In 1963, the then 25-year-old Willem 'Olly' Olsthoorn and his 23-year-old wife Marieke decided to start designing clothes for children, which - in addition to a bit of commercial sense - was mainly the result of personal frustration. They looked everywhere for children's clothing with fun and imaginative details for their own children, but could not find this anywhere. They felt that children's clothing at that time was boring and stiff and did not match the experiences and interests of children, who liked color and details and also preferred to be able to move freely. Oilily was created from a view of the world of children. Bold, curious, making the rules yourself. As it turned out: the customer also made their own rules, adults tried to wear the largest children's size and mothers stole the tops from their unsuspecting kids. In 1990, this demand was answered and Oilily launched its first real women's collection. Since then it has been a long, colorful journey of joy, resilience and innovation. During their travels through South America and India, the couple found inspiration for new collections that they combined with traditional Dutch costume elements.
After 60 years, now under the creative helm of daughter Brecht, the Oilily philosophy still waves like a colorful flag over the world: always be curious, continue to find joy in small things, embrace originality and colors and above all: celebrate the magic of life every second.
After 60 years, now under the creative helm of daughter Brecht, the Oilily philosophy still waves like a colorful flag over the world: always be curious, continue to find joy in small things, embrace originality and colors and above all: celebrate the magic of life every second.
