Founder
AMANDA RETTIG
Founder's Story
Amanda Rettig is an Australian-born designer and the creative force behind A-ESQUE.
In 1996, Amanda founded Mimco, and built the brand across twelve years into one of the country's most defining accessories houses before its sale in 2007. In 2012, she began again with A-ESQUE.
Amanda's practice and vision have been recognised across Vogue Living, Harper's Bazaar, Habitus Living, and the Australian Financial Review Magazine. Her focus on hand-made leather has shaped a career of innovation and transformation — earning recognition including the Young Hero Award for Business and induction into the Australian Businesswomen's Hall of Fame.
Heritage and Legacy
Amanda founded Mimco in 1996, naming the brand after her childhood nickname, MiM. Determined to make bags she wanted to carry herself, she convinced offshore factories to produce a small sample range — and launched Mimco into retailers that reached her audience.
Mimco is the foundation of her credibility as a leading Australian designer. At A-ESQUE, Amanda has refined that vision — into a practice built on making pieces people want, pieces that feel special to carry.
Design Philosophy — Pieces to Want, and Keep
A-ESQUE is founded on the belief that the making is what makes a piece worth wanting. Each piece is designed to feel special — something you reach for, and return to. Produced at the A-ESQUE Melbourne Atelier, every piece reflects Amanda's belief that desire is what a well-made object earns, and that joy lives in the daily wear.
Since 2012, A-ESQUE has built its reputation on hand-made leather pieces of substance. Amanda's belief has always been that the spirit and stories of a house are what draw people back to it. Every detail is considered — from the stitch to the finish — for those who want pieces they will love, and live with.
Culture and Partnerships
In place of traditional marketing, Amanda has brought A-ESQUE into the cultural conversation through a long-term strategy of partnerships and collaborations with like-minded brands and people. The foundation is organic — and works to an ongoing calendar that spans commercial and community initiatives.
Ethical Practice
Amanda's commitment to ethical production is reflected in every piece made at the A-ESQUE Atelier. The house emphasises careful sourcing, hand-making, and pieces made to last a lifetime — quality that carries responsibility with it.
A-ESQUE World
In March 2026, Amanda opened the newest A-ESQUE space on High Street, Armadale, in Melbourne. Rather than a store in the traditional sense, A-ESQUE World is a living cultural destination — gallery-like in its curation, immersive in sensibility, and ever-evolving in its programming.
