Hello, I’m Jodie-Leigh, the founder of Olana.
Fashion and storytelling have always been central to my life. Growing up in a family of women who loved style, I was constantly inspired by my aunt, a vintage dealer, who shared her unique finds with me. I spent much of my childhood sewing – advancing from my grandad’s handkerchiefs to making an 18th-century ballgown for my GCSE Textiles project, which nearly killed me off (while my classmates wisely stuck to basic knickers!).
I went on to study Drama at university, where I spent my free time making dresses for friends. Ironically, I spent just as much time in the fashion department, modelling for the students just so I could watch them sew. Looking back, I think even then I knew I regretted not taking the fashion path. However, my love for clothing naturally found its way into my career as a Drama lecturer. While I enjoyed directing plays and designing sets, my absolute favourite part was always using costumes to help shape a character’s identity. I just love clothes and storytelling. Though for the record, I cannot make the dresses of Olana! My dressmakers are magic fairies whose hands craft the pieces I dream of making.
In the studio you will often find me with jeans round my ankles while trying on a sample, or head down at my desk with a stream of espressos. The shoes generally come off when I mean business, so I'm usually wandering around in socks. I’m also often bothering the dressmakers!
Out of the studio I'm with my two daughters, being Mummy, which is, without question, my favourite role. We live in a small village and have a gorgeous community of friends we share life with. Most people who know me would tell you that you’ll always find me in the kitchen, jazz playing and a pot of pasta bubbling away, always with an aggressive amount of garlic flooding the room!
HOW OLANA STARTED
What a journey it’s been! After having my first daughter, I left teaching for a part-time admin role at my dad and brother’s business. It was exactly the mental breathing space I needed, and I finally thought, let’s give this a go.
To keep upfront costs low, I chose a made-to-order model. My husband was fully on board, so I dived in, sourcing suppliers and partnering with a small factory two hours away to build our first prototypes. My garage and living room quickly disappeared under a sea of fabric and boxes. I even sneakily built the Olana website from my office desk (I’m convinced my brother knew and kindly turned a blind eye!).
In a beautiful twist of terrible timing, I launched Olana during lockdown and in the final two weeks of pregnancy with my second daughter. Everyone advised me to wait, but I trusted my gut and went for it anyway. It was pure madness, but that’s where the growth happened.
When production hurdles hit, they led me to my incredible head dressmaker. In the early days, we worked out of our own garages, sharing some of the funniest, best memories of the business. Since then, Olana has grown completely organically, without any outside funding. Moving from a freezing garage to a spare room, then a tiny studio, and now finally into our beautiful townhouse space and bridal boutique is something I’m incredibly proud of.
My Favourite Process
I absolutely live for the sampling process. And I love photo shoots!
I love watching a tiny seed of an idea grow into a fully fledged, beautiful dress being shot on the streets of Paris. I mean, what an adventure! Such a beautiful (but VERY frustrating at times) journey.
My Favourite Pieces to Wear
My current love is the Jeanne, I love the midi. But my forever love affair is with the Belle, in every colour, fabric and print. She’s the heart of the collection. I also want to get married again (to my husband!) so I can wear one of our bridal dresses, I wish these had existed when I got married. And I am SO excited for some special little 60s-inspired pieces coming next summer!
Why I Love Being a Part of Olana
I just love the creative journey and the female energy I’m surrounded by. Growing something special that means so much to me is such a blessing. I feel honoured to dress women and make them feel special for some of their most memorable moments. When I receive feedback and photographs from customers in their Olana pieces, my heart literally swells.
My Favourite Memories
Some of those early, overwhelming days when I reached breaking point are now my most treasured memories. They challenged me, pushed me and forced me to forge new paths.
I’ll never forget throwing my daughter in the car at 6 a.m. to drive to a London factory and back in a single day, with two massive rolls of fabric sticking straight out of the window. Or pulling up to Emma’s half-open garage door twice a day, always greeted by her lovely legs poking out from under the door as she worked.
The real madness hit when an influencer wore our Belle dress. We had a massive surge in orders, but my youngest daughter was only a few months old and still breastfeeding. After scrambling to find a local factory to make the dresses, everything was delivered back to my house, and my home was completely overtaken by boxes. I was trying to pack orders and get to the post office with a baby permanently attached to my boob!
Just as I was hitting a wall, my best friend travelled all the way up from Dorset to help. When my sisters-in-law caught wind of the chaos, they led a total crusade to my house, spending the day packing and running to the post office with absolute military precision. That memory still blows me away. In a matter of hours, I went from feeling completely swallowed by stress to feeling incredibly overwhelmed by gratitude. They saved me that day.
Sisters. Sisterhood. And the best memories continue to unfold as we grow our team of amazing women, who I treasure so much.
