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designer spotlight episode 3: the odells

i can't remember when i first found the odells. but, i do know that i love their employees. and, john being my absolute favorite. this is a company that not only has cool style & vision for their company, family and life, but, back it up with an incredible team. add to that, you've got extended sizing & diversity in models. i love working with the odells. it's that happy place we all want to live where relationships matter in both business & in our personal lives. so, please meet laura from the odells.

and, read to the end for a lil temptation.

xo, suzi

how was the odells born? and, has the vision changed over the years? if so, how? we first launched The ODells in 2013. our first photo shoot actually happened while I was in labor with my middle child, layla. at that time I had already been involved in the fashion industry having started another brand in 2004 when I was in my early 20's. i wanted The ODells to represent our growing family and how the idea of fashion had evolved for me since becoming a mom. our focus has always been chic effortless dressing. i like to think of our brand as being extremely timeless. i have so many personal pieces from our collection throughout the years that I just can't part with. to me, dressing fashionably is important but being a business owner and mom to 3 kids it also has to be effortless. i don't have a lot of time to get ready in the am so I need to be able to grab something gorgeous that's also comfortable and hit the road.
when was the point you realized that fashion could be your career/family business? I've been in the fashion industry almost all my life. i worked in showrooms and in retail before i started my own company back in 2004. i come from a family of garmentos though. my grandmother, aunt and uncle were all prominent figures in the LA fashion manufacturing scene back in the 1950's and 60's so I guess you can say it's in my DNA.

3. your ig & blog are so fun and full of your family. starting a business is hard enough but with your husband and having little ones puts that stress on a whole other level. i'm under the belief that true balance is impossible. however, i do strive for it…just in case i'm wrong. how do you manage work, family & self care? that's a great question and to be honest finding balance is a constant rollercoaster. my kids are 12, 9 and 5. their schedules change all the time and it's oftentimes hard to keep up. the only thing that I prioritize for myself is being active and carving out some alone time in the evenings to read. i really need a physical outlet to stay in a good mental place so for me, working out in the am is the best way to start my day. a good trail run with my dog Jolene is one of my favorite things to do.

4. do you think it's been easier or more difficult designing for cooler weather seasons from LA where it's gorgeous weather year round? designing for cooler weather is always more challenging but that's also part of the fun :-). i love peppering in gorgeous jacquard jackets and soft chunky sweaters that you can layer over dresses and skirts once the days get colder.

5. your prints are fun and i love the retro color stories. where does your inspiration come from? when we design as a team we always look at what's trending in fashion and then create our own spin on it. I've always been a lover of vintage and quirky off the cuff color combinations. playing with unusual pairings and bold prints is something I've always had a passion for.

6. fashion is really striving to be more sustainable. what is the odells doing on that front? all of our factory partners practice ethical manufacturing and treatment of their workers. jason gets to see our production line firsthand when he visits our factories a few times per year. we're also extremely conscious of our impact on mother earth which is why we keep our collections focused and intentional. you won't see loads and loads of our overstock discounted or at sample sales because we only produce what we need to fulfill our wholesale orders and DTC buys. our operation is very lean and tight and we only produce what is necessary.

7. what made you branch out into shoes? i have to say i thought you'd do coats before shoes. shoes are so fun and before we started making our own I always had a hard time stying our collection during our photoshoots back to shoes from other brands. i could never really find something that could merchandise back perfectly so venturing into footwear was a good way to solve that problem.

8. lastly, what would you like my customers to know about you? the odells is a brand that represents a no-fuss, effortless approach to dressing fashionably. we take a lively approach to designing and create timeless pieces that you'll cherish forever.