How Aimé Leon Dore became the brand everyone wants to wear.
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This brand has gone from a small independent label to one of the most sought-after names in the industry in less than a decade. But how did they do it? How did a small label from Queens, New York, grow into a cultural powerhouse that people are lining up for all over the world? In this video we’re diving into the story of how Aimé Leon Dore became the brand everyone wants to wear.
Timestamps:
0:00 – Intro
0:28 – The Origin
2:46 – The ALD Aesthetic & Why It Resonates
5:38 – Building Hype Through Limited Releases & Collaborations
9:43 – Brand Building Through Physical Retail
12:56 – Aimé Leon Dore’s Influence
15:08 – Outro
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Music downloaded from Musicbed:
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Shot with:
– Canon EOS R6:
– Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8 L IS USM Lens:
– Canon C70:
– Canon RF 28-70mm F2.0 Lens:
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FTC: This video is not sponsored. Some of the links above are affiliate links, meaning that I will earn a small percentage of sales when you click through and make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
Am Leonor otherwise known as Al this Brand has gone from a small independent Label to one of the most sought after Names in the industry in less than a Decade but how did they do it how did This small label from Queens New York Grow into this cultural Powerhouse that People are lining up for all over the World influencing how so many people Think about style let's dive into the Story of how Al became the brand Everyone wants to wear To understand em leandor you have to Start with its founder Teddy santis Teddy didn't come from a fashion Background born and raised in Queens New York he was the son of Greek immigrants Who believed in hard work and in his Words making sure he never forgot where He came from in many ways Teddy's Upbringing was split between two worlds On one hand the hustle and grit of Queens where he was immersed in the Melting Pot of cultures that is New York Graffiti break dancing hip-hop these Were all major influences for him Growing up and he was really into the Basketball culture the jerseys the Sneakers the Swagger but on the other Hand he would spend his summers in Greece in his family's Hometown soaking Up that Mediterranean lifestyle and a Slower simpler way of living in a way That Greek Heritage also inspired Teddy
With his aesthetic the older Greek Gentlemen were in following Trends they Were classic pieces that stood the test Of time wool coats crisp shirts Perfectly tailored trousers leather Shoes for Teddy this jua position of Street wear and Timeless tailoring would Become a key inspiration to his Signature Aesthetic for years Teddy worked at his Family's Diner while dreaming of Something bigger he was drawn to the Creative world but he wasn't sure how to Break in so in 2010 he launched Tina Catherine an eyewear Boutique with a Childhood friend this allowed him to Learn the fundamentals of running a Business and make connections with Customers who are a part of New York's Fashion scene it was during this time That he met Ronnie F the founder of kith With whom he became close friends and Seeing Ronnie launch kith got him to Start considering launching his own Brand and in 2012 he showed Ronnie one Of his early prototypes who then posted It on Instagram and told Teddy that if It gets 500 likes he would need to start His own brand and this picture ended up Getting 600 likes so Teddy took the leap With no formal training no investors Just a clear idea of what he wanted to Create and he made that dream a reality By launching his own brand in
2013 Emy Leonor initially the name for The brand was just imy which his French For loved but he couldn't trademark it So he added Leon which is his father's Nickname and door which is the last Syllable of Teddy's full name Theodore Emil leandor has managed to Capture the attention of fashion Enthusiasts all over the world with its Unique blend of hip-hop and sports Influence Street Wear and preppy polish Style on one hand you've got elements of Vintage New York Street culture so think Sports jerseys baseball caps retro Sneakers and on the other hand you have Elevated Staples like tailored wool Coats chunky knits and clean cut Trousers the pieces feel both nostalgic And contemporary in layman's terms it Kind of feels like street wear for Grown-ups and this makes a lot of sense Given that the three brands that most Inspired Teddy santis were Ralph Lauren Supreme and N A New York Street Wear Brand founded in the early 2000s he has Also said and I quote I'm super inspired By Ralph but I feel like there was a Void that didn't exist within Ralph that I thought I could speak to which was my Starting point there's been a big Evolution in street wear in the last Decade it used to be more of a Rebellious niche of fashion that focused On graphic te's baggy jeans and chunky
Sneakers but nowadays it's grown into Something much bigger arguably with the Help of Brands like Al now people of all Ages want to participate in street wear But they're looking for that bridge that Will help them look cool without try too Hard and Al became that bridge the Reason why the AL aesthetic resonates With so many consumers is that there is Truly something for everybody you could Be rocking Al clothes whether you're 40 Plus or a young teenager they have your Street wear Basics graphic te's sweats And sneakers but they also have suits Tailored coats and leather gloves and That's the beauty in their branding they Have something for every type of Customer yet they still manage to keep Their unique identity the brand has Become a comfort zone for dads who want Want to look good but not like they're Trying too hard to look young a style Language for New York street style and a Natural entry point for new fashion Enthusiasts who want to refine their Wardrobe but never really knew where to Start Teddy santis has done an amazing Job at crafting this whole universe for Al making the consumer feel like they're Not just buying clothes they're buying Into a world I think it's clear that Al's visuals have this unmistakable Aesthetic that you could recognize even If there was no logo showing and I think
That's one of the key elements that Really sets the brand apart The Styling Even if you don't buy from the brand you Couldn't knock their lookbooks and you Could still get inspiration from the way The pieces are put together the styling Is truly Immaculate and it has that Distinct brand identity but on top of The masterful brand building Teddy also Has a great understanding of where the Men's fashion Market was moving over the Past five or so years people have been Slowly trading in their sneakers for Loafers going for preppier Silhouettes And looking for more elevated takes of Familiar items and Teddy very much Understood that shift that was happening In menswar and he was able to execute That entire package with Al the way Emily Andor has been able to Generate hype around their products is Something worthy of being studied in Marketing books the first lever of hype Building that they use is to Strategically release their collections In limited quantities and dividing them Into installments to prolong that Anticipation from the customer this Intent ntion Al created scarcity fuels a Hide in demand from consumers wanting to Get their hands on the products creating This sense of urgency to purchase ald is Obviously not the first brand to employ The strategy though this drop culture
Initially gained popularity in the mid 2000s with Supreme's hype releases and It's now become a common strategy Especially among Street Wear Brands this Has transformed how consumers access Clothing creating this shared enthusiasm Amongst like-minded individuals to cop The newest latest drops however this Tactic can also be a double-edged sword Because you don't want to make the Supply too scarce or you risk angering Your most loyal fans which can backfire But you don't want to make it too Available either or you run the risk of Diluting the exclusivity of the brand It's a fine line that you have to tread Which Al managed to execute very well The second lever by which Al has managed To create significant hype is through Collaborations but here's the thing These collaborations are impeccably Chosen and unlike many fashion collabs Nowadays is they don't feel forced or Redundant and they don't feel like just Another easy cash grab Teddy santis Cherry picks brands that truly align With Al's World which makes for Collaborations that are highly Culturally relevant bring innovative Ideas and designs to the brand all while Helping Al connect with new audiences For example the brand has released a Capsule collection with Drakes every Year from 2019 to 2023 this Fusion of
Al's modern Street Wear and Drake's Timeless Men's Wear Works beautifully Together and it has generated a lot of Excitement amongst fans of both Brands But where things really change for ald Is in April 2019 when they kicked off Their partnership with New Balance even Though Al had already collabed with one Sneaker brand before that in 2015 with Puma the partnership with New Balance Took things to another level in fact the Launch fitter second collaboration in 2019 which centered around the 990 V2 And 990 V5 was so massive mive that it Ended up being shut down by the New York Police department but arguably the Biggest New Balance Al collab was in October 2020 when they revived the 550 Model an old forgotten basketball Silhouette that was originally released In the80s and then discontinued until Al Reintroduced it in 2020 and caused Everyone and their mom to have a pair in Their rotation this collaboration was Massively successful and generated a lot Of hype for both Al and New Balance Speaking to their core customer sneaker Resellers and fashion influencers alike While the hype for the 550 has gone down Since its initial debut Al has continued Collaborating with new balance on many Different models in fact the AL New Balance partnership was so successful That Teddy santis was even appointed
Creative director of the made in the USA Category of New Balance in April 2021 But New Balance was not the only Significant partner for Al some other Major collaborators include Timberland With whom whom they produced various Lux Old boots and boo New Era with whom they Created a range of baseball caps and Porsche which has led to five different Releases of bespoke restored vintage Porsches like a 964 Carrera 4 in 2020 a 911 SC in 2021 or the most recent 993 Turbo in November 2024 this combination Of Highly anticipated drops and limited Quantities along with culturally Impactful collaborations with key brands Has solidified Al position as a Trailblazer brand in the industry in This past decade so much so that the Brand has caught the attention of the Big boys resulting in lvmh becoming a Minority shareholder in 2022 Al initially had a popup space at 179 mod Street in NYC since 2014 but the Space was relatively small and it didn't Yet convey that strong sense of brand Like today's Al stores do but thanks to The investment from s Abraham in 2016 Who also helped launch kith Teddy was Able to scale his brand and eventually Open his first flagship store in New York on mberry Street in 2019 there he Was able to offer a sophisticated Shopping experience featuring leather
Couches wooden fixtures and Persian rugs That's also when Al started expanding Their world Beyond just clothing taking Inspiration from Ralph's coffee shop and Kith his treats ice cream stands and Launching their very own Cafe Leonor Attached to the store Al's approach to Retail also had a massive shift pre and Post pandemic before the pandemic Al was Present in 160 stores worldwide with Many top tier stockists like Mr Porter Essence and kith holding their products However after the pandemic people were Yearning for that in store experience And Al capitalized on that by going Full Throttle on its own physical stores in 2022 lvmh infused capital in the company And Al decided to withdraw from all the Retailers and only sell its products Directly to Consumer through its own Website and its own physical stores so In June 2022 they opened their first International store in London and they Then remodeled their New York flagship Store and reopened it in May 20123 but These Al stores are more than just Simply stores they are a physical Manifestation of the brand designed to Immerse you into Al's World from the Moment you step in the whole atmosphere Just Hits different from your typical Clothing store as soon as you walk in It's like you're stepping into someone's Home who knows how to live really well
The lighting is warm and cozy you've got Persian rugs covering the floors Mid-century chairs walls with books Records and art I mean the art Installations alone are worthy of Visiting the store for example there's This wall installation of old Basketballs by Terrell Winston a close Friend of Teddy santis which is a great Reflection of the Brand's history and Basketball influences then you have the Cafe londor which has garnered a lot of Attention on its own especially through Viral Tik toks even from people who Didn't know the brand before it's become A great hangout spot that brings Together the Style Savvy crowd and even Teddy santz himself a place to catch up Talk fashion and creativity over a cup Of coffee and then shop for some new Al Garments and passing it even displays a Wide range of Greek coffees and Confectionaries nodding at Teddy's Family Heritage the effort and attention To detail that Teddy put into his stores Is clearly visible and it has paid off Dividends and I think that's exactly how Physical stores should be in today's day And age because gone are the days where Stores only serve as a retail space with No soul or identity today shopping Online has become so easy and so Convenient that if you want to launch a Physical store it should really feel
Like an experience a place that your Customer enjoys visiting and an Extension of your Brand's Universe Emil andor's influence on the f F industry is undeniable many brands Have taken inspiration from their Styling and the Aesthetics of their Lookbooks for example you can see it With the rebranding of abra cromi where You can notice many of their pieces and The way they're styled have that Al Aesthetic they even hire the exact same Twin models that Al used for all of Their campaigns Corey and Tori McDonald I also think some of the recent shifts In men's wear like the return of preppy And the mixing of tailoring with Street Wear can be credited at least partially To Al's influence Al is of course not The only brand to have pushed the Industry towards those Styles but it's Fair to say it has played a key role Among the everyday fashion enthusiasts Al is one of the most coveted Brands we Even noticed it ourselves a few months Ago when we shot the what people are Wearing in London video so many people I Interviewed mention Al as their favorite Brand emond I think emond is the best Mondor I really like as well a million And it really is impressive how well Al Has managed to resonate with a wide Demographic of people you have customers Of all ages that buy into the brand but
They all share an appreciation for the Aesthetics the lifestyle and the Storytelling that Teddy has managed to Infuse the brand with many fashion Influencers have also taken style cues From Al you've probably noticed it Yourself on your Instagram feed the Rampant number of loafers New York Yankees caps and other Al coded looks Worn by your favorite content creators I Have a lot of respect and admiration for What Teddy has built and even though I Tend not to lean too much into the Preppy with my own style I can still Very much appreciate how well the brand Executes it and I've definitely also Taken some elements of inspiration from Al into my own style in fact a few Al Pieces have even made their way into my Own wardrobe for example I've got these Mesh shorts I've actually had them for Years now but I mostly wear them to the Gym now this baseball jersey is also From the brand one of my few graphic Tops which I don't often wear graphic Tops but I like how this one looks with Certain outfits and then my most recent Purchase is the the biggest wild card I Have but I wanted a warm hat that I Could wear in winter when it's very cold So yeah I'll be experimenting with this Piece this Winter we've seen Brands come and go Over the years but the rise of Emil
Andor has definitely felt like something Unique in the men's wear space honestly Props to Teddy he's turned a dream into Reality and he's managed to create a Brand with an unmistakably unique Identity and aesthetic seamlessly Blending Heritage sportsware and Contemporary elements he built this from The ground up and today the hype and Demand for each collection especially The collaborations is simply crazy I Think we're going to be seeing a lot More of this brand in the coming years And I cannot wait to see what they do Next but I'm curious to hear your Thoughts are you a fan of Al would you Buy from the brand and if not why let me Know in the comments and on that note I Hope you enjoyed the video my friends if You did share with a friend who might Enjoy it as well I wish you all a Beautiful day and I will see you in the Next one
