To celebrate International Women's Day, we spoke to the women in our team about women's rights, their own careers and their passions. 

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Question: Tell me about your role at AYM?

Amy: I'm the PA to the CEO here at AYM, but also the Office Manager. 

So, my role is very vast. I cover a lot of ground and different tasks within the role. I support the CEO directly, but also support the whole team as the office manager. One of the reasons that I love this role is that it is so vast. I get to be involved in everything. It's so great to be involved in all aspects of the business as no two days are the same. 

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Question: It's International Women's Day on the 8th March. What would you like to see happen for women?

Amy: I think that women should be empowered to do whatever they want to do with their lives. The expectations on women should only be that of their own expectations for themselves and not of what anyone else tells them that they should or shouldn't be. If a woman wants to raise a family, amazing. If a woman wants to build a career, amazing. It should be about each woman’s choice and what they want to do.

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Question: What do you think is the recipe for success to create a company culture that supports women?

Amy: I think that it starts with the basics; being nice to one another! We are mainly women at AYM, but there is no 'drama' which is what people usually expect within a group of women. We are all respectful of one another and boost each other up. If people can be more open and transparent and understand that we all have different ways of thinking, it creates a supportive place to work. 

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Question: If you were giving a younger woman advise about her career, what would you suggest?  

I would say, follow your dreams. Never give up. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else. We all have our own paths in life. It’s so important to be proud of what you’ve achieved.

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Questions with Lucy

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Q: Tell me about your role here at AYM?

 Lucy: I am the customer fulfilment manager. I look after the journey of the customer. This involves providing customer support, through emails and phone calls to ensure the best experience possible for our customers. I also oversee the wrapping, packing and processing of orders to ensure the deliveries are going out in the highest quality and to make sure everything’s smoothly. 

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Q: What do you like about working in a company that makes clothes for women?

Lucy: I like working with products that I can see myself wearing. It’s so empowering to know that we can make other women feel great about themselves.

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Lucy: Empowered and confident. That they can do anything and be anything.  

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Questions with Becky

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Q: Tell me about your role here at AYM?

Becky: I'm the custom made supervisor. I also help out with sewing and cutting garments. Also helping customer’s process their custom. Helping the customers find the perfect custom made garment. I work with Lucy in customer service. We try our best to help them find what they want. It’s amazing to make them feel good about themselves.

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Q: If you were giving a younger woman advise about her career, what would you suggest?

Don’t be scared about what you want to do. You can learn anything and go anywhere with determination. I personally think you need to travel and get more cultural experience, need to embrace cultures and learn more.

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Q: What do you like about making clothes for women?

Becky: I think it's amazing to be able to create something that makes people become who they want to be. When the customer puts on the clothing and feels transformed through their mood uplifting and gained confidence. Making someone feel they have the confidence to do what they want to do is really rewarding.

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Q: What do you hope the woman you’re making these clothes for will feel when wearing them? 

Becky: Confident and beautiful. I think everyone wants to put on clothes they love and feel confident, that's what we are aiming for here. 

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Q: What do you think about International women’s day?

Becky: Let’s keep celebrating it!! Hopefully in the future we can get our equality, and everyone can feel on the same level.

 

Questions with Mel

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Q: Tell me about your role here at AYM?

Mel: I’m a sewing machinist.

Becky added: "Mel works really hard & she’s really reliable and super-fast. We wouldn’t be able to survive without her."

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Q: Why does a creative career work for you?

Mel:  I like learning more skill based, practical things. It’s lovely having a role that is needed and in demand.

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Q: What do you like about making clothes for women? 

Mel: I like making clothes for women, because we get to see and work with beautiful garments everyday. It’s lovely to work with clothes that I’d also like to wear.

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Q: What do you hope the woman you’re making these clothes for will feel when wearing them? 

Mel: Pleased that she has spent her money in the right place and that she’s satisfied with what she’s purchased, and that she feels great in it.

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Q: What do you think makes a culture that supports women successful?

Mel: Equality and feeling like you can do what you do. Knowing that there aren’t any restrictions on anything you do based on being a woman.

 

Questions with Georgia

Q: Tell me about your role. 

Georgia: Sample machining. Working with the designer to create the first sample design. Working together to tweak the garments to get the perfect fit, which is especially impertinent in women’s wear. Getting the right fit is vital to make the woman feel amazing.

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Q: When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Georgia: I wanted to be a vet. But from about 10 years old I wanted to learn how to make clothes. When we did textile design at school we had a pattern cutter as a teacher, so we got a great insight into the industry from a young age and I was hooked.

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Q: If you were giving a younger woman advise about her career, what would you suggest?

Georgia: Everyone’s in the same boat. Never think that anyone’s better than you. Keep trying. Don’t get disheartened. Everyone is feeling the same, so just go for it.

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What do you hope the woman you’re making these clothes for will feel wearing them?

It's great knowing that the women we make these clothes for will receive a garment that fits them beautifully and makes them feel confident.