During the months of MCO and self-isolation, it’s safe to say that many of us probably took up a hobby or two while at home just to pass the time and learn a new skill (because why not?). For Audrey, however, the MCO seemed to be the perfect opportunity for her to finally jump-start her dreams of creating and designing her very own activewear and give birth to Alero, an affordable, locally-made activewear clothing line for Malaysians.
In this interview, we talk to Alero’s founder, Audrey, and delve into the meaning behind Alero’s name, its story, their future plans and how kickstarting this whole journey has been like for Audrey from start till now.
Tah Ai Jia: So to start things off, can you introduce yourself?
Audrey: Hi, my name is Audrey and I’m the founder of Alero project and I guess that’s how you found out about me. (laughs) Alero project is an affordable active wear brand that I just came up with. It started during the MCO because I really like fitness and I really like dance, and I’m also from a designer background (I’m an architect). So I was thinking of combining art and design; fitness and art and I came up with Alero.
Tah Ai Jia: So tell me more about Alero; what inspired you to go forward with this Idea? Is there any meaning to the name Alero in particular?
Audrey: Actually I’ve been wanting to do active wear stuff for a really long time, it’s just that I’ve been really busy with my architecture full time job. Then during MCO it was really the time for me to start this thing I’ve always wanted to do.
Since last time, I've always been in active wear. Even in uni i would always wear my leggings and I really liked being in the dance studio and dancing. It’s really something that makes me feel happy. And after working for 3 years it’s gotten really stale, so I wanted to do something that makes me feel happy again.
The word Alero actually comes from combining two words: allegro (if you do music it actually means fast pace movement) and aero, meaning airy because our pieces are very breathable. So combining allegro and aero became Alero.
Tah Ai Jia: Oh, that’s really interesting! Do you also combine words for your product names?
Audrey: Yes, like Twine- it’s because on the side of the legging there’s a line and the legging is with two colour blocks. So I call it Two colour lines, so TWINE. And another piece is Trigon. Tri means three because it comes with three pieces (a top, a biker and a legging), and the pattern is in the form of a triangular pattern so TRIGON.
Tah Ai Jia: I remember seeing all the names and thinking “oh, I don’t know what they mean, but it all sounds so interesting!” So now knowing that you play with words...
Audrey: Not all though. Like the bras, I named them KOZU mostly because it sounds nice.
Tah Ai Jia: oh, so it’s a mix?
Audrey: Yeah.
Tah Ai Jia: I know you mentioned that the reason why you decided to release activewear is that you enjoy wearing activewear, but were there any other particular reasons?
Audrey: It’s mostly because I enjoy wearing it and I wanted to create something of my own. And I wanted to be able to choose the colours and the designs and do the whole thing myself.
Tah Ai Jia: Since this was a new project and you guys just released your first clothing line, how did it feel like to release something so new for the first time?
Audrey: Actually I was really really nervous, I wouldn’t know if anyone would like it. Because it’s something that’s chosen by my preference of colour and my preference for design. But design is very versatile and people have their own ideas. Something that you like, other people might not like.
I was actually really nervous about it- like even the brand name, the whole brand story and everything because it’s really just me doing it. But our launch did quite well and a lot of people have said nice things about it. They like the story, they like the meaning, they like the story and they like the colours especially and people who have received it really like the material.
Tah Ai Jia: Do you guys have any plans on releasing anything else in the future?
Audrey: Currently, we’re focusing on activewear. But activewear itself is already quite wide, like you can come up with jackets, vests, singlets… But because we’re just starting out, so we’re just doing sports bras and leggings. But we have a few collaborations with a few studios coming up! We’re collaborating with Best Studio and we’ll be displaying our stuff in their studio. We have interesting collaborations coming up.
Tah Ai Jia: Thanks so much for answering our questions, we’ll be sure to keep an eye on your brand and future releases!
You can find Alero and their products on their Instagram page and website, www.aleroproject.com! Contact us via email for an opportunity to be interviewed and featured.
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