Affordable understated elegance at the OLSEN Press Day

OLSEN is a brand whose ethos lays in creating simplistic, understated clothing for the confident and sophisticated modern woman. This mid-price range, which varies in cost from around £30 to £250, is a collection of clean, elegant clothing for the 30-something woman (though many pieces in the collection will no doubt appeal to women of all ages, both younger and older) that is built up around OLSEN’s signature knitwear.

This brand showcased their AW12 collection this week at a Press Day in their Central London showroom. True to their philosophy, there was indeed an abundance of comfortably chic knitwear on display, alongside jersey tops, trousers, dresses, skirts, blouses, scarves, coats and jackets, rabbit trimmed gillets and much more. In essence, everything the Olsen woman could ever need to complete their A/W wardrobe. 

What makes OLSEN truly interesting is that the AW collection is segregated into individual “drops” which are released on a month-by-month basis. Each drop has a distinct flavour and title, with pieces in each drop reflecting the month in which they go on sale. For example, lighter pieces for still warm August, to more transitional pieces in September, heavier clothing dropping in October rounded out by some seriously chic partywear in November ready for the festive season.

OLSEN go all out to keep their customers happy and their wardrobes invigorated and the design is kept interesting through innovative techniques and styling. Knitwear is fun; the tiger motif design on the jersey and knit sweater will definitely turn heads. Coats are a standout; the olive asymmetric military coat is a great investment piece to see you through the winter, lined and trimmed with a super soft faux fur that begs to be caressed. Cropped coats and biker jackets are also worth a look as transitional pieces. 

The Brit Style portion of A/W12 that drops in August is the most fashion-forward part. Reds and blacks dominate and jackets lean towards a modish Mary Quant’s 60s-esque style. Tucked away in the Soft Cocoon drop for October were some real gems; a grey sheath dress so minimalist in style that one could easily mistake it for a Calvin Klein, robin’s egg blue jeans to bring a dash of colour to a drab time of year and an Aztec print wrap that will work equally well as an extra layer as the evenings get chillier, or for relaxing at home on the sofa with a good book and a glass of wine. 

November sees the final “drop” from OLSEN’s A/W12 and here is your glamorous partywear to see you through the festive season! Adhering to a palette of black and claret, OLSEN offers some seriously sexy dresses alongside elegant ladies tux jackets and separates that include a sequined jacket with a matching skirt that will be the talk of any office party.

For more information and stockists click here. 

 Ian Michael Turner

Photos: Ian Michael Turner