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Accessory designer Olivia Middleton is bringing a touch of Hollywood glamour to the Gulf with her handmade bold printed turban headbands that aim to add an edge to outfits as well as turning heads.
The turban has been a fashion statement for centuries worn by film icons such as Greta Garbo and Elizabeth Taylor.
In the 1930s and 1960s, head-wraps signified that women were well-travelled and educated and from the 1970s onward, it grew into a chic and exotic look worn by a number of A-list celebrities, including Barbra Streisand and Jennifer Lopez.
But while some women wore the wrap to fit in, Olivia started donning the look for more practical reasons. The 31-year-old art design graduate needed a quick fix to keep her hair out of her eyes when working on her collection of hand-painted shoes, customised necklaces, bangles and comfy harem trousers.
GulfWeekly caught up with the fashionista while she was visiting family in Bahrain to get the stitch on her trendy turbans, handy headbands, colourful kerchiefs, bright bandanas and her brand Lola Designs.
Olivia, a former St Christopher’s School pupil, who currently resides in Dubai, said: “I originally started wearing turbans to keep my hair out of my face. The turbans I purchased from stores were nice but the wire used in them was often too tough and after some time would hurt my ears and give me a headache. Also, I couldn’t find the prints that I like or enjoy.
“I try to be a ‘statement maker’ and turbans to me are almost like a statement maker for my head! I tend to wear a lot of black and be quite muted with my clothes whereas my accessories are quite colourful, which is why finding prints and patterns that reflect my personality are most important to me.
“That’s when I decided to make my own. I have always had a flair for fashion design, creating pendants and painting shoes so why not make wraps that were colourful and stylish too?”
After hunting down flexible moulding rods as well as vintage, funky, fun fabrics, Olivia Middleton’s turban-making enterprise was born.
It wasn’t until she started captivating crowds at various markets in the Gulf region with her creations that she realised there was something more to it than a passing fancy.
She said: “I was making my own jewellery and selling them at markets. During one particular outdoor market, I decided to test out the turbans.
“It was a sunny day so people were looking for hats and glasses. The turbans were a big hit. People loved the prints and the fact that the turbans were both fashionable and functional. I realised that is where my strength was and began to develop the idea more.
“The beauty is they can be worn on a chill-out day or even to dress up an outfit. They are playful and fun to wear. You can turn one into a rose bud or give yourself retro bunny ears!”
Olivia believes that the headpieces are a great way to express one’s personality. She has prints and patterns featuring lady bugs, flamingos, tropical landscapes, TV sets, sunglasses, sparrows, cupcakes, hot dogs and even moustaches to support the ‘Movember movement’ each November which highlights men’s health issues, particularly cancer.
She even has colourful abstract-designed wraps. Each turban is priced at BD10 and can be purchased at various markets in Dubai and Bahrain as well as on her Lola Design social media accounts, including Facebook and Instagram.
Shoppers can also get their hands on her pretty pieces from online fashion portal West LA Boutique, www.westlaboutique.com where she used to work as an illustrator and model booker.
She left the West LA scene in September 2014 to pursue her design career as well as her yoga dreams. Olivia, who has been practicing yoga for more than three years, recently became a certified instructor and will be sharing her skills in a new studio being launched in Dubai.
It was during her teacher training that she realised there weren’t many colourful and comfortable harem pants in the market and another new niche was developed.
“I would like to wear things that I feel comfortable in but also feel proud to be walking around in them thinking ‘yup they are mine’” she explained. “The pants were again from a selfish point of view, stuff to relax in. I started making the style with pockets on the side. They are great for walking around in the mall, hanging out with friends or practising yoga.”
The harem pants range in price between BD30 to BD36 depending on the prints. She also has started making work-out turbans for BD8.
Her musician husband, Stefan Malinowski, is working on her website. For details on upcoming markets, visit Lola Design Clothing on Facebook and @lola_thecoconut on instagram.
