Why Buy an Outfit for Just One Season?

Trans-seasonal clothing isn't a trend, it's simply a practical clothing option. Carving out a niche in womens' shirts and dresses, Sydney fashion label Ollie and Max have built a reputation across Australia for a versatile range of eye-catching yet extremely comfortable items which can be worn all year round. They're also human-rights approved. We speak to Samantha Burns, founder of the label, about the future of the Ollie & Max niche ...

Is there a broader artistic/lifestyle pursuit which brought you to the focus of being a clothing designer?

Mainly it was a desire to remove myself from the corporate world and determine my own success based on my skills and instinct - I wanted to see how fast/far I could drive my own business. It just happened to be in fashion, I wasn’t trained but had exposure to law and banking, and had always worked for fashion designers when at uni. A business opportunity presented itself and as I was interested in clothing and manufacturing I took it. It has basically been a means by which I can live the life I prefer - with flexibility of work hours and work place, travelling, dividing my time between city and country, working with like-minded individuals or groups, and running a multi-faceted business across retail, wholesale and online.

When you first got into the fashion industry, was it obvious that there are gaps in the market?

There are always personal style preferences which can be developed within a like-minded group. Existing brands were doing a fantastic job but my customers & I wanted to wear shirts that suited our style - a modern everyday wardrobe classic. A tailored casual shirt to suit all ages and sizes 8-24 and which is a great find.

You started out in children's wear - why did you move into women's wear?

Our children’s wear was popular and such a boutique classic brand. We had a shop in Woollahra, mums liked our style and our women’s wear grew organically from that. A classic trans-seasonal casual shirt was what I was looking for and I design for what women want - they were a hit because people like good quality classic pieces at a reasonable price.

What's the philosophy of Ollie and Max?

As women we want an outfit to take us from summer to winter, year to year. An ageless classic style that suits our body, taste and lifestyle changes. A style that we can call our own - a style that suits real women with busts, hips etc. By offering classic styles we cater to women of all ages, whether in the city or country; women of real sizes 8-24. I have never been so much a trend follower but instead prefer good quality, classic, tailored pieces at a reasonable price. Fashion should be about accessibility, ease and stylish wearability. Our governing philosophy is simple … to offer women trans-seasonal casual chic in sizes 8-24.

What are your three most popular products at this time?

The Ollie shirt, organic cotton tops - and our dresses and scarves.

How do you describe your target market?

Women of all ages; busy working women, teenagers, mums, grandmothers - all women! Women size 8-24 living in either the city or country. And continuing the inclusivity, I would say women in Australia or worldwide (laughs).

I've noticed that your brand is human rights approved - can you tell me about this?

In an industry where labour can be taken advantage of it was important for us to work with factories and individuals that guaranteed workers were paid fairly and treated ethically. We offer a positive lifestyle product, so our focus on the worker and their family is something we're in the process of developing into a community project- whereby we support education, health and housing in the area of our manufacturing. It’s very exciting times in the world of ethical manufacturing.

You're developing a huge following in rural Australia - what are women in those communities looking for in a fashion garment?

They're interested in our shirts as they present a classic modern alternative to the traditional shirt. We offer an easy update to their wardrobe - something that can be co-ordinated with existing clothing and an outfit that is practical, easy to wear and functional in different climates. The classic styles suit real women of all ages in the country, size 8-24. The fact that we have an easy to use online store and post worldwide has become an easy shopping tool for many rural women. We also love visiting them via our rural tradeshows, where they get to try things on, see new styles and we can all meet - it offers me the privilege of developing a business based on community.

When you attend these events in the country, what's people's first reaction to having a Sydney designer wander into their world?

Many of our rural clients know us from Sydney or by reputation - word of mouth extends a long way. We have such a great following, to the point that women say they go to functions and see several of our shirts walking around the room - we all have a laugh about it, because no-one really minds as they are so comfortable. The country women are wonderful to deal with, and so kind to refer us to their friends. We have a great time at the rural events. Those new to our brand seem to really enjoy seeing us and always come back to the next event or buy online from then on. Also we have an ongoing presence in Country Style magazine which has worked wonderfully well.

You're also becoming popular in New Zealand - and yet also in hotter climates such as Qld and the Northern Territory - how do your shirts go in these contrasting temperatures?

Adaptablity is exactly what they're suited for. We use a lot of cottons and cotton blends, which are light and breathe. The styles are loose and great for heat. NZ has grown due to our presence in Country Style magazine and word of mouth - or it's the online store which has really appealed to our friends across the Tasman.

For more on Ollie and Max check out their
website www.ollieandmax.com.au

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