Aimee Song Shares How She Built a Brand That Sold Out Instantly

If you’ve been on the internet in the past week or so, you know Aimee Song launched her debut full-fledged line, Song of Style. Many of the products sold out in minutes, and some of the world’s most prominent influencers gathered in Portugal to celebrate the launch, complete with a steady stream of grams featuring the collection. I was invited to attend the trip to Lisbon as press, so naturally I sat down with Song to learn more about the new brand. I’ve known Aimee for over seven years, which happened to be around the first time she even dreamt of starting a line. Keep reading for Aimee’s own words on how the project came to be, which pieces she’d recommend for different occasions, and what’s next for the brand that became an overnight success.

A Dream Seven Years in the Making

"Seven years ago on Thanksgiving day, Michael Mente, Revolve’s co-founder, and I went hiking at Runyon Canyon. We were talking about our plans, our future, and our goals. I told Michael my dream was to have my line, my own thing. This was before influencers had brands. So it’s been something I wanted to do for a long time. Michael and Raissa Gerona, Revolve’s chief brand officer, are like family to me, so I honestly don’t know who even brought up the idea of starting a line first. It just made sense. From concept to signing the contract to starting the actual design process, that started a year ago.”

When the Sample Wasn’t Perfect

"Our collection launch date kept getting pushed back because after going through the first round of samples, I cut a lot of styles that I wasn’t happy with. It’s my first time doing this, so it was a learning process. Sometimes I’ll think of a design in my head, and after seeing it in person, sometimes it doesn’t translate as well as I thought. The great thing about Revolve is it was fine with it. The brand said, ‘If you feel like you’re not going to wear it and you don’t believe in it, let’s cut it.’ So this collection was supposed to go live in March to come out before Coachella, and now it’s finally coming out in May. So all the pieces that you see are the survival of the fittest. I love every single piece so much.”

Teasing the Launch

"When we were working on how to tease the launch, we were talking about video, and at first it was suggested to do really pretty videos, very editorial. I was like that’s not me. I’m a goofy person. I love to dance and I love to eat. We had a list of everything the Song of Style girl does—she travels, she works, she dances, she likes to have fun, she likes to cook, she’s curious, she likes to go to the museum. We had those concepts and then we made something fun from it.”

Immediate Sellout Success

"The two-tone fruit print Weila Top ($158) sold out very quickly. I’m so excited that so many things sold out so fast, but then again I feel bummed that some people were trying to check out and it sold out before they could make the purchase. I would love to bring back styles that do well.”

Aimee’s Outfit Picks

"My boyfriend Jacopo’s favorite piece is the Mylan Midi Dress ($278), which is a white eyelet dress with buttons. It highlights the waist and has a great deep V-neck. I like a deep V because I like to show off my layered necklaces.”

"My outfit pick for work is the purple blazer shorts set. I wanted to make the shorts slightly oversize, so they’re not typical short shorts. There will be a lot more short suits coming in the line. There’s also a purple blazer dress and a linen suit with high-waisted pants that are great for work.”

"For running around on the weekends, I love the Kofi Midi Dress ($228). I also love the fruit print Weila Top ($158). That top is inspired by my sister because she wears a lot of men’s Hawaiian T-shirts and oversize shirts, so I wanted to create something that is almost unisex. I see so many guys wearing it too.”

What’s Next for Song of Style

"I’m so excited for drop two. The one thing that will be consistent is that the outfits will be very polished. A lot of us have busy days, and you just want to feel comfortable but still look put together. I’m very excited for the summer and fall pieces. They’re amazing. I keep emailing the warehouse asking if they’ve received anything yet. There’s going to be lots of color too. It’s very important to have a brand that spoke to me, and that was very me.”