Full spectrum
Whether you’re a long-term fan of Olivia Rubin, or only just getting to know her brand, we can guarantee you have spotted one or two of her multi-colour creations while scrolling through your Instagram feed.
The London-based creative is a Central St Martins alumni and has worked in fashion for 15 years for major names including Alexander McQueen, Dior and John Galliano. “They were invaluable experience,” she reflect. “I witnessed the insights of a successful working label and felt it helped form who I am as a designer today and what I disliked about the fashion industry.”
View this post on Instagram
Armed with fashion knowledge, and a yearning to create her own pieces after taking time off to dedicate herself to being a mother, Rubin’s can thank social media for her current success. “The label came about really organically,” she explains. “I missed making my own clothes after taking a couple of years out to focus on my daughters so I started designing and making a few bits and bobs that I thought were ’special’ and posted them on Instagram. Soon I was receiving DMs and comments from VIPS, celebrities and customers asking where they could buy them.”
Her aesthetic is colourful, whimsical, feminine and quirky with a focus on forever pieces that will bring a dose of happiness to your wardrobe. “I was always into pastel colours growing up with a fascination for Hello Kitty, Little Twin Stars and cute characters. I wanted to transform this love of colour into a contemporary womenswear brand and at the time nobody was doing that. It all started with the rainbow sequin skirt.”
View this post on Instagram
Now, she is bringing her joyful collections to luxury department store Robinsons, Dubai Festival City, and feels that the colourful pieces will strike a chord with the local customers: “I feel that the Middle East customer is really in tune with bright colours and the selection for Robinsons focused on silk rainbow and sequins pieces that would bring that rainbow aesthetic to the forefront of the Middle East.”
The Olivia Rubin brand has grown significantly since launching it in 2017, and with that success came the struggle to balance work with personal life, but she could not have done it without her family. “I am a workaholic, I find it hard to juggle family and work life, but am lucky to have a super supportive family unit. I couldn’t do it without them. I have also formed a close knit team and I love working with them. I feel like motherhood gave me a new-found ambition, and I feel more ‘me’ and confident now than I ever have. I try to set realistic goals but always strive to achieve the best; that is probably why I am one of my harshest critics.”
View this post on Instagram
Not only do the rainbow-hued sequinned dresses and skirts look fabulous, but they also fall into that sweet price point of contemporary luxury – not mass like the high street, and not unattainable like historic Maisons. “Customers want something new and different that is affordable,” she says.
Not restricting her joyful creations just to clothing, in 2019 Rubin launched a homeware collection on Etsy, that offered everything from pastel ombré cushions and colourful tableware collection to candy cane-scented candles. What’s next for the brand? “We are growing the team in a big way this year, working on expanding the ranges and being selective in where we place and grow the brand.”
View this post on Instagram
One of the many brands that came up thanks to the power of social media, Rubin still advises budding entrepreneurs to do their homework and tread carefully: “Do not feel that you have to invest a huge amount of capital before you have tested the waters. My brand has grown super organically and that has been partly why it has succeeded so far.”
Shop Olivia Rubin and Robinsons Festival City
Images: Supplied, Instagram
