As you know Olana has operated on a made-to-order basis since the day we launched back in 2020. This model has served us well so far and has allowed us the space to grow organically whilst maintaining the very highest standards of quality. However, this approach requires a great measure of my time and as I try to grow Olana, the input from me personally grows at a proportionate rate. 

Though I refer to Olana as my third baby, I have two very real young girls who I am incredibly passionate about raising. They are the air that I breathe. I have spent many a night agonising over how I can fulfil the growing demand for our dresses whilst also keeping a firm grip on my presence as a mum. 

I need to make a shift. A shift that will allow space for balance as we grow. I have made the decision to strip back the number of pieces Olana offers. Rather than offer a made-to-order approach, which is becoming increasingly difficult to manage and can be impeded by heavy lead times, Olana will produce limited stock runs that drop seasonally. Once sold out, they are sold out until the next season launch. The entire collection will reduce to around 8-10 key pieces that comprise of our best sellers. These key pieces will drop annually across two seasons; occasionally with a new fabric or colour in limited seasonal runs. 

The quality of our pieces is not something I am prepared to compromise on. Each Olana dress takes us hours to craft in our studio in the north of England, using only the finest natural fabrics. And so as demand grows, the new approach will be to limit the amount of dresses we offer whilst sticking to what makes Olana great: the execution of precision, expertise and care within every tiny detail of our dressmaking.

Olana Bridal will run alongside this process as an independent, bespoke, made-to-order arm to the brand. We have recently calculated a substantial price increase across our bridal range - one that I truly feel is an honest reflection of the luxury and purity of fabrics used, the expert attention to detail and unique handmade process.

This will surely be a rocky journey to navigate. And it will certainly demand more of my time in the short term but I’m playing the long game here. I want Olana to thrive and become the most incredible and successful version of itself that it can possibly be. I want my daughters to see what mummy grew alongside raising them. Annoyingly I want it all. 

We will start this new journey with the re-launch of our velvet collection on Tuesday 4th November (set your clocks). Right now we are busy crafting 100 dresses to launch for sale on this date - once sold out there won’t be another velvet release until winter 2026. Though there is little perk for our devoted Olana community…we are opening up pre-orders from this Friday to our subscribers only and each pre-order will receive a beautiful handmade velvet gift as a thank you for your loyal support.

So I just ask that you bear with us as we make this transition. I ask that you keep your faith in us and continue to choose Olana. We promise to maintain the very best quality and fabrics for you. We’ve come this far in 5 years…let’s see where the next 5 take us!

Always with love,

Jodie-Leigh x