Aila Morin builds brands with the kind of patience that comes from knowing that meaning can’t be rushed. As the CMO of MERIT, her work carries the influence of two grandmothers whose styles could not have been more different — one glamorous and layered, the other minimal and precise.
From them, she learned that beauty can live in both excess and restraint, and that intention is what makes it last. In our conversation, she reflects on creative inheritance, the discipline of living with less, and why beauty, at its best, is found in the rituals that return you to yourself.
--
The women we admire often become the architecture of who we are — shaping our strength, our softness, and who we grow to be. Who are the women who have most formed you, and what pieces of them live inside of your work, your rituals, or your way of moving through the world?
"My own lived experiences and the women in my life are always the inspiration behind the products and stories we tell at MERIT. My two grandmothers uniquely informed MERIT's place in the world; my paternal grandmother was incredibly chic, loved to wear blue eyeliner (like Princess Di), mink coats, kept her perm fresh, and layered her fragrances. My maternal grandma was chic in a very utilitarian way; she has used Clinique's Dramatically Different lotion since the 80's, and stuck with a minimal routine that she trusted. It was always fascinating to me that such different characters bought some of the same products — and in that way, MERIT is very much a blend of their two ethos. Beautiful, simple objects you can use if you're minimalist or maximalist."
MERIT champions the kind of minimalism that feels deeply intentional. What does “enough” look like in your life right now, and has your relationship to abundance or simplicity evolved with time?
"I have moved many, many times; packing up your things from Vancouver, Toronto, New York, Los Angeles over and over again means you get really clear on what you value and what you don't. I don't like extra objects anywhere; I like to buy the highest quality of one thing and use it until I can't anymore. This has gotten simpler with time, especially with my wardrobe. I experimented a lot more in my 20s, and bought fast-fashion often as a way to fit in at an event I felt uncomfortable at; I think as you age and get really comfortable, you're less apologetic for wearing what you're comfortable in. It's the same for beauty; I used to really feel I had to change how I look, now I just know who I am and what works and doesn't work for me. The simple answer is time makes you accept and simplify; excess makes me anxious."
We can imagine there’s a lot of yourself poured into your career and the companies you champion. How do you keep your sense of self strong while you’re creating and living in these brand worlds?
"Every brand I work on holds parts of my own experience; building Mejuri I was single and had this deep love for jewelry I inherited from my grandma. I was so focused on creating stories about making your own occasions, "diamonds for your damn self"; each brand becomes almost emblematic of the point I was at in my life. MERIT is more reflective of where I am now, with a focus on intentionality, feeling like myself, and speaking to women through that lens. It's impossible to separate myself from my work; almost every reference is from childhood or the years I spent working at the beauty counter, from conversations I had with friends, from things I see in my time off. It's very hard for me to differentiate what I like and what MERIT is, because they're so intertwined — it also means I almost never post on social media or tell my own stories, because my creativity all lives elsewhere. I am very careful though on my own boundaries; I share so much in my work that I do not share much of myself on the internet. It means that when I go home, I can switch off and be with my family and friends without carrying work home, and that is a skill learned over time."
"Time makes you accept and simplify; excess makes me anxious.”
What’s your uniform of self-care — not just the rituals you return to, but the ones that return you to yourself?
"The mornings, always. It's the quietest time of the day, when I'm not fully immersed in whatever I'm solving yet. I love to take walks with coffee, sit outside and talk about what I'm working on or the bigger picture, and wake up slowly. i don't spend much time on beauty in the morning; I'm a two minute shower person. I love the Kate McLeod body stone, then brush my hair out, use Great Skin Serum, Great Skin Moisturizer, The Uniform and usually just Brow 1980. I usually put on Flush Balm and Lip Liner in the car, after I've given my skincare time to settle. At night is really where I take my time; I workout right after work (either tennis, hiking or pilates), then love an epsom salt bath to really let go of the day. That way when I return to "home" mode and am cooking dinner or being with friends, I feel like I'm able to be present."
When you think of beauty as a feeling, not a product, what moments or memories come to mind?
"There are very specific moments for me (many that now live in campaigns); finding fashion magazines in the grocery store and rubbing the scent strips on my arm so I would smell good; the gesture of my Grandma putting on eyeshadow; my Mum applying lipstick and drop earrings before going out for dinner; I remember so clearly the first skincare routine I sold at age 15 at the beauty counter, and how excited she was and how excited I was for her. So much of beauty is experience; either sensory or the feeling of lifting a weight or concern. It was something I learned both from women in my family, friends and YouTube — I was self-taught, watching videos by Wayne Goss in the 2000s so I could then help customers with finding the right products. In my 20s it was about transformation for me; now it's about feeling like I'm ready for the day."
What is a quiet detail in MERIT that most people might miss, but that you’re deeply proud of?
"There are many — we spend a lot of time on products and campaigns, mulling over the intricacies of the stories we're telling. More than anything, that's what I consider myself to be — a storyteller. What I have loved about growing our audience is that they usually don't miss the details; they pick up on tiny design flourishes or product sneak peeks or inferences. It's what makes campaign design fun; with The Uniform, it was developed as a metaphor and we aimed to make it nuanced enough to keep our community actually interested in the unravelling of the story. Everything happens too fast these days — I'm proud that we do things slowly."
Aila's Ritual:
