As we begin a brand new year here at Ollie & Nic, we wanted to look back at what has made us the brand we are today.

Jane Hill, Ollie & Nic’s Founder and Creative Director explains the origins of the brand and why we are looking forward to seeing what 2012 will bring!

‘I started Ollie&Nic almost ten years ago when  I saw what I felt was a gap in the market for a range of affordable handbags and purses that had been designed giving equal consideration not only to eye catching design but also to practicality of use.’ As a busy mother of two young boys (now teenagers and not called Ollie and Nic as people often assume, the  brand actually having been named after Jane’s husband Nick and his brother Oliver) and already running a sizeable business supplying fashion accessories to many major retail chains, it became obvious to Jane that so many of the handbags that were available to her were often pared down and poor copies of the latest ‘it’ bag and paid little attention to details such as outside zip pockets to hold items needed for quick access such as car keys and mobile phones or the need for adjustable and comfortable straps and handles. Some brands that did offer practical design appeared to completely ignore the need for a woman to fall in love with the handbag that she spends so much time holding in her arms and were lacking in any attractive or fun interior details such as the vintage print floral linings that she decided would be a key feature of Ollie&Nic’s handbags and purses.

‘The majority of women I know carry their lives around with them in their handbags and it’s important to them to know that not only are the contents of their bags secure but that they can quickly find whatever they need, whether it’s a ringing mobile, a tissue to rescue a messy situation (imperative as a mother of boys!) or a lipstick for a quick application before an important meeting.We appeal to a broad range of customers and try to consider their needs for different types of accessories for different occasions but whatever we are working on our design mantra at Ollie&Nic is ‘Stylish&Special, Practical&Precious’ and our designers work with me to make sure that style and practicality are taken into consideration in everything we develop. We constantly come up with design ideas and get very excited about new colours and fabrications but the practical considerations are always there and one of our team will often trial a new design for a few weeks to make sure that things such as the way a bag closes and whether the credit card slots in a wallet are the right size before we put a design into production.’



The first Ollie&Nic store opened in Brighton’s East Street in 2003 and since then others have followed as far afield as Aberdeen and Glasgow, Cardiff, Bristol and Chester and closer to home in central London just off Carnaby Street. Although every store is unique in its décor and personality they all have an ‘at home’ feel inspired by Jane’s love of vintage fabrics and interiors. Original wallpapers from the 60s and 70s are a feature of the stores as are the mid century sideboards , coat hooks and hat stands that Jane finds at antique fairs and uses to display products around the stores in an interesting and accessible way. As the number of stores has grown and the brand has become more recognised Jane and her team have continued to expand the Ollie&Nic range which now extends way beyond its origins as a handbag collection to include purses of all sizes and colours and a range of constantly changing jewellery from cute owl brooches to elegant cameo chokers. There are scarves from lightweight wools with floral and leopard print designs through to chunky knitted wraps and snoods.



We can't wait to begin the New Year here at Ollie & Nic and we wish you all a Happy 2012! xx