On motherhood and creative entrepreneurship

Through the creative brands The Olive Tree, Ola Haus and Ola Bebe, the diverse roles of young mothers are linked in a circular manner.

In our fast-paced modern lives, juggling multiple roles is often the norm rather than the exception. Kyla Olives Laurel seems to embody this spirit as she blends her role as a photographer, creative director, and entrepreneur with her role as a mother.

“I thought I was going to be a photographer,” Laurel recalls. Her role as both photographer and manager reflected that feeling of hers. olive tree, ora houseand Ola bebe. She recalls that her journey began with a valuable experience interning at the prestigious art gallery, Silverlens, where she gained insight into the fusion of art, business, and creativity.

“I interned at Silverlens for 10 years and continue to intern today. I feel like it was one of the biggest influences in my life.It opened my eyes when it came to art.I also did Artists Lunch. We talk about his work and why certain colors and materials exist.As a college student at the time, it was an eye-opener for me to see that everything happens for a reason.

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I graduated from De La Salle University in 2014 with a dual degree in Advertising Management and Communication Arts. Laurel also mentions that she took a summer course in designing textiles at her Martins in London’s Central Saint, which proved essential in her later pursuing a fabric-focused brand. Did.

“I’ve always dreamed of owning a clothing brand. I think fashion has always been my first love. In fact, that’s why I took the photo. Because I love fashion. There’s so much that we’re so thankful for in what the universe has given to our brand and the journey we’re on. ”

As a second-generation linen craftsman at The Olive Tree and a visionary entrepreneur behind Ola Haus and Ola Bebe, the young mother’s diverse roles range from designing linens to colorful vessels and woven with colorful cords. Even the clothes are seamlessly integrated.

olive tree

After graduating from college, Laurel was invited to join Olive Tree, the family business her parents had started many years earlier, but at the time it was a dormant company. Under parent company Casa Kyla, The Olive Tree supplies bed linens, fine napkins, tablecloths and other linen-based products made by a group of skilled embroiderers in Laguna.

Since 1990, the company has been supplying hotels and restaurants. “My concept was to bring the hotel and restaurant experience into the home,” she says. “My family has been in this business for many years, so it was natural for me to pick it up and modernize it for like-minded consumers who love high-quality design.”

As a creative director, she brings her experiences in the world and art into her work. “I created my first collection, which I named ‘Ceramica’, inspired by my travels and ceramic patterns from around the world. For a while, I was still interning at Silver Lenses during art fairs. It was next to me. Jake Versoza Photos. I was inspired by photography and the beauty of pre-colonial tattoos. That drove the Artefino collection and it worked. Since then, every year I create a collection inspired by Filipino traditions. ”

Kyla Olive Laurel’s own brand Ola Haus

Laurel works closely with The Olive Tree as creative director, but the universe also had other projects lined up for her.

“Honestly, I wanted to do my own brand. Olive Tree is a family business and I always had the feeling that I wanted to be independent and do my own thing and build my own brand. I created new concepts. I really like this, so this is [Ola Haus and Ola Bebe] It was the perfect opportunity for me to do it. ”

Along with her husband Jay Laurel, she traveled to Spain for a friend’s wedding. “We were walking through the Gothic Quarter. We were inspired by how organic everything looked and how cool everything looked – naturally cool, creative, bohemian.” And it just stood on its own, as if it was always meant to be. Once I got home, I felt like I had time to do more. was going to have a baby. And of course I needed another source of income.”

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At the time, her father-in-law provided dead-stock cord that was supposed to be sold wholesale. “I thought I could make something out of trash, and these cords were so beautiful. Due to the pandemic, our business wasn’t doing so well. One of the girls in the finishing department said, We started making floor mats and letasos. I asked her if I could do a side project. So I drew the first sketch of the bag and she made our first sample. I came back with it, and two weeks later I launched my first collection, which was Olahouse.”

Thus, a brand was born that features multicolored bags such as bright pinks, yellows, and sea greens. The brand features lines such as the “Lucot Luke,” with summer-colored blouses in “Ponquan” and “Hot Lime,” while button-downs offer an instant freshness suited to the tropical climate. “Ola House is very bright. The people are unique and fun-loving.”

Ola Bebe

Shortly after Ola House, Laurel gave birth to a baby girl named Barcelona. “I had an idea of ​​what I wanted her to wear, but I couldn’t find it on the market… But it was fate when an old Mananahi who had retired from Casa Kaila came back. He was actually my I asked her if she wanted to work with me on a small project I wanted to do.From the first day she came, we never stopped working. I haven’t stopped. It’s been three years.”

The clothing selection includes vibrant outfits for little people that match the carefree and fun feelings of childhood. Some sets have flowers and leaves painted in undulating patterns. “All of the designs are easy to wear. My daughter doesn’t like wearing things on her head, so it was really hard to find something cute that she could put on easily. So all the previous designs were sideways. It was two pieces that could be tied together. Or the neckline would be so wide that the child wouldn’t feel like his head would get caught.”

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Connecting motherhood and creative entrepreneurship

Balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship (especially with multiple brands) may seem difficult, but Laurel makes it look easy. Perhaps it’s because her brand is tied to her home and represents the brighter, brighter side of her life, especially her childhood. However, Laurel seems to be able to balance everything through her active and dedicated parenting.

“My daughter is a princess now. Everything has to be a dress. She comes to the office with me and is interested in brands and design. She likes to mix and match textiles with her dresses. She models all of my collections and we have a lot of fun with it.I recently launched a button down at Ola Haus and my daughter was photographed with Ola Bebe. The shoot only took 30 minutes because I love it and I love modeling clothes.

“A friend of mine once told me that your life changes to the extent that you allow it to change. Of course, when my daughter was little, there were sacrifices. But when I got home, she was with me. I take her to the office. I mean, the biggest change is accepting that now that I’m a mom, things are going to be a little slower, so I can probably get 10 things done in a day. And now it’s probably five, because she needs my attention. And now she’s in the office with us. You will need to observe her color while making the estimate.”

“Some days one brand is the highlight of the day, and other days another brand is the highlight of the day. I take things day by day. I don’t get overwhelmed by it. The worst part is… , when I hit that wall and my brain shut down, unable to design or create.”

When I asked Laurel, “What are your plans for Mother’s Day?”, she replied that she was having a golf tournament. In addition to handling three brands, she also competes in golf. “I don’t like to stand still. I think my daughter knows that too. She probably does too, she likes to be busy. But at the same time, I forget that I have really great people supporting me. I feel like I shouldn’t. I’m not raising my daughter alone. My husband is very supportive and I have a really good yaya that I completely trust. , I feel like that gives me the confidence to keep moving forward and keep working.”