Small details can speak volumes, as designer Lauren Chlebowski of Ollie Sang knows well. Colorful fabric-covered buttons, high-contrast piping and exaggerated cuffs and hems are among the elements that add whimsy and sass to her classically tailored designs.
The back story: The pull of the great outdoors drew Lauren Chlebowski, a New Jersey native, to college at the University of Colorado at Boulder. An avid rock climber, she liked the proximity to the mountains.
Graduating in 1998 with a degree in English literature, Chlebowski wasn’t quite sure what direction her career would take. “I knew I wanted to do something creative, but I didn’t know what,” she says.
While working as a mountaineering guide in Sun Valley, Idaho, after college, Chlebowski (pronounced “LeBOWski”) started selling her clothes to a few small boutiques. She had been sewing since her teenage years, creating clothes for herself and by commission for friends. But she missed her college friends, and returned to Boulder in 2000, where she landed a job as director of product development for a startup clothing line called Planet Baby. The company never successfully launched, but the job helped Chlebowski, now 30, gain the confidence to set out on her own.
The company: The Ollie Sang name was inspired by a friend’s daughter Olivia, nicknamed Ollie. Chlebowski loved the name, and combined it with her own love of singing. The label launched in March 2004.
Chlewbowski creates all her samples, assisted by two contract employees to help with pattern making and production. The designer spends much of her time traveling to trade shows and boutiques to promote her line, scouting for fabric along the way.
“I really like going to the stores and meeting the owners,” she says.
Her inspiration: Even before she started designing, Chlebowski personalized her outfits. She gave items flair by adding ribbon, changing buttons, or adding fabric on the sleeves. “Everything was either plain or super crazy funky,” she says. “And I thought, ‘Where’s the in-between?’ I wanted to look different, but not like a woman in kids’ clothing.”
Now it’s the small but significant details that define the Ollie Sang style. Trousers sport surprising touches of floral or polka-dot fabric on hems, and solid coats come with large buttons covered in bright retro designs, as do her whimsical fabric belts. Her spring line includes a red tank dress with a curving graphic inset of multicolored striped cotton, and a tailored sleeveless floral shirt and solid A-line skirt with coordinating floral piping on the waist and pockets. A burnt orange woven silk coat for fall 2005 features white-and-orange floral fabric used for the lining, as well as piping along the pockets and cuffs, and pink crystal buttons.
For Chlebowski, it’s important that clothing be both functional and fun. “Why do a boring button when you can have a fun button? It’s like jewelry for your coat,” she says.
Her customers: Ollie Sang clothing appeals to conservative dressers who want something safe but just a little funky, and also fills a niche for creative dressers who want to be taken seriously. “My customer is looking for something unique and high quality that will get her noticed, but doesn’t overpower her,” says Chlebowski.
What it costs: Red cotton tank dress, about $100; fabric-covered belt, about $32, woven silk coat with crystal buttons, about $400.
Where to find it: Iris, 1099 S. Gaylord St, 303-777-0516; Blush, 222 Steele St, 303-399-7779; Dragonfly, 3215 Lowell Blvd., 303-433-6331; Chelsea, 935 Pearl St. in Boulder, 303-447-3760.
Violet, 1439 Larimer St., will host a trunk show May 19. Call 720-932-1655.
Also visit www.olliesang.com.
