Fashion INSIDER
WE SPEAK TO ONE OF THE MOST UPCOMING INFLUENTIAL DESIGNER IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY
5 mintue Q&A with Olivia Latinovich
Uptown Style: What is your earliest memory of fashion?
Olivia Latinovich: My earliest memory of fashion is in second grade. I missed the school bus repeatedly because I didn’t like my clothes. It happened so often that my parents bought me a school uniform and said that if I didn’t get to the school bus on time, I would have to wear the uniform to school- I went to a public school where uniforms were not a thing. Looking back the uniform was quite cute… a navy drop waist dress with pleats and a white peter pan collared blouse underneath. I only had to wear the uniform one time to school. When my friends asked me why I was dressed that way I lied and said that I was a part of a top-secret homework club. Haha!
How did you get started in fashion?
I studied fashion design at The Savannah College of Art and Design. At the end of the school year, the students whose collections make it to the final show, show their collections before a panel of judges. André Leon Talley and Vivienne Westwood were judges that year and I was thrilled because my collection closed the show. That night I met my future boss at Kate Spade and I moved to New York a few weeks later to begin work.
Where did the idea of launching your own brand come from?
It was a natural inclination. While I have enjoyed designing for other brands, there is a freedom that’s missing. For me, corporate fashion didn’t feel intuitive. The fashion calendar leaves little time for real creativity on a personal level and I can’t live without it. I wanted to have something of my own where I had the complete freedom to learn and appreciate the process. Many people have said I enjoy recreating the wheel, and I think that’s true.
What’s the most popular piece from your collection and why do you think that is?
The Hansel & Gretel set has been huge this fall. I love this set because it’s so versatile. You can wear the two together or separate them. I wear my Gretel Blouse with my favorite jeans or wrap skirt and once the temperate dies down in LA I will be layering the Hansel Pants with sweaters. I realized after designing it that the set is perfect for Zoom meetings because it has a cute buttoned-up look on top but you’re essentially wearing a crop top and oversized pajama pants.
What are your go-to statement pieces for the Summer/Autumn shift?
I am a sucker for a vest. I have a brown and purple three-piece wool suit with a halter vest that I love and look forward to each fall. My entire Pinterest feed is novelty knit sweaters. I have my eyes on a vintage one knit out of bright colored granny squares. I’m also really into my new brown on black patent leather Marni loafers and leather caps!
Going back to your launch, what were the steps you took and how long did it take to get your brand off the ground?
I first applied for a grant to allow myself time and space away from New York to think about what it is I wanted to create. The grant program took place during the summer months in the south of France, so it was not a bad place to clear the mind. I started off by learning millinery which felt so appropriate for France, a lot of people wanted to talk about hats. So, I made a bunch of them and sold them out of my atelier to the locals and tourists on holiday visiting the village I was in. The feeling of making something with my own hands made me remember why I went to fashion school, to begin with. I was in a raw creative mode with very little technology to distract me. From there, I started thinking about a name and a logo in a “what if” kind of way, and I fell in love with the team in Paris who helped me design it. The branding made me feel like my ideas had a home. I since moved back to the states, now in LA, where we have a ton of access to sourcing and manufacturing. LA is the perfect place to focus on our current goals: ethical production and sustainable fabric sourcing. Each element has fallen into place once I was ready to take it on.
What advice would you give to someone wanting to start their own fashion brand?
You have to be okay with things being clunky for a while. If you are true to yourself you are going to approach your business in your own unique way, and that’s what makes it cool. Don’t focus on being successful right away, instead invest in the long game. Learn to love why you are doing something and the process along with it.
What’s the best fashion advice that you’ve ever received?
When wearing a loud outfit, wear minimal makeup. When wearing a simple outfit wear red lipstick. You don’t want your face to compete with your outfit and vice versa.
What are your most memorable career highlights?
My most memorable highlight so far was seeing one of my hats on Shira Haas in Vogue. I adore her and I think her performance in “Unorthodox“ was stunning. I love when feminine characters embody such soft and hard qualities at the same time. I can identify with that dichotomy?
What makes your brand unique to others?
I am a vintage lover and for as long as I can remember my closet has consisted of mostly thrift and consignment. I realized that I was shopping vintage so much because there was something about the colors, necklines, and charming details that were not being offered in the modern market- at least not at the price point I could shop from regularly. OL is a combination of all the things I love AND it’s accessible. I am very proud of that because we have not sacrificed our values in order to make the pieces affordable, actually the contrary! All of our garments are made of 90%-100% sustainable materials and are sewn by an ethically run manufacturer in downtown LA. As a new brand, is well designed, ethical, and affordable leaves a lot of ground to cover but I am so happy about where we are.
If you can give one piece of advice about style, fashion, and aesthetics, what would it be?
Know who you really are. Do the hard work to find out. A person that knows themself makes a moment more authentic. They have less of the bullshit. Get rid of the bullshit and be you.
And finally, since we’ve all been quarantining and going through this hard time together, I’m curious to know how you fared in isolation? Did you survive or thrive?
It’s hard to say as it still feels very much like quarantine here. Perhaps as time goes on I will have more perspective. My husband and I got married on New Years’ Eve 2020 and I can definitely say that this was not the first year of marriage that we were expecting. I have experienced moments of heartbreak, personal triumph, and everything in-between. Taking care of my body; getting a lot of exercises, drinking an insane amount of water, and being religious about supplements has had a huge impact on me mentally.
My heart goes out to everyone suffering, we humans are so imperfect and anything that was broken got worse, but I absolutely have hope.
Olivia’s latest 60’s and 70’s inspired collection is an expression of a generation in fashion that can become lost in all the newest trends: a mix of femininity with flare. You can find Olivia Latinovich latest collection on her website.
