THE DESIGN CONSULTANT
THE TEXTILES SCHOOL GUIDE
THE FASHION SCHOOL GUIDE
NGAN LOK
UNOBRA

Recent work

TDCA Publications

THE TEXTILES SCHOOL GUIDE

The Studio

Design creates culture.

Culture shapes values.

Values determine the future.

— Robert L. Peters

About

The Design Consultant
is a fashion & textiles
creative agency.

The agency brings together a trusted network of designers, technicians, strategists, educators and consultants with specialist expertise across fashion, textiles, branding, product development and creative education.

We work with brands, founders, institutions and international academies to bring clarity, depth and imagination to creative projects. Our work moves between creative direction & strategy; design & product development; brand positioning & visual storytelling — helping clients understand not only what they are making, but why it matters, who it speaks to, and how it should exist in the world.

Every project is different. Some clients come to us with the seed of an idea; others arrive with an established brand that needs refining, repositioning or expanding. We create bespoke packages around each client's needs, drawing on Aimée's experience as well as a wider network of trusted creative and technical specialists.

At the heart of the studio is a deeply artistic approach to problem-solving. We believe design is not only a visual outcome, but a way of thinking, presenting, communicating and building culture. It can sharpen a brand, elevate a product, open new conversations and create a more meaningful relationship between a project, its audience and the wider world.

The Design Consultant studio

Founder

A note from Aimée

Coming soon

Aimée McWilliams is an award-winning designer, creative director, consultant and educator.

Her practice spans womenswear, luxury lingerie, sportswear and couture. A graduate of Central Saint Martins, where she won the Best Collection award, Aimée combines deep technical expertise with a highly instinctive approach to creative direction, brand strategy, product development and storytelling. She is particularly skilled at identifying the DNA of a brand and translating it into a coherent world across product, silhouette, imagery, language, customer experience and future growth.

Aimée has worked internationally across fashion, luxury and education, collaborating with brands in Paris and China. Her namesake label, aimée, became a defining expression of her design language — combining lingerie and ready-to-wear with intimacy, sensuality, graphic structure and craftsmanship, while developing a deeper creative philosophy rooted in female experience, equity and the power of design to shift perception.

Alongside her consultancy practice, Aimée has over twenty years' experience in fashion education, working with institutions including Central Saint Martins, the Royal College of Art and London College of Fashion. She is also the founder of TDCA — The Design Classroom for All, an online platform for world-class fashion and textiles education, mentoring and portfolio development.

Her work moves fluidly between vision and execution, concept and product, intuition and strategy — always with a focus on intelligence, beauty, relevance and purpose.

Services

How we
work

Every project begins with a conversation.

We listen carefully to what is already there — the ambition, the challenge, the product, the story, the audience and the gaps. From there, we shape a bespoke package of support, drawing on the right combination of creative direction, strategic consultancy, design expertise, technical development and specialist collaborators.

Some projects are short and focused. Others are long-term partnerships. The aim is always the same: to create work with clarity, intelligence, beauty and purpose.

What we do

Clients

A network of brands, institutions & founders.

BalmainGivenchyNgan LokAquascutumAiméeBordelleThe Rolling StonesMercedes-BenzEnglish National BalletL'OréalBegg of ScotlandGuoman HotelsThe Devil Wears PradaStarbucksSnappin TurtleKirk & KirkRodriguez & SmithLuxury ConsultKingsing ConsultancyDyonDays of EsmePatinaUnobraThe Bra SanctuaryAlesia SerjevaRebeca RamosUnderFrameCentral Saint MartinsRoyal College of ArtLondon College of FashionV&A MuseumUniversity of the Arts LondonBalmainGivenchyNgan LokAquascutumAiméeBordelleThe Rolling StonesMercedes-BenzEnglish National BalletL'OréalBegg of ScotlandGuoman HotelsThe Devil Wears PradaStarbucksSnappin TurtleKirk & KirkRodriguez & SmithLuxury ConsultKingsing ConsultancyDyonDays of EsmePatinaUnobraThe Bra SanctuaryAlesia SerjevaRebeca RamosUnderFrameCentral Saint MartinsRoyal College of ArtLondon College of FashionV&A MuseumUniversity of the Arts London
BalmainGivenchyNgan LokAquascutumAiméeBordelleThe Rolling StonesMercedes-BenzEnglish National BalletL'OréalBegg of ScotlandGuoman HotelsThe Devil Wears PradaStarbucksSnappin TurtleKirk & KirkRodriguez & SmithLuxury ConsultKingsing ConsultancyDyonDays of EsmePatinaUnobraThe Bra SanctuaryAlesia SerjevaRebeca RamosUnderFrameCentral Saint MartinsRoyal College of ArtLondon College of FashionV&A MuseumUniversity of the Arts LondonBalmainGivenchyNgan LokAquascutumAiméeBordelleThe Rolling StonesMercedes-BenzEnglish National BalletL'OréalBegg of ScotlandGuoman HotelsThe Devil Wears PradaStarbucksSnappin TurtleKirk & KirkRodriguez & SmithLuxury ConsultKingsing ConsultancyDyonDays of EsmePatinaUnobraThe Bra SanctuaryAlesia SerjevaRebeca RamosUnderFrameCentral Saint MartinsRoyal College of ArtLondon College of FashionV&A MuseumUniversity of the Arts London

Brands

Balmain, Givenchy, Ngan Lok, Aquascutum, Aimée, Bordelle, Levi's.

Commissions

The Rolling Stones World Tour, Mercedes-Benz, English National Ballet, Private Island TV, Guoman group hoteliers, Begg of Scotland & Tokyo Arts, L'Oréal Paris.

Collaborators

The Devil Wears Prada 2, Starbucks, Snappin Turtle, Kirk & Kirk, Rodriguez & Smith, Luxury Consult, Kingsing Consultancy, Dyon China.

Start Ups

Unobra Lingerie, Patina Lingerie, The Bra Sanctuary Lingerie, Alesia Serjeva RTW, Rebeca Ramos Blackchain RTW, Under Streetwear, Frame sportswear.

Academia

Central Saint Martins, Royal College of Art, London College of Fashion, Arts Comm UAL, The Sir John Cass School of Art and Design, The Victoria and Albert Museum, Kingsing China for professional conferencing, International arts academies throughout mainland China.

Awards

  • L'Oréal total look award for best collection, Central Saint Martins 2003
  • Designer of the year, Scottish Style Awards, 2007
  • Lingerie designer of the year, Scottish Enterprise, 2017

Testimonials

01

"Aimee总是对我们身边的事物有着强烈的好奇心,她在不断地记录和发展。与Aimee 合作时总是会有惊喜。这些惊喜来自于她的创造力。例如,她创造花稿或打版时候,她会从一个基本的版式中创造出美丽的版形。这个过程看起来总是舒服又惊喜,就像一种魔术。"

"Aimee always has a strong sense of curiosity about the things around us, she is constantly recording and constantly evolving. There's always a surprise when working with Aimee. These surprises come from her creativity. For example, the way she creates a flower or works with paper patterns, she creates such a beautiful pattern from one so basic. This process always looks comfortable yet surprising, like a kind of magic."

Em & Mr RenProprietorsNgan Lok
02

"I had the opportunity to work with Aimee McWilliams for the Pierre Balmain brand. It was an incredible collaboration. She knew how to preserve the heritage of the house, while bringing a touch of modernity. Aimee's artistic sensibility shines through in the collections, and offered such lightness and legitimacy to the aura of 'pretty madam.' She is an incredible woman!"

France Lise AguiarProducerBalmain
03

"Aimee McWilliams是一位出色的创意总监,为我近400个不同类型的中国企业客户服务。我们在女装、男装和童装领域合作已超过 2 年。我们的客户对她出色的专业、切实可行且富有启发和深度的思想印象深刻;尽管我们的有文化和市场的不同,她仍然可以充分的理解客户的需求,并且尽可能找出最适合的解决方案。"

"Aimee McWilliams is a great creative director for my nearly 400 diverse Chinese clients. We have been working together for more than 2 years across womenswear, menswear, and childrenswear. Our clients are impressed with her professional, practical and inspiring direction. She understands our clients' needs well, despite our different cultures and markets, and will find the best solutions wherever possible."

SkyDirector and FounderKingsing Consultancy Beijing
04

"Aimee's designs are wholly unique, she is a bold and original thinker that has never been constrained by standard expectations of form, often blending techniques and intersecting practices across disciplines to form new ways of designing and producing. I was captivated by Aimee's designs, both the technique and quality were evident immediately, and her approach to presentation of product was second to none. Her expert skill alongside her truly kind and generous personality is a continuous source of inspiration for all that work with and know her, and it is demonstrated in the meticulous and carefully nurtured outcomes of her work."

Pheobe SmithManaging Director & UK PartnerHelo
05

"Since graduating from Central Saint Martins with her triumphant and L'Oréal award winning collection, Aimee has defined the zeitgeist for contemporary fashion and design. Working across brands and her own label Aimee is able to challenge the norm whilst being able to adapt to different markets and customers."

Hywel DaviesFashion Programme DirectorCentral Saint Martins
06

"I have been a fan of Aimee's work for some time now. She has a beautiful and feminine signature and always uses the most exquisite fabrics. Not only is she super talented, but a real joy to work with."

Charlotte WhiteheadBritish Fashion Council
07

"Working with Aimee has been delightful. She has a very gracious and kind way of extracting and highlighting the core strengths of what makes you unique with a tactful and feminine approach. It has been a pleasure working with her so far and I look forward to our continued collaboration in the future."

Rebecca RamosArchitect & Founder of a new blockchain digital fashion design labelStart-up
08

"Working with Aimee. How can I explain the feeling? It was like bringing the whole London vibe back to Buenos Aires. Her creative and unique eye for styling turned the whole project upside-down. Having Aimee by your side for anything, I assure you, something good is going to happen."

Stephanie SzaboProprietors & DevelopersLevi's Latin America
09

"Aimee is a designer whose creative force is such an inspiration to be around. She has great passion for her work, and it is clearly identifiable in every project she gets involved with. Whether it is designing her own collections at London Fashion Week, creating a new label for a high end fashion brand in Paris or designing a wedding dress for a high profile couple, her designs are exquisite, contemporary and reflect her highly skilled experience."

Claire GinzlerFashion DirectorStylist
10

"Aimee is a consummate professional and a pleasure to work with. I have a master's degree in Public Relations and no fashion education: working with Aimee felt like doing a fashion BA in a year! She is amazing at teaching creative direction, fashion design and styling. I wish Aimee well in all that she does, and am proud to recommend her for future projects."

Alesia SerjevaFounder of a new ethical clothing brandStart-up

Work

Spotlight

Spotlight looks beyond the project itself to explore the people, places and influences behind the work — our contributors, creative drivers, geographic perspectives, product categories and the wider references that shape how we think and create.

01

Sergio Rodriguez

A long term relationship

09.2026

02

Tokyo to Beijjing

Beautiful, meaningful projects

10.2026

03

Karen
Coughlan

A long term relationship

11.2026

04

Paris

Atelier life

12.2026

05

Unobra

The beauty of asymmetry.

01.2027

06

Lingerie

An expression of feminism

02.2027

07

Jim Tindill

A long term relationship

03.2027

08

Ed-Tech

A new world expansion

04.2027

09

Charlotte Kaminska

A long term relationship

05.2027

10

RTW

Design methodologies

06.2027

Contact

Every project
begins with a
conversation.

Studio

Our design and sampling studio supports the development of patterns, toiles, prototypes and product concepts, working alongside a trusted network of creative and technical specialists.

The Design Consultant works with brands, founders, institutions, academies and private clients across the UK and internationally.

For creative direction, consultancy, product development, education, bespoke commissions or collaborations, please get in touch.

Join the mailing list

For updates from the studio — new work, collaborations, books, spotlight episodes and more.