INSIDE THE BRAND
HOW IT STARTED
Oli is a clothing label based in Perth, specialising in hand-drawn and hand-printed t-shirts. Founded in 2012, Oli has grown over the past 13 years from a bedroom hobby into a hands-on team of 16, with a high-street store in Northbridge.
In November 2012, at the age of 18, Oliver McDonald deferred his Fine Arts degree to pursue his passion project. Oli was born out of a love for drawing and fashion, breaking the mould of a typical career path. After months of juggling two jobs, Oliver saved enough money to buy a secondhand screen printing jig (which is still in use today). He then began teaching himself everything there is to know about screen printing, quickly learning the do's and dont's after burning through T-Shirts he had spent months saving up for.
Hand-drawn and hand-printed designs quickly became a cornerstone of the brand, setting Oli apart from others in the industry. As the brand grew, Oliver remained committed to staying authentic and hands-on, ensuring every garment was printed in-house by his team. To this day, we proudly hand-print all of our pieces locally, maintaining the same dedication to quality and craftsmanship that has defined Oli from the very start.
WHAT WE STAND FOR
It wasn't until Oliver's partner Phoebie joined Oli in 2016 that the brand truly began to take shape. Phoebie quickly became the backbone of the business, handling the operational side of things while Oliver focused on the creative direction. Together, as co-owners and partners, Oliver McDonald and Phoebie Walton have transformed Oli into a brand with a clear vision and purpose.
Today, Oli is dedicated to creating products that break the mould of trends, focusing on making pieces we genuinely want to wear. With a strong emphasis on detail and quality, Oli aims to produce garments that stand the test of time, both in durability and design. The goal is to create garments that remain relevant and get worn daily.
10 Years of Oli.
In November of 2022, Oli turned 10. The team began making this video to commemorate the past 10 years of business. Turns out there was a lot to talk about, this project took almost a year to document. After countless months of work and editing, this video was released alongside our 11 Year Anniversary. Have a watch, hope you like it as much as we do.
