Olana is more than just clothing; it’s a celebration of handmade artistry from our North of England studio. This season, we took that craftsmanship to the streets of Paris—a city that has held our heart since the beginning days.
Before the cameras even rolled in Paris, the heart of this collection was beating back home. I owe the biggest thank you to Olana's four extraordinary dressmakers: Emma, Effat, Isabel, and Hattie. They poured so much love into these garments, pulling out all the stops and working tirelessly to ensure every single piece was flawlessly ready. I am endlessly grateful for their incredible hands and loyal devotion to Olana. Here is a glimpse into the magic they helped us create.
Beautiful Chaos *ੈ✩‧₊˚
The reality of shooting our new summer collection in Paris? Dodging bustling tourist crowds, executing frantic wardrobe changes behind newspaper kiosks, and laughing through the beautiful chaos. What you might not realise from the final imagery is that we pulled this campaign off as a tiny, passionate team of three: just me (the founder), our incredible photographer, Emily, and our stunning model, Andrea; a native Parisian who I just swooned over.
Our day started at the crack of dawn. At 6:00 AM, while my family was still fast asleep, I quietly sneaked out of our Airbnb and headed over to Emily’s hotel—the Hotel André Latin. It's a charming little spot where my husband and I have stayed several times over the years. Before we could even think about cameras, we immediately guzzled down two cafés allongés. As my eldest daughter lovingly reminded me later that day, "You are a little quiet and grumpy until you have your coffee"—she isn't wrong, I truly don't come to life until that first caffeine hit.
Fully caffeinated, we began our shoot at the breathtaking Luxembourg Gardens to catch the soft morning light. From there, our itinerary became a love letter to the city. We moved into St Germain, a neighbourhood I have a deep, enduring affection for. The bohemian energy and the laissez-faire, cool pit stops along Rue de la Montagne Sainte-Geneviève always spark my inspiration. We chased the light along the River Seine, captured structural silhouettes at Place des Vosges, and made dozens of random, beautiful stops along the cobblestone side streets. After a whirlwind morning, we finally collapsed into chairs at Café Hugo for a much-needed lunch before continuing our shoot back in St Germain....But the chaos didn't stop there.
After lunch, as we continued our shoot back in St Germain, I realised a horrifying detail: I had completely forgotten to add the last-minute straps to our new bridal dress in the earlier shots! The model had literally just changed back into her own clothes when I had to break the news that she needed to squeeze right back into that much-too-small bridal gown. Instead of dragging our exhausted crew back out onto the busy streets, I made the executive call to shoot right on the hotel balcony. Thank goodness I had upgraded the room to a balcony space at the last second in case of rain! Those balcony portraits have turned out to be some of my absolute favourite shots of the entire trip. It is always the way with creative work—sometimes a mistake is exactly where the true magic is made.
Returning to Paris felt like coming home. Those who have been with us since the beginning will remember our iconic Bellevedere shoot in these same streets. While we once captured the structured elegance of party wear against the city's festive skies, this trip was about something different: the soft, sun-drenched ease of summer. Paris has truly become a second home for the Olana aesthetic.
A Family Journey Through the Olana Lens 💫
While Olana is my business, my family is my world. I always love to bring my husband and children along on these shoot trips so we can look back on our family journey through the life of the brand. While our core team of three was busy shooting across the city, my husband and daughters woke up and spent their day happily exploring the Musee Rodin.
We planned to meet up at the breathtaking Luxembourg Gardens, where we were met with the loveliest surprise. Emily, our brilliant photographer, was joined by her wonderful mum, who had flown in from New York for a girls' trip! In the sweetest gesture, she gifted my daughters a beautiful collection of books that Emily herself had adored when she was exactly their age.
Moments like that remind me of how much Emily has truly become a part of our family. We took a chance on each other four years ago on a tiny test shoot with my girls ahead of the Little Olana launch, and we never looked back. Just two months later, she was staying with us in a little house outside Bordeaux for our Les Fleurs campaign, and we have been as one ever since. She instinctively sees my vision and aligns with the Olana aesthetic so perfectly that I trust her implicitly. In fact, we joked on this trip that she could have executed the entire Paris shoot without me there at all—I really should have just been kicking back and sipping cafés allongés!
We wrapped up the day's work with a mini family shoot in the gardens (my husband secretly dies inside during these, but he's an absolute saint!). Seeing my daughters grow up through the Olana lens—from their very first shoot when my youngest was just a baby to now running through the gardens of Paris—is pure, unfiltered magic.
Tracing Steps at Au Port Du Salut 🎹
To celebrate the end of a magical campaign, we headed over to our absolute favourite, traditional little French restaurant: Au Port Du Salut. My husband and I first stumbled upon this exact spot on our honeymoon 12 years ago, where a live pianist serenades you with classic French Chansons.
We’ve been coming back ever since - we love it so much we even based part of our La Soirée shoot in its charming corners three years ago! But it was a profound delight to finally bring our youngest daughter to this deeply sentimental piece of our history—and watching her dance along as the pianist played our family favourite, Aux Champs-Élysées—just like her big sister did 7 years ago—was a full-circle milestone I’ll treasure forever.
The next day, we waved au revoir to Emily and enjoyed a couple of final days together as a family—wandering the city, absolutely exhausted, but completely at peace, even in the pouring rain. Just as we were packing our bags to head home, my phone lit up. Emily had sent over the first round of teaser shots from the shoot. Cue absolute, total giddiness! We were texting back and forth, completely swooning over the raw edits, the way the Parisian light hit the fabrics, and how beautifully the vision came together. C’est magnifique.
The Stars of the Shoot ⋆˚⭒📸 ⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⟡
Paris demands a certain "je ne sais quoi" and our latest drops delivered:
Seeing our new Pinstripe Floral - woven with family history - come to life against the sun-drenched backdrop of Paris Luxembourg Gardens was a full-circle moment for me.
The Belle Dress: In its signature polka dot, this piece felt right at home against the limestone architecture of Le Marais. It’s effortless, fun, and designed for those long Parisian lunches that turn into sunset strolls.
The Bridal Dress: Defined by a structured silhouette and romantic tailoring, this piece came to life shot on the historic streets of St Germain. We wanted to contrast its elegant, clean lines against the raw, unposed textures of the Parisian pavements. Even with a frantic last-minute backstage scramble, capturing its architectural shape on a tiny, wrought iron St Germain balcony proved that beautiful things happen when you embrace the unexpected.
While Paris gave us the perfect backdrop for summer linen and cotton, we couldn't resist packing a few secret looks into our suitcases. Ahead of their official launch this September, we took our brand-new velvet dresses and tartan pieces out for an autumn preview - stay tuned for a sneak peek at these very soon.
For now, you can explore the lighter side of our Parisian journey with our freshly dropped summer pieces.
Our time in Paris reminded us why we do what we do. Fashion shouldn't just be about the clothes; it’s about the memories you make in them. Whether you're sipping a café au lait or exploring a hidden garden, Olana is designed to move with you throughout your journey.
Thank you for choosing slowly made pieces, and for being such a cherished part of our unfolding story.
Always with love,
Jodie-Leigh and the Olana team x