The Line in the Sand - Frann Catts (TC 2001)

From Fashion Lover to Purpose-Driven Founder

An Unexpected Start in Fashion

I started working in the fashion industry straight out of university – quite a pivot from my Arts degree, but it was meant to be. I had always loved fashion, and ultimately would have made for a pretty rubbish public servant. I got my break in London, after volunteering a day a week at cult denim brand AG Adriano Goldschmied – in between other jobs – until they finally hired me. This came as a great relief after several months living off tuna and rice.

Building a Career in the Industry

I was lucky enough to work for some incredible companies throughout my career, and when my second child was a little over one, I returned to work as a buyer at Kmart. I was determined to improve the sustainability rating of my department, and we soon managed to reach 100% recycled materials in our activewear range. However, with so much fast fashion heading to landfill every year, the niggling feeling that I was complicit in the issue of global textile pollution was becoming difficult to ignore.

A Turning Point in Sustainability

While at Kmart I was invited to work on a project team exploring sustainable innovation in textiles, and was quite shocked by what I learnt. The innovation coming through in textile manufacturing was extraordinary, but the reluctance of big business to take it up was incredibly disheartening – in part due to the fact that consumers didn't really demand it of them.

The Challenge of Consumer Awareness

Customers wanted cheap fashion, often. They weren't concerned with microplastic fibre shedding or the growing problem of non-biodegradable landfill, largely because it wasn’t something they knew a lot about – which is by design. These topics aren’t particularly sexy, and don’t make for feel-good shopping experiences.

Drawing a Line in the Sand

Ultimately, after seeing the kilometres of landfill in Dhaka, Bangladesh, I found my line in the sand. I resigned, and decided to launch OLLE. We make slow fashion for fast kids, using certified organic cotton, traceable recycled yarns, and use biodegradable materials wherever possible. It is our belief that fashion should be fun, and individuality celebrated, especially in childhood. Made to last doesn't have to mean here forever.

A Purposeful Journey Forward

Looking back, the journey from fashion lover to founder has been anything but linear, but it has been deeply purposeful. OLLE was born not just from a passion for style, but from a conviction that the industry can – and must – do better. Every piece we create is a small stand against the disposable culture that’s become the norm, and a step toward a future where ethics and aesthetics go hand in hand. If we can instil values of conscious consumption in the next generation, while still letting kids be kids, then I think we’re on the right track.