Olivia Young is the founder of LILA by Liv, a womenswear company that aims to produce effortless garments.
Ever since she was a little girl, Young has been designing and sewing her own creations. The biggest fashion influences she had growing up were her mum and nana, who both did a lot of sewing and knitting. Throughout school, she was very focused on material technology classes and after a fashion school trip to New York, she knew she had to work in fashion. So eventually, it was only a natural step for her to study fashion at university. She attended Massey University and completed a Bachelor of Design, with First Class Honours.
Encouraged to dream big, her company stemmed from her final collection assignment at university. She said that her company’s evolution was a natural process.
“Creating this label was an organic progression from making my own clothes to my university collections and now selling online under my own brand. The mission has always been to create a more thoughtful and conscious way of shopping. I wanted to create pieces which encouraged a sustainable mindset and that would last a lifetime in any wardrobe.”
With an eye for timeless design, her aesthetic can be described as being effortless, versatile and comfortable. She likes to design fluid silhouettes, which encourage comfort for any ‘body’ and will usually stick to a neutral/pastel colour palette.
“I mostly make to order, meaning the client can customise the fit and design features to suit them. Making to order also helps to reduce fabric waste, which I am very passionate about. I believe that my pieces impact positively on the wearer, as they are at the forefront of my mind when designing anything new.”
Young is inspired by what she likes to wear herself, and what she feels comfortable in. Adding a personal touch to everything she makes and designs is an important part of her brand. She said that a lot of her inspiration can come from European fashion, especially from cities such as Paris or London. She said that the chic look found in these places is something she has fallen in love with.
Using an Ipad to sketch, her creative process continues when Young sources her fabrics, and will further use inspiration from the fabrics to complete a design.
“The pattern-making and sampling stages go hand in hand, I usually go back and forth for a bit at this stage to make sure the design or fit is perfect. I mostly make everything myself, but I also work with local pattern-makers and seamstresses when the workload gets too heavy. Usually, I even tweak things further after a photoshoot, where I can really see how the garments move and feel on the body. “
She said that having her brand identity from the beginning of her career as a designer was an important step to take.
“Brand identity is much more than just your colour palette or logo, it’s about what your brand can offer. It is also very crucial to build a strong community, and to add as much value as you can to your customers.”
Young said that throughout her career, she is proud of the connections that she has with her clients. With the goal to push her creativity as she furthers her career, she hopes that she will be able to create garments which make a real difference in the fashion industry.
