Brice Pattison of AYR on the new men’s line and expansion plans
Founded in 2014 by Maggie Winter and Jac Cameron, the AYR brand, also known as All Year Round, has long been known for its womenswear. A collection of revisited basics, affordable, high-quality and timeless pieces. But over the past year, the brand has ventured into a new category.
With the arrival of Brice Pattison, former design director of Todd Snyder and menswear designer at J.Crew
“My wife Maggie started AYR 10 years ago,” explains Pattison. “Developing a men’s line was always on her mind. She trusted me to develop the line. I generally love the ethos of the women’s AYR line. It’s a masculine inspiration with no girly side. It felt natural and interesting to build a men’s line that could live in harmony alongside the women’s line.”
A decision that seems to be paying off. Only one year after its launch, the men’s collection has reached one million dollars in sales. “It has been great,” adds Pattison. “We developed the first year of collections in a very soberly way, starting with classic styles and textiles. We kept some spring-summer pieces for the winter collection like blazers, sweatshirts, t-shirts because we love them and the rest is constantly evolving.”
AYR, which is betting on gradual development, hopes that its men’s line will account for 20% to 25% of sales within the next 5 years. For winter, Brice Pattison has introduced new pieces including leather jackets, corduroy shirt and pant sets, two-pocket shirts, expanded the denim section and added winter coats.
“Our best-sellers are still the denim jeans, a true classic whose fabric is made in Louisiana at the last American denim fabric manufacturer, and also the sweater made with an amazing yarn from Italy and soft cotton, and the outwear range,” tells Pattison. “I’m also thinking of developing more suits and developing accessories.”
Now exclusively focused on e-commerce and direct-to-consumer sales, AYR had initially opened three physical stores in Soho, New York, on Abbot Kinney boulevard in Venice, Los Angeles and in the Hamptons, before closing them in turn. “We love stores. Our classic clothing style benefits with stores and stores will absolutely be part of our future,” comments Pattison. “But we are a self-founded company, and we really want a healthy growth and to stay focused on the e-commerce business. It’s the most responsible place to grow.”
Made in part in China, the USA and Peru, the AYR brand claims to be rooted in sustainability. “Sustainability is an important topic and buying less clothing is probably the first action to take,” explains Pattison. “Our fashion is fashion you can wear for a long time at an affordable price. Not following trends and creating timeless pieces is another way of looking at sustainability.”
Prior to joining AYR, Pattison was a member of the founding team at Todd Snyder New York, where he held the position of design director. Pattison had previously worked under Snyder as a menswear designer at J.Crew, where Snyder headed the department. With AYR, he moved to Ojai, California where he creates his collections.
“AYR has no headquarters. The 20 people on our teams are located in New York, where all the fittings are done, but also Salt Lake City, The Hamptons, San Francisco, Ojai and Columbus, Ohio. Wherever the right people are, we employ them,” concludes Pattison. “Everyone really likes this kind of life and organization, and we want to work the same way.”
