At HEYBOO we’re all about celebrating incredible #BossBabes, so when we came across Olinski Snyders, it was a no-brainer that she had to be on our list of ladies of whom we got to know a bit better.
She’s one half of a strong entrepreneur duo, who have successfully brought to life a brand that has flourished in South Africa over the last few years. They have become the number one luxury online store having created beautiful personalized sleepwear, robes and accessories.
At One Boutique, they live by the motto “Love what you do and have fun doing it” which is evident in the way they conduct their business and deliver their final product.
We caught up with Olinski and dug down deep to find out more about her passionate business and what it takes to be a success in the online fashion industry.
Tell us the story behind coming up with your company name, One Boutique?
Our company name is an abbreviated representation of our identity and who we are as the owners. After many weeks of deliberation, ‘ONE’ represents the first letters of our first names Olinski and Eric. Our business is a representation of our passion, love and drive for what we do. The remainder of the business name represents what we do, ‘Boutique’ was incorporated into the name as it elaborates on the limited edition of certain sleepwear product styles or floral fabric print offering. ‘Store’ represents our online store presence as our product offering is exclusively sold online.
What makes your brand unique?
It is completely customer-driven; our range is holistically customised friendly. Our clientele has the option to adjust and personalise the pieces we offer to their preferred vision. Whether it be with monogram placement or selecting a colour we don’t offer at the time. Going as far as changing the garment trimmings if preferred. This is coupled with our passion for service delivery and people internal or external.
What makes the fashion industry one that you enjoy?
Fashion is in some way a replica of art, one is creatively free to express with borderless boundaries. The industry is versatile and has an ever-evolving heartbeat which is left to individual perception. Fashion is what one makes of it, what you create and how you see that piece and presenting to the world as such.
Describe a typical day in the life of One Boutique’s owner and manager?
Our day encompasses a mixture of but not limited to clients, clients, clients. We hold our clients in high regard here at ONE Boutique Store. Which is why we start our day with the following recipe. A 5am wake up with coffee first of course! Followed by recapping and reviewing client orders, tracking the progress of current orders and prepping client orders due for processing. Touching base with clients awaiting orders and inquiring feedback from those who have received their orders. This informs us on how to grow and evolve and which direction would be best to follow.
Planning is another big part of our day, and we follow the same recipe with our service providers navigating the conversation around how we can improve our products and service. Our schedule is jammed packed ending at 19h00 most days which is why we do not operate on weekends. It is important to have family time which is how we spend our free moments.
When did you first discover a passion for fashion and luxury sleepwear?
My upbringing was surrounded by most of the women in my life working in the fashion manufacturing industry. My grandmother was always constructing something on her vintage hand sewing machine followed by my mother who today has a business of her own in the industry which is why fashion has always been a consistent presence in my life. The vision and passion for ONE Boutique Store was spawn and took a life of its own in 2017 when I had a burning desire and dream to provide luxury gifting options online which is when I approached Eric with the concept and the rest is history.
How has the lockdown affected your company as a whole?
It is tough! In the beginning, we made the bold decision to stop production for the safety of our clients, team and community. It definitely impacted our team and business financial livelihood including the future of our small business. This taught us to look at the situation from a different perspective, which is why when we slowly started production again at no small feat. We teamed up with Foodforward SA which is an NPO who assist those in need in South Africa suffering from food insecurity. With the sale of each fabric face mask, we donate 50% of the purchase to FoodForward SA in the hope of assisting those who need help.
On the other hand, lockdown provided time for us to better educate ourselves on the current climate in South Africa and gave us time to look at the constant evolving regulation and how it affects us navigating the way forward alongside Covid-19. The cost of implementing precautionary measures is high to ensure the safety of our team, clients and community which is something we gladly do for their safety. Some of our service providers are impacted from an import perspective leaving fabric houses limited with fabric offering etc..
We all doing the best we can during this time with an immense gratitude for our client support as we navigate these uncertain times.
Each sleepwear item boasts a special personal touch in the form of a monogram – why is this important to you, to create everlasting memories?
Our motto is “ A journey filled with memories is an everlasting gift” this stands out to us because the memory of something is unique in itself and lives with you as you journey life.
Monogram plays a personal part in leaving a unique touch, having someone feeling special knowing that specific item was made especially for them.
How do you deal with negative criticism/customers?
It is important for us to listen to your customer’s criticism and negative feedback, with the opportunity to grow and evolve as a team and business. Dependent on the circumstance surrounds the situation we do our best to make the necessary changes and address the matter head-on.
Who has played an important role in your career success and why?
It is definitely a combination of various aspects that have played a role and to pinpoint one would be an injustice to the other attributes that have contributed to the growing and evolvement of our careers over time. All we can say is we are exactly where we are supposed to be.
What are some of the challenges faced in the online fashion industry?
Regardless of online being such a broad spectrum, it does come with its limitations e.g. when the site goes down or we have load shedding which affects every aspect of our business.
Online is limiting in other ways too, customers are not able to engage with our products which is why we have attended pop-up’s and expo’s in the past, in Cape Town, to ensure clients have the opportunity to have the full experience when purchasing.
What important lesson have you learnt from being in the fashion industry?
It is extremely competitive which is why you should always remain true to you and allow your creations to speak for itself.
What advice would you give to someone wanting to start a business right now?
When starting any business the best advice one can give is to start your dream today, bearing in mind planning and timing plays a big role when starting your business be aware of the current climate you are in.
Which celebrity do you have “fashion-envy” for – international or local?
Irish International Actress – Saoirse Ronan and American International Actress – Zendaya
If you could align your clothing brand with any celeb, who would it be and why?
Jo-Ann Strauss embodies grace and a fun personality.
FUN FACTS:
Favourite One Boutique product? Our Satin Sleep Shirt
Popular winter colour for 2020? Classic Blue
Fav celeb to have ever worn your garments? Every celeb that has worn our garments is our favorite.
Fashion Trend that should never return? Bell-Bottoms
If you could only have one, Gown or Slippers? Gown definitely
Favourite One Boutique Collection? It would be between our Bridal Party gift boxes and luxury sleepwear
To browse their items, visit their website https://www.oneboutiquestore.com/
