Singapore-based fashion label Aijek is making a comeback seven years after its founder, Danelle Woo, stepped away from the industry. The relaunch, set for September 24, marks a significant shift toward sustainable design, with the brand embracing natural, biodegradable fabrics exclusively.
Woo, who originally founded Aijek in 2010 and expanded it into a multimillion-dollar international brand, said a visit to a Cambodian dumpsite in 2021 profoundly affected her perspective. Witnessing towering mounds of waste, including discarded clothing, and the health impact on local villagers, compelled her to rethink her approach to fashion production. This experience spurred a commitment to sustainability that has shaped the brand’s new direction.
Unlike its previous iteration, which focused on dressy occasionwear and bridal lines, the revived Aijek offers a more casual collection that reflects Woo’s current lifestyle, dividing her time between Singapore and Bali. The upcoming 22-piece lineup features natural fibres such as cotton, linen, and tencel, deliberately excluding synthetic materials like polyester to ensure garments can biodegrade and return to the soil after use.
To confirm the biodegradability of fabrics, Woo conducted an experiment in early 2025 by burying samples of different textiles. After six months, only the synthetic blend remained intact, reinforcing her decision to eliminate polyester and other synthetics from the brand’s materials. This sustainability focus required adjustments in production methods, including replacing polyester-based lace with kerawang, a traditional Balinese cutwork embroidery technique, used throughout the collection.
Aijek’s original success included working with 15 factories, annual revenues nearing $4 million, and distribution through around 200 stores across Asia and the United States, including prominent retailers like Anthropologie, Shopbop, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s, and Singapore’s Tangs. The brand was a representative of Singapore at the 2017 Asia Fashion Federation in Hangzhou, China.
The new iteration will operate on a much smaller scale, collaborating with just four factories in Bali, where Woo has personal relationships with owners and staff. Sales will be primarily online, with select in-person studio visits by appointment. The emphasis is on thoughtful, limited releases rather than the mass production that characterized her earlier endeavors.
Woo cited the intense demands of growing Aijek, which included constant travel between Shanghai, Singapore, and New York, as a key reason for stepping away in 2019. She described feeling disconnected from both her family and herself amid the relentless pace and mounting pressures, stating that the traditional measures of business growth no longer brought satisfaction.
During her hiatus, Woo focused on personal growth, motherhood, and broadening her creative skills beyond fashion design. As her son Kai turned 18, she felt ready to return to the industry with a renewed focus on sustainability and balance.
Adapting to contemporary marketing dynamics, particularly the rise of social media platforms like TikTok, remains a challenge for Woo as she navigates the brand’s relaunch. Nonetheless, she remains driven by the core passion for design and an ongoing desire to improve her craft.
“Even now, I miss designing when I’m busy doing the other parts of running a business,” Woo said. Her new vision for Aijek aligns with a global push toward environmentally responsible fashion as the industry grapples with its ecological footprint.