Aiste Hong became the first Lithuanian fashion designer to debut in the official program of New York Fashion Week in the fall of 2024, with a collection inspired by a folk tale. A designer flourishing in the world’s fashion capital, she is proud of her roots and is committed to representing a brand that prioritizes quality, ethics, and sustainability. I spoke with Aiste Hong about her Lithuanian memories, the beginning of her career, her experiences in New York, and her current projects.

How do you reflect on your Eastern European roots as a designer? What was it like growing up in Lithuania?

Despite emigrating to the UK at the age of 13 with my family, and then moving to New York 5 years ago, Lithuania will always be a big part of who I am. I like to call New York the capital of the world. It is so multicultural. Perhaps, because of this reason I feel it is more important than ever to preserve and cherish where I came from. From the very early stages of conception of my brand, I always knew that Lithuania has to be part of it and its story in some way. I still feel deeply connected to Lithuania and my memories there, and my brand is a great medium to not only connect myself, but the rest of the world to its beautiful heritage. My designs feature subtle in-direct references to Lithuania and my memories of growing there. It was also very important to me to manufacture the collection there and I am very lucky to have found an incredible factory and people to work with. I am very grateful that they took a chance on me when I was still very new to this and helped me immensely along the way. We also plan to continue building more strategic partnerships in Lithuania going forward.

My childhood in Lithuania was nothing short of wonderful. It may sound odd, considering I was raised by a single mom who at times had to take on multiple jobs to ensure that me and my sister had a good life. But she never made us feel like we lacked anything and for that I am eternally grateful. She really wanted us to have a better life than she had, and worked hard to make it happen.

She set an amazing example and instilled in us values of hard work, ambition and perseverance. I still have no idea how she did everything and what superpowers it took, but she provided us with a wonderfully warm and peaceful childhood full of magical moments and memories I still go back to. Fruit picking in the forests, beautiful, long walks around the neighborhood, visits to the Baltic Sea… Me and my sister recently took my daughter there and we were both touched to be sharing our precious memories with her.

How did the idea of becoming a fashion designer and starting your own brand come about? What was the process like, and how did you enter the world of fashion?

I had a love for clothes and fashion since I was a little girl. My mother worked with clothes for a big part of her life, and it is thanks to her that I’ve always known the value of good quality clothing and had a big appreciation for how much work it takes to make them. Back in the UK, I decided to study a what one may call a more practical subject of business management. However, after dabbling in the industry, a realization came that life is passing by and that I must finally follow my dreams and my real passion. So, I moved to New York and enrolled to study Fashion Design at Parsons School of Design. After graduating and gaining some experience I gave birth to my daughter. Although I was already planning to launch my brand before she came into my life, something changed for me from that moment. I want her to grow up and be proud of me. I want to set an example, to teach her the importance of having a passion in life, the importance of hard work, of going after your dreams and being proud of your heritage.

I am also very lucky to have an incredible husband by my side who has always been very supportive of my dreams. As I developed more concrete ideas and plan in place, we sat down together to help establish goals, strategy, budget and timeframes. Ever since then, it’s been a crazy whirlwind of learning and figuring things out, sleepless nights, stress, but also many euphoric moments. I have never worked so hard in my entire life, but also never felt happier doing it. It all really paid off seeing my first ever collection on the runway at The Harmonie Club. And we have many exciting things to look forward to.

 If I’m correct, folklore is something particularly close to your heart, and it shows in your current collection. Do you plan to continue drawing inspiration from traditions in your future work?

The inspiration for my first collection drew from an old Lithuanian folk tale Egle, Queen of Serpents. Lithuanian culture and history are so rich that it would be a shame not to draw from it, but I don’t want to be seen as a ‘folk designer’ as that is entirely not my aesthetic. My inspiration is vaguer and more indirect. As I design, I like to travel back in time to my memories growing up in Lithuania. The old town that is full of history where every building has a story, brutalist architecture in my neighborhood, the beautiful nature that Lithuania has so much of. Being proud of where I’ve come from is encoded into my brand’s DNA and I’m certain that there will always be, even extremely vague references of that in my collections, but I would never want it to be too obvious.

Who are your muses, and who are your collections designed for?

Strong, independent women, confident in their mind and their body. I design for women, who know who they are, who don’t need clothes to create their personality, as they already have that covered. They look for timeless, but not boring pieces, they don’t feel a need to shock, or fit in, they just want to be themselves, while wearing something beautiful, luxurious, and comfortable at the same time.

In your opinion, what is the role of luxury brands today? How much demand is there for them, and how has their perception changed (if at all) in recent years or decades?

Luxury brands have traditionally been associated with status, exclusivity and superb craftsmanship. But with an increasing drive for profits, price has increased, but quality has decreased, and customers are not happy. There is also a growing demand for more transparency and accountability when it comes to sustainability and ethics as customers are becoming more educated and more conscious of their purchasing decisions. For new brands it is about what are they bringing to the table to an already over saturated environment plagued by overproduction and questionable ethics.

A new luxury brand today must be authentic and transparent, not engage in overproduction and have unique product and point of view.

What do you love most about New York? How does the city inspire you?

I probably won’t be very original here, but I’ll repeat what so many have said before me. This city challenges you at every step and life here is perhaps harder than in many other places, but the reward for those who persevere can be incredible. When people say that in New York anything is possible, they really mean it, because they experienced it. It is not just a PR line. It’s true that everything here is much more demanding, the competition is fiercer and it is more likely than not that one will not succeed here, but at the same time, there is no limit to what you can do, if you manage to pull through. For me it is a city of endless possibilities and dreams that can come true overnight.

You are the first Lithuanian designer to officially participate in New York Fashion Week. How did it feel to debut at one of the world's biggest fashion events? What was the experience like?

Being featured on the official New York Fashion Week calendar as a new designer debuting their first ever collection was a huge honor, and we were all totally euphoric when we found out. At the same time, it was also very stressful and intimidating. As I said, the competition in New York is beyond imagination, there are so many incredibly talented people here and being one of the few to make it to this level felt more humbling than empowering. We really felt like all eyes were on us and that put a lot of pressure in making sure that the show went smoothly. Having said that, the experience was incredible. I was very lucky to have an amazing team who were real professionals in their fields, and they were a big reason why the show was such a success. I also had the support of my loved ones. My husband was there, helping me every step of the way, my mom, sister and my friends flew in from different parts of the world to support me, making the day that much more special. I really could not have wished for a better debut.

How can one get into the official NYFW program, and what are the practical, measurable benefits for a designer brand to be featured in it?

It is a little early to discuss measurable benefits in terms of sales, as we are still at the stage of meeting with various buyers and the orders are not yet in, but it does bring significant brand visibility on a global scale. We had many notable industry guests who attended the show, press coverage in prestigious magazines and very good industry feedback from respected writers and stylists. I would also say that choosing the right PR agency can make all the difference, as it can open many doors for a new brand.

What role does sustainability play in your brand, and what challenges do you face insourcing natural or high-quality materials?

I think that sustainability in the fashion industry can no longer be a unique selling point, instead it must be part of every brand. What actions are you taking to reduce environmental impact and not contribute with more waste and damage to our planet? It should be at a forefront of every brand and embedded in every decision and action they take. However, more often than not, it is easier said than done. From the very beginning I chose not to compromise on my values, even if at times I had to change my creative vision. One of the benefits of having my own brand is that I can decide how much integrity is worth to me and decided not to put a price tag on it. Sourcing high quality natural and sustainable materials often means we must pay much more and finding the balance can be a real struggle. For my first collection we used a lot of natural and biodegradable fibers, such as silks and virgin wools. For the next collection we are trying to do more and looking for more innovative materials to work with.

What new technologies have been inspiring you as a designer lately?

Fabric technology and novel fabrics are very inspiring to me. I am always on the lookout for something new, especially when it comes to sustainable materials. Lately, I’ve been fascinated by fruit leather and various recycled fabrics. After visiting Milano Unica textile show this summer, I was so taken by a particular paper fabric, that I even considered making a paper suit. New technologies foster creativity and if they help the environment as well, that is a win-win to me.

What is the next big step for your brand?

The new big step is to present an even better second collection! Our first collection featured jewelry and belts handmade by skilled artisans in Italy, which you will hopefully see more of in the future. Right now, we are working more on social responsibility and a personal cause very close to my heart, which is helping women and girls from underprivileged backgrounds, fighting for their rights and fostering confidence and empowerment.

 

Head photo: Lukas Gricius

The original Hungarian version of the interview was published on Marie Claire.