right.
Speaking candidly, he admitted: “I was the first one to say to you to do it. I’ve always supported it. But then another part of me would be like, you should be doing better than Aimee. You’re a man. Like you should be doing well. You should be providing.
“And then when you’ve got the store in New York, the store in London, doing these launches, selling out and I’m like, ‘Wow, I’m just going to work’. It’s a strange feeling for a man.”
March of this year marked a huge turning point for
Aimee and Odd Muse, which she started when was only 22 – they opened a store in New York, something most designers are desperate to do.
Of course it wasn’t too much of a surprise for followers of Aimee.
The hardworking former Asos worker started her business during Covid from her bedroom and it became an almost overnight success.
She became the face of the company, sharing her highs and lows, modelling the outfits and priding herself on not being
fast fashion.
But behind the scenes we can reveal that things in Odd Muse world are very unsettled.
Insiders tell us her social media executive quit over the summer after waiting years to get a promotion.
CONCRETE DREAMS
Then when she moved to New York she hired two or three new people for strategy and social media – creating a very top-heavy work environment.
The insider said: “Some of the more junior staff are feeling overlooked really – it’s really hard to get a pay rise or promotion and then these new people have just been fasttracked in above them.
“There is the general consensus that Aimee needs to hire a CEO.
“People are concerned that Aimee is struggling under the weight of it all and needs someone with a business head to step in.”
Questions have been raised about the work dynamic too, our insider claimed the staff were all staying in the same apartment as Aimee in New York.
They said: “When Aimee was up working everyone felt like they had to be as well.
One job ad for the company was offering £23,000 for a customer experience assistant, which some fans felt wasn’t really enough. It’s currently just below the standard living wage.
Meanwhile, the company has also come under fire over the materials used, while she’s been busy talking about sustainability.
TikTok creator Plz Don’t Buy That called her out for her claims to be a slow fashion brand and she accused the company of misrepresenting its sustainability practices.
It sparked a huge feud between the pair as they went back and forth over details. Aimee insisted she has always been transparent about her business model and even posted a screenshot of her compliance report to prove her points, as well as uploading a lengthy video in which she explained the company’s use of polyester.
Former
Love Island star Brett Staniland, who is now a leading influencer in sustainable fashion, explained: “The Ultimate Muse pearl dress, split sleeve mini dress, blazer and many others all have the exact same composition. 75% high grade polyester, 5% spandex and 20% rayon.
“High grade polyester is still a plastic made from oil but it is better quality than regular polyester making it more durable with an improved look and feel.
“Rayon is a man-made fibre and often referred to as artificial silk. It’s a semi-synthetic and mostly comes in the form of viscose. It’s made by extracting wood pulp and putting it through intense chemical processing which is often toxic and contributes highly to greenhouse gas emissions.
“Whilst these materials used are not the most environmentally friendly or recyclable, the pieces do seem to have good construction and are more likely to last a long time and the items all say to be dry cleaned to help them last longer.”
He added: “I wouldn’t call Odd Muse a particularly sustainable brand. It can be challenging when the world of sustainable fashion catches up with you and there are ever more expectations of the brand you started four years ago but at least the founder is honest about the shortcomings and willing to change things.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
So what is next for the brand? Aimee has previously said she doesn’t want it to just keep getting bigger and bigger – but at the moment it is regularly bringing out new items.
There is no doubt Aimee has made a huge impact in the world of fashion – she has helped thousands of women start to understand the concept of buying less and buying better. But just how much better it is than over brands, still remains to be seen.
And as Aimee broke down this week, she admitted to “struggling so much” and feeling “exhausted” and “not good enough,” telling fans: “In my five years of running Odd Muse, I don’t think I have ever felt so unlike myself.”
The star confessed: “It just has too much control over me and for me, it just feels quite toxic because I don’t think I have a strong enough character.”
Perhaps it’s time for Aimee to relinquish some control – and save her relationship and business in the process?
A rep for Aimee said: “The factory prides themselves on honest manufacturing and continue to deny all defamatory claims that have come from TikTok
“As Odd Muse continues to grow, Aimee is excited for you, and the Odd Muse community, to follow along as the brand reaches its next exciting milestones.”
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” comment on Luxe Collectives latest video. Their video has been up for 4 days and she only commented it last night.
insane pricing.
it’s not very often you see OM on anyone bigger than an XS/S so she could really do with letting go of her desperation to control EVERYTHING and include a bit of diversity in her marketing.
