aiayu
Rooted in a materials-first philosophy, aiayu creates timeless wardrobe essentials and homeware that transcend seasons.
Founded by two Marias: Founder and Creative Director Maria Høgh Heilmann and CEO Maria Glæsel, they share a love for craftsmanship and natural materials, along with a vision to demonstrate that a viable business model and responsible practices can go hand in hand.
Interview EMILY PETRUCCIONE
Images courtesy of AIAYU
I / ORIGIN & BRAND ETHOS
Aiayu’s journey began in 2005 after a pivotal experience with a local yarn manufacturer in Bolivia. How did that moment shape the brand you’ve built today?
It's unbelievable to think that it's been close to 20 years since we started our journey.That exact moment built the foundation and essence of where aiayu is today—our responsible production model, facilitating thoughtful sourcing and production in India, Mongolia, Nepal, and Europe, where we are able to work with exceptional natural materials.
The name aiayu means “soul” in Aymara—how does that meaning reflect your brand philosophy?
Our brand name was inspired by a Bolivian hand knitter. It reflects our philosophy and dedication to craftsmanship and the artisans behind our products, whose hearts and souls are thoughtfully infused into every creation.
How does your Danish heritage influence aiayu’s aesthetic and craftsmanship?
Danish furniture heritage has always been a huge inspiration to me—the thoroughness and attention to subtle details. Our colour palette also reflects Danish design aesthetics with its natural, earthy tones. I also find it fascinating to merge our Danish design heritage with Bolivian or Nepalese craftsmanship—the combination brings the best of both worlds to me.
II / DESIGN, MATERIALS, & SUSTAINABILITY
Aiayu is committed to undyed materials. What unique opportunities and challenges come with this approach?
The challenge of committing to pure, undyed materials is also what makes it so beautiful—it's nearly impossible to replicate nature’s tones manually. There’s a uniqueness and depth that cannot be copied. Nature provides the natural hues of each season, which may differ from the year before. These tones reflect the weather and changing seasons, making each batch unique and creating rich, perfectly imperfect melange shades. This means that no two batches will ever be exactly the same.
The brand follows a “materials-first” philosophy. Can you share an example of a fiber or textile that directly influenced a design?
Our collections are built on a materials-first philosophy—we design the other way around. Instead of forcing a design and making suppliers find a way to produce it, we let our suppliers guide us on what’s possible. If a material or fiber naturally leads to a product, it becomes part of our collection. A perfect example is our Highland saga wool sweater, made from a blend of llama and Highland sheep wool—an unexpected yet harmonious blend suggested by our trusted Bolivian supplier. The llamas and Highland sheep graze together in the Bolivian highlands making their wool naturally complement each other, creating something truly special.
“Nature provides the natural hues of each season, which may differ from the year before. These tones reflect the weather and changing seasons, making each batch unique and creating rich, perfectly imperfect melange shades. This means that no two batches will ever be exactly the same.”
Maria Høgh Heilmann, Creative Director, aiayu
Aiayu speaks about “moving beyond organic” through regenerative agriculture—how does that shape the materials and processes you're exploring?
For our cotton products, we continue to develop the same poplins, twills, and corduroy that have been part of aiayu since our beginning in 2005. We prioritize sourcing raw materials from regenerative organic agriculture over standard organic farming. By doing so, we hope to encourage more suppliers and farmers to adopt these practices, making them more commercially viable within the industry. In 2019, we discovered a regenerative farmers' cooperative practicing regenerative animal farming of Yak and Sartull—an inspiring addition to our knitwear range.
What design principles do you prioritize to ensure longevity in both aesthetics and function?
We focus on creating designs that transcend seasons and fleeting trends, allowing materials to guide our process. Prioritizing a materials-first philosophy, we craft fewer, high-quality pieces using only natural materials that meet our strict standards—whether certified, uniquely regenerative, or recycled.
III / RETAIL & COMMUNITY
Your stores have such a unique atmosphere. Can you share your approach to merchandising and crafting the in-store experience? What influences the spaces you create and work in?
With our stores, we wanted to create an authentic reflection of aiayu’s universe and the essence of our brand—a tactile experience of natural materials, from raw fibers to finished products. Craftsmanship and artisanship are at the heart of our spaces, brought to life through beautiful imagery of their origins. We have carefully designed a calm, welcoming in-store atmosphere, offering customers the same feeling we experience when visiting our suppliers and artisans. A warm greeting from our store assistants invites customers to explore the stories behind each natural material and the origins of our products.
Can you tell us more about aiayu Market and how it differentiates itself from your other stores?
The aiayu Market in Copenhagen's Nordhavn is unique from our other store experiences, as it offers one-of-a-kind pieces, samples and archival items. It also houses our repair workstation, where aiayu in-house specialists support mending and repair. It's also a creative space where our community comes together.
Aiayu hosts events and workshops regularly—how do you go about finding and selecting hosts, and what excites you about bringing your community together in this way?
We always seek out partners who inspire us and from whom we can learn. Through our events and workshops, we aim to share these inspirational people and partners with our local community. To us, it’s the perfect way to highlight and evolve the importance of longevity—extending the lifespan of materials and products by mending them or creating pieces of art from leftover fabrics.
“We focus on creating designs that transcend seasons and fleeting trends, allowing materials to guide our process. Prioritizing a materials-first philosophy, we craft fewer, high-quality pieces using only natural materials that meet our strict standards—whether certified, uniquely regenerative, or recycled.”
IV / THE AIAYU CUSTOMER & LIFESTYLE
Aiayu offers clothing, accessories, and home goods—how do you tie these categories together into a cohesive lifestyle?
It’s all about the material—it’s our compass. We always seek inspiration in natural materials and let them guide the products we create, whether for the wardrobe or the home. Our bestselling shirt, made from the softest and most comfortable certified organic cotton, felt so dreamy we wanted to sleep in it—which inspired us to create duvets. Or our unique and soft llama wool, originally crafted for scarves, which we longed to wrap ourselves in, leading us to design throws. When you find the perfect materials, you just want them to be part of all your everyday rituals.
V / CREATIVE PROCESS & INSPIRATION
Aiayu is quite new to the runway, and I’ve really enjoyed seeing the details of each show thus far—what has been your thought process in bringing collections to life in such an intentional way?
Unveiling our aiayu universe at Copenhagen Fashion Week has been such a positive experience for us! We’ve often questioned ourselves whether fashion weeks are the right platform to showcase our collections and brand ethos, since we’re not driven by trends. But it turns out, they can be. Our participation has been quite unique in its format—focused on getting close to the natural materials, zooming in on their details, and letting their purity truly shine. A slower pace in the presentation feels just right: slow, thoughtful, and true to our brand and the essence of what we do. It genuinely feels like the ideal way to engage with the fashion industry.
aiayu FW25 Presentation, captured by Nynne Henriksen
VIII / CLOSING REFLECTION
Outside of fashion and textiles, what are your other passions?
I have a deep passion for foreign cultures, observing alternative ways of living, working, and being present with others. One of my greatest joys is traveling and meeting people in places like Bolivia and Nepal, where I can learn about their norms, crafts, clothing, food, and more. It has been a huge inspiration to me. Recently, I visited Japan, and I am so inspired and amazed by how the Japanese have their own unique approach to many things in life. The world has somehow become smaller—more uniform—and it's rare to encounter true origins. But we are fortunate to travel and meet people from so many unique places. This is something I truly treasure and where I find much of my inspiration.
Favorite spots in Copenhagen—restaurants, cafés, or shops?
My favorites are all close to our aiayu store, which is purely a coincidence. I would have my oysters on a sunny day at Rouge Oysters at Gammel Kongevej, a cosy lunch at Admiralgade 26 in central Copenhagen, and a warm cup of tea at Dallas in Østerbro anyday.
Where do you see aiayu heading next, and how do you envision it will grow over time?
Growth, in itself, is not a goal at aiayu—positive development. We focus on creating meaningful products, leaving room for craftsmanship, prioritizing quality over quantity, and respecting the resources we depend on. Looking ahead, we aim to deepen customer engagement by fostering an understanding of materials, craftsmanship, and longevity. We will be investing in initiatives like our one-of-a-kind concept, repurposing leftover fabrics and materials. Our repair program encourages customers to extend the lifespan of their garments. We will be prioritizing conscious growth, avoiding over-distribution, excessive stock, and seasonal sales. We also stand at the beginning of an international journey. We want aiayu to be more globally available but remain committed to honest, high-quality products made with care—because now more than ever, the world needs this focus. Most importantly, as we approach our 20th anniversary, we continue to stay true to our values and what we already do best—our nerdiness, prioritizing natural materials through our material-first approach, and long-term partnerships. We will ensure that every step forward is ours and do things our way.
aiayu FW25 Presentation, captured by Nynne Henriksen
aiayu SS25 Presentation, captured by Nynne Henriksen
Aiayu’s journey began in 2005 Bolivia, with a special encounter between founder and creative director Maria Høgh Heilmann and a visionary local yarn manufacturer. Rooted in a materials-first philosophy, aiayu creates timeless wardrobe essentials and homeware that transcend seasons. For more information about the brand, visit aiayu.com
Images courtesy of aiayu — aiayu SS25 & FW25 Presentations captured by Nynne Henriksen
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