Anaita Sarkar, founder OLIVIA&CO. Image supplied.
There’s something special about having an item that’s personalised just for you and it’s something OLIVIA&CO.’s founder Anaita Sarkar loves too. She set up the personalised accessories brand and unique monogramming service to give women everywhere affordable accessories that they can make their own. “There was never a gift store that had my name on a hairbrush and Boost Juice never chose my name for their “what’s-your-name” game. While Sarah and James got their free juices, I devised a business idea that would allow anyone to have their name on something they love! And so, OLIVIA&CO. was born,” adds Anaita.
OLIVIA&CO. have a great range of bags and accessories available with unique personalisation available on all of their products in monogrammed letters or numbers. There’s a pretty range of colours and styles available to choose from with both leather and vegan leather on offer, and something to suit every taste all at affordable prices.
We caught up with Anaita to find out more about her brand, her favourite products and OLIVIA&CO.’s sustainability practices.
Why did you start OLIVIA&CO.?
I actually started OLIVIA&CO. because of how left out I felt as a child growing up with such a unique name! Amongst all of the Lisa Frank purses and Tamagotchi’s, being a child of the 80s, I never, ever found my name printed on personalised hair brushes or sticker sets that I could decorate my school books with. I always knew how special personalised accessories can make someone feel, something that’s made just for them. Since then, I’ve wanted to give other people the chance to feel special, and now I get to do that every day with my business – and it feels so good.
What makes OLIVIA&CO. different in the accessories market?
At OLIVIA&CO. we’re all about perfecting the each part of the purchase process. This means that from the first time you hear about our brand, to feeling all warm and fuzzy inside when you slip your personalised purchase out from our satin bags, to using it every day, and finally, to receiving personalised emails from us, we try to make you feel really special at every step.
What is OLIVIA&CO. doing that no-one else is right now?
We focus on being a completely inclusive and happy brand. We know that our customers can have wonderfully unique names so we have always strived to monogram up to 10 (or even 12 letters) if they need it! This means that you’re not scratching your head or settling for second best when other brands only offer you three initials. We also know that customers don’t like waiting, so we guarantee next day dispatch and offer free shipping on absolutely everything. Our bottom line is that every single customer is happy and that’s been our ethos from day 1!
Personalised Crossbody bag from OLIVIA&CO. Image supplied.
Why are your NZ customers loving OLIVIA&CO.?
We have so many New Zealand fans in our OLIVIA&CO. community – in fact, we have a global following of customers who keep coming back again and again (so much so, that we’ve had to organise special catch-ups with our faves, just to say thanks!). The best bit about our products with OLIVIA&CO. is that we do offer free shipping! We know how important it is for our NZ brothers and sisters to never compromise on quality or price and just because it’s a three-hour flight away, doesn’t mean that you should be paying for that.
What are the ultimate OLIVIA&CO. products we need to have ASAP?
We definitely have a few special products that are flying out the door every single day. We get so many social media tags from girls sharing our products and how much they love them, that I’ve put together a handful of out absolute best sellers, based on what our customers think!
PHONE CASE – A staple piece that makes you feel stylish wherever you go! We have a huge selection of phone cases, ranging from classic to something a little bit more adventurous (like our phone bag or studded phone case!). So, make it your own and get ready to ring in style.
POUCHES – Our pouches are kind of our thing. There’s absolutely zero reason not to ‘gram your coffee date with this baby in the foreground. With a huge range of colours and even a vegan crocodile skin version, it makes for the perfect clutch for any occasion.
HERO BAG – The chicest bag I have ever seen (and unapologetically, my secret favourite item right now!), our Hero Bag fits just about everything a girl needs for her day-to-day in a super stylish range of colours. Sourced from vegan materials and detachable straps, this is going to be my staple bag for years to come!
And we’ve heard that OLIVIA&CO. is a eco-conscious brand?
Absolutely. I’m a bit of an eco-warrior myself so I do everything I can to make my brand sustainable! We have a huge range of all vegan products (that I’m super proud of) and we ship everything we have on offer using 100% biodegradable and compostable shipping bags! Having an online store minimises our eco footprint and gives us opportunities to introduce sustainable practices into our company as much as we can.
Enter to win an OLIVIA&CO. bag personalised just for you here.
Images supplied.