Odd Muse fashion brand boss sobs hysterically over 'offensive' videos about her clothing
The founder of fashion brand Odd Muse has broken down in tears after claiming she has received a wave of online abuse.
Aimee Smale, 27, who owns the Brentwood, Essex-based aspirational luxury label, shared a clip of herself crying to her TikTok account, alongside a lengthy caption that stated she was 'heartbroken' over the 'bullying' she has received online over the last week.
While she didn't directly call anyone out by name, it is widely believed that the emotional video came in response to American influencer @plzdontbuythat, who posted a clip accusing Odd Muse of mistitling itself as a 'slow fashion' brand a few days ago.
Slow fashion is the opposite of fast fashion in that its production focuses on quality garments that will stand the test of time, ensuring it uses high grade materials to achieve this aim. It is also considered 'ethically' made.
The influencer and self dubbed 'apparel educator' - who recently called out fashion label House of CB for allegedly being 'sinophobic', a fear or dislike of China - said Odd Muse was 'fast fashion by every sense of the definition' and 'people that own apparel brands say whatever the f*** they want'.
But business owner Aimee, who has previously taken Pretty Little Thing to task over allegedly 'stealing' one of her designs, hit back at the American influencer by calling the 'offensive' accusations about her brand 'wild and untrue'.
In a video shared to TikTok, Aimee appeared make up-free and wearing a grey jumper. She was visibly in tears while mouthing words that were inaudible to viewers.
She wrote: 'A bit heartbroken today I can't lie, the abuse I'm receiving is overwhelming. I shouldn't look but it's hard when the accusations are so wild and untrue.
'I work so hard and have been so integral with my journey… I can't tell you the amount of things I have said "no" to and challenged in my journey because they do not align with my values.
'All I've ever wanted to do is help others and challenge the norms behind the industry I am in'.
She continued to defend herself by saying people believed 'lies over non-scandalous information'.
She added that the backlash was perhaps a symptom of success, and that as she had acquired a bigger brand over the years, she had become a 'target'.
'The last time I'm addressing the bullying that has gone on these last few days and just want anyone who is experiencing this right now to reach out because I just want to be there for others right now,' she continued.
Odd Muse is seen as a mid-luxury brand that prides itself on being 'timeless' and 'non-seasonal', and markets itself as producing 'investment fashion' pieces for women around the globe.
They mostly sell form-fitting dresses, structured two pieces, skirts and trousers, that all retail from around £50 to £180.
Last week, @plzdontbuythat shared a video titled 'My thoughts on Odd Muse calling itself "slow fashion"'.
'I was introduced to the brand Odd Muse this week and she loves to describe the company as slow fashion and sustainable... within about 42 seconds of entering the website it's really clear they are fast fashion by every sense of the definition,' she said.
The single mother went on to accuse the Odd Muse founder of misrepresenting her brand as slow fashion because the price point 'is really high' and the items are 'made really well'.
'It is my belief that there is zero room for you to call a polyester dress an investment piece - which is like 95 per cent of what the pieces are [made of]' she added.
She also referred to the fabric as 'high grade polyester' while at the same time using her hand to mimic a quotation mark.
She did however concede that Aimee was 'very successful' and that her brand did 'huge numbers', but warned her viewers not to take the words of apparel owners at 'face value'.
Aimee, who regularly models for her own brand, responded to the fast fashion allegations the next day, by calling them 'offensive'.
Alongside a video posted to her TikTok account, she penned a caption that read: 'Odd muse is my literal baby, I work so f***ing hard and I am so proud of how much I have grown this brand with integrity.
'I won't listen to people who don't understand fast fashion tell me I am fast fashion. It's so offensive.'
The video showed Aimee posing up a storm in what appeared to be an Odd Muse yellow cinched mini dress and brown sunglasses.
The still image was accompanied by the words: 'Yesterday I got accused of running a fast fashion brand.'
More text explained that there was a 'huge' difference between fast and slow fashion, and that this mostly centred on 'working conditions' and how long it took to bring a product to market.
She also shared a screenshot of the what appeared to be the results of a recent BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative) audit, for which Odd Muse received the highest grade possible, grade A.
BSCI audits assess social compliance and working conditions within a company, such as employee rights, fair pay, occupational health and safety among others.
She concluded the video with a short message seemingly aimed at the apparel educator, which read: 'Leave me alone now please x'.
However the mini presentation failed to pacify the influencer, who said the BSCI audit was incomplete.
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