ABOUT AYUMI

Ayumi worked in the Japanese high fashion industry during her formative years for designers Shinichiro Arakawa and Yasuhiro Mihara.

After 13 years in Tokyo she moved to the San Diego to pursue a new life and opportunities.

While in San Diego life did not go as planned, so with $160 to her name she pack her car and headed north to Los Angeles in hope of a fresh start. 

Fortunately, a good friend needed help with his business and she began helping him in exchange for a place to stay.

While working at her friend’s famous vintage store, “SLOW” on Melrose Ave, the idea came to Ayumi to repurpose products and transform them into cool new items. She started making reinvented creations every day and suddenly buyers from all over the world such as Topshop, Free People, Urban Outfitters, Planet Blue and Hot Topic among others asked how they could get their hands on her designs.

This was the beginning of her wholesale business.  A year and half after she began with her $160 life savings, she set up her own clothing line.

By the end of the first year, Ayumi’s  dream of reaching 6 figure sales came true.

You may think we’ve reached our happy ending, but what’s a good roller coaster without any drops?

An unfortunate pairing with an untrustworthy business partner brought the budding empire down around her and was devastated and depressed. 

Ayumi’s resilience allowed her to rebuild stronger from the ruin. Again, she started a new line with the help and encouragement of close friends.

As they often will, another opportunity to shine arose and she entered the WWD Magic / Galerie Lafayette in Paris Emerging Designer Contest and won 1st place for presentation with Galerie Lafayette’s top buyers in Paris.

That same year, she was afforded the honor of winning another award for Best Emerging Designer from the Fashion Business Institution in 2015.

From here, she began design consulting, creative direction and private labels with well-known fashion companies throughout the United States.

During the pandemic Ayumi has also reflect on her career and is chasing a new passion. 

While working with fashion brands here in Los Angeles she was supervising all the photoshoots and coordinating clothing for those shoots. 

Newly inspired Ayumi has began working as a costume designer & wardrobe stylist for films, commercials, corporate advertisements and brand’s campaigns.