Design Studio Thrives without Physical Headquarters in Ayr

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Diane Cha recently left her senior job at Gap Inc.’s Athleta brand to join Ayr, a label with 17 employees and no offices or headquarters, as the head of merchandising. Ayr operates fully virtually, with employees working from home in their own US time zones. Cha will work from her bedroom in Orange County, California, with a team spread across three time zones from Ojai, California to Coatesville, Pennsylvania.

While most fashion labels rushed employees back to the office after pandemic restrictions loosened, Ayr permanently shut down its offices in New York’s Noho neighborhood. Co-founder Maggie Winter and her husband Brice Pattison work from their house in Ojai, California. This drastic change has resulted in sustained revenue growth for the label. Annual revenues have quintupled over three years and surpassed $50 million this year.

Operating virtually has allowed Ayr to recruit more experienced people from across the country while making a significant impact on its growth. When Mallory Snyder posted an opening for a senior creative manager on LinkedIn three months ago, she received over 500 applications within the first day alone. “Opening up the team to the entire country gives us access to a deep well of talent,” Winter says.”