As summer shortly comes to a close and days get cooler, our summer clothes are hung up in the back of our closets to make room for warm furs, long sleeves and elegant coats. The colors of summer reflect in our clothing choices, slowly muting into warm fall hues and cool winter pallets. For some, dressing up and adding layers is a decision based on warmth, whilst others, like Aaron Asunsolo, chooses a coat based on style, pattern, and stitching.
Asunsolo started her own clothing line in 2016. After gaining her bachelors in finance, she realized that fashion was her calling. “It identifies someone,” said Asunsolo. “It identifies me.” At 22 years old, she learned how to sew on her mother’s sewing machine, watching YouTube videos as she went. She started small, with a few clothing modifications here and there, to creating her own style and eventually making pieces that buyers could wear confidently with her business taking off in 2018.
She quickly moved from patchwork coats to high end fashion, designing coats to her liking and taking custom orders for those who wanted a little more pizzazz. “I offer people pieces that are unique to them and brings excitement,” said Asunsolo. In the heat of her business, Asunsolo had employees that would help her sew, ship out orders, and maintain her standard of high end fashion.
During her busy season, she gets around 40 orders a month, each coat taking about 10-15 hours to make and three weeks to get to the customer’s door. She uses scraps from her coats to make swimwear, remaining conscious about fabric waste. Her swimwear costs $144, signature coats, $335, and custom coats, $725. She ships in fabric that is needed for her designs and works tirelessly to ensure that customers fall in love with her work. She accommodates different body types, shapes, sizes and lengths.
At 32, Asunsolo has graduated college, started her own business, has been featured in pieces by the Boston Globe and British Vogue, collaborated with Free People and created an AFC Championship coat for the wives of the Patriots. Success is a word that should be closely tied with Asunsolo.
In the long run, she dreams of owning a warehouse to help her business grow. She would love to take on and employ a larger team, possibly gain a contract deal with a brand and build more awareness and recognition around her brand. Her dream started small, with her mother’s sewing machine, and has now manifested into a reality where Asunsolo loves what she does, and looks good while doing it.
You can find her work and place an order on her website @aaronasunsolo or follow her on Instagram.
"I offer people pieces that are unique to them and brings excitement."
"Fashion is based on someone's mood, whether it's casual, formal, flirty, fun or spicy. It's a big part of someone's reflection of themselves."