Lucy Aylen is the creative genius behind sensational clothing brand Never Fully Dressed. The British designer founded Never Fully Dressed in 2009 in her parents’ attic – customizing clothes to be sold at boutique markets In London, such as Spitalfields and Portobello. Today, Never Fully Dressed has grown as a global brand known for pushing boundaries and celebrating diversity and individuality. Known for its pieces with inhouse designed prints, the brand is now a go-to for clothing that is timeless, inclusive, and versatile. Never Fully Dressed is also a brand with a deep commitment to sustainability and adopting ethical practices.
The Luxe Scoop caught up with Lucy to learn more about her journey with Never Fully Dressed, her mission to sartorially empower women to be their best selves, and her experience taking Never Fully Dressed global :
What motivated you to start Never Fully Dressed, and how has your journey from customizing clothes in your parents’ attic to creating a globally recognized brand shaped your perspective on fashion and entrepreneurship?
I have always been creative and made clothes myself, but I never set out to build a brand. My parents were market traders, so I guess I always had that in my blood, that’s what led me to start customising samples and selling them at Spitalfields and Portobello market. It was just a way to make money back then, a job I could use my creativity in, but I never set out to build a global brand.
I suppose it is that origin story that has really shaped my perspective, that market trader element has allowed us to always be in tune with our customer. Fashion has become more accessible today, you don’t need to be in Vogue or shop designer. I think social media has been the main driver in enabling bedroom businesses to grow.
I used to not really appreciate the impact of what we do, but it provides jobs and it gives customers confidence. Those smaller details are more accessible and achievable than the Elon Musk’s of the business world and we have an appreciation for all of that. It’s more realistic and I think it’s that that allows us to connect with our customers.
Pop-up shops have been a significant part of NFD’s success. Could you share how these events have contributed to fostering a strong sense of community around the brand, and what strategies have been instrumental in making them successful?
Pop ups were a natural step for us from that market background. It’s a great way affordable way to test a new market – we listen to our customers, where they want to see us and often pop up there. Sometimes we also use pop ups to take more of a risk, testing somewhere we don’t currently have a customer base but see growth potential in. There are times it’s a success and times that they aren’t, but as long as we can use them for social activity or marketing material then there is always something we can get out of it. Measures of success are different for each pop-up dependent on the objectives but the customer feedback on the ground is invaluable to us. That face-to-face communication is something we really take on board and impacts the decisions we make as a business.
Never Fully Dressed is known for its commitment to inclusivity and empowerment. How do you ensure that the brand’s designs and messaging resonate with diverse audiences, and why is this mission of inclusivity important to you personally?
Inclusivity is the reality of the world and of life, those individual differences are so widespread particularly in the global world we now live in and that is something to be celebrated. Designing for a diverse customer base is so much more interesting than designing for the same person each time. That consideration of our customer is embedded into the design process always looking at ways to make items multi-way, so they work for breastfeeding, curve, petite, for everybody. This consciousness in design then carries through other aspects of the business, so this diversity is really ingrained in what we do.
Your approach to sustainable and ethical fashion is admirable. How does NFD incorporate these principles into its production processes, and what challenges have you faced in maintaining this commitment while scaling the brand?
Honesty is a core principle for us. We always try to do our best. We don’t want to greenwash or claim things that we aren’t doing. I think as long as you are working on the foundations in the background, you have to trust overtime that will come through to the customer. We need to work on sustainability for our own moral responsibility, before our customer even starts demanding it. It comes at a cost, so we have to decide if we absorb that or pass that onto the customer, that is a challenge for us.
Building relationships has been a part of the business from the start, we have always had a close relationship with our suppliers, they are an extension of us. We always strive to treat people how we want to be treated, this principle applies to all brand partnerships and relationships we have.
Collaboration and partnerships have been crucial for NFD, evident in premier stockists such as Ounass and Namshi. How do you select these partnerships, and what do you believe sets NFD apart in these exclusive outlets?
Collaboration is key to expanding creativity, it joins our world with someone else’s. There are always new ways to explore and expand and new partnerships allow us to do this. Generally, these partnerships are led by close relationships or people who have a likeness with us and our customers. Equally, if we feel we have a gap and someone else touches base with that, then we are open to working with and learning from them.
Our size offering and bold colours are core USPs for us. The high product quality for the price point we offer is something we are really proud of and are always working on. We design to inject happiness into your every day, and we have a really engaged community who share our feel-good ethos across the globe.
NFD’s exclusive, in-house designed prints are a cornerstone of its identity. Can you elaborate on the creative process behind developing these prints and how they contribute to the brand’s message of individuality and empowerment?
There are a range of processes when designing prints, there may be a brief for that collection that aligns with the season, a particular location or key inspiration. Our amazing print designers then work into that brief, it may just be a colour or a detail of a place we have visited and the prints that they create evoke that particular mood. How we felt in briefing and at the point of inspiration is carried through to the final garment and makes the customer feel that way when they put the item on, it’s empowering for them.
Could you discuss the challenges and opportunities that come with expanding a brand globally, and how do you maintain a consistent brand identity across different markets?
Logistics is the biggest challenge when expanding. All the taxes, duties, inventory and shipping that has to be considered when entering new markets can be difficult to manage. Seasonality, weather and social changes on a global scale can also raise challenges, however the opportunity is spreading that sense of community across the globe. That’s what drives us and allows us to develop. You maintain a brand identity by making sure that brand is strong and unwavering. Of course, when entering a new market you have to apply changes to align with the customer base but if the core brand is strong, then these principles shouldn’t change.
Empowering women through fashion seems central to NFD’s ethos. Can you share any inspiring stories or instances where you’ve witnessed the impact of your brand on women’s confidence and self-expression?
Empowering women is so important and something I am most proud of doing. I remember a little while back someone messaged saying how she had been unwell and no longer felt confident in herself, the first time she wore NFD it made her feel amazing and brought back that confidence. We want to create that for each customer, every time they put on their NFD. It gives people the power to go out and achieve whatever they need to do that day.
In the ever-evolving fashion industry, what trends or changes do you foresee impacting the future of Never Fully Dressed, and how do you plan to adapt while staying true to the brand’s core values?
Of course, sustainability will become even more crucial within the industry, it is an unavoidable focus that we all need to continue to work on. Focusing on sustainability aligns with our core values, the needs of our community are always at the centre of our goals and ultimately drives decision making. Challenges with logistics will also continue to grow and change and we need to make sure we are always agile as a business so we can adapt to this.
Community engagement appears fundamental to NFD’s success. How do you connect with your audience beyond the clothing, and what role do you see the brand playing in promoting positive social change within the fashion industry?
Social is the main space that we connect with our community, it is really where we tell our story. We are really lucky to have such an inspiring and empowering community. Our amazing NFD community page on Facebook brings together individuals who connect, share styling advice and stories of them wearing their NFD – it’s so powerful and something we are so proud of. I think we have reached a point where it is time for us to start playing a more active role in the community beyond clothing. Lockdown is a great example of this and was a big change for how we engaged with our community, suddenly it wasn’t just about clothing but how we can lift our customers in other ways. We would love to be using our voice in new circles and are open to working with new people to build this. Ultimately, it’s time to extend that feel-good messaging beyond clothing.
