Olly Olly & Co
From Fishing Nets to Activewear
Deep love for the ocean.
Meet Lauren, the founder of Olly Olly & Co. Lauren is our latest creator on a quest to run a business for change. Having moved to the UK when she was eighteen, Lauren left Ireland to study Diagnostic Radiography. Lauren has always had a nostalgic love for the ocean however, having spent her summers growing up on the Atlantic surf.
Activewear from ocean waste.
Olly Olly & Co is a brand built on values which save both planet and people. Their supply chain starts with regenerating ocean waste and results in premium, versatile and trendy activewear. When you buy from Olly Olly & Co, you are buying into a community striving for change. One which is using innovative technology to benefit the environment, support workers rights, and reduce waste. Their multi-purpose garments give complete versatility. No need to bring a spare pair of clothes to brunch after your workout!
Time to make a difference.
During her year travelling, Lauren worked in a beach bar on the Peruvian coast where every week the community would do a thorough beach clean up. Shocked by the amount of plastic waste they would pull from the sand each week, Lauren vowed to make her difference to help the planet. On her return home, Lauren became conscious of her consumer choices and the subsequent impact on the environment. Considering 80% of her wardrobe was activewear, Lauren started to research sustainable alternatives.
Sustainability at their core.
Olly Olly & Co are proving that it is possible for businesses to operate in an environmentally conscious way. Their high ethical standards, sustainable manufacturing and low carbon foot print ensures they are working for the planet and its people at every step.
Their garments are made from ECONYL®, a nylon yarn made 100% from industrial waste such as discarded fishing nets. This nylon alternative doesn’t falter for quality, maintaining a great shape and muscular compression. Their fabric mill has OEKO-TEX certification ensuring their dyes are toxic-free. To reduce waste, Olly Olly & Co use a non-toxic label stamp instead of a traditional label.
Their premium activewear is first manufactured in a Portuguese factory which strictly adheres to European Labour Standards, and then is shipped to the UK by sea to reduce their carbon footprint.
Packaging leaves no stone unturned; with their products arriving in compostable mailers and recycled/recyclable tissue paper. All their tags are FSC approved, and their recycled paper and string made from Hemp.
Vision to reality.
Olly Olly & Co had their first photoshoot recently, when two years worth of research, concepts and designs were showcased beautifully on their models. It remains a true ‘pinch me’ moment for Lauren. The experience proved that if you are passionate enough about the cause, and your ‘why’, then anything is possible.
Olly Olly & Co launched at the beginning of lockdown last year, at a very difficult time for Lauren personally with the stress of her radiography career. In a ‘now or never’ moment of inspiration, the brand was launched to a grand reception, with supportive and uplifting messages from the start.
Target for zero waste.
Lauren maintains that her customers should feel included and share her love for environmental change. This year, ocean charity partners UOcean will be supporting one of many community conservation events Lauren hopes will go ahead.
In the future, Lauren hopes Olly Olly & Co will reduce their carbon footprint even further, and manage to fulfil the garment life-cycle by reusing any old pieces sent back to them.
Lauren’s absolute dream would be to see her garments stocked in the Selfridges Planet Earth edit.
To Shop Olly Olly & Co, click here:
https://www.ollyollyandco.com/