A two-time Fashion Scholarship Fund Scholar and a senior at Columbia College Chicago, Olivia Byam’s design ethos seamlessly blends nostalgia with innovation, drawing inspiration from the past while pushing the industry forward. With a focus on empowerment and functionality, she is also a champion of sustainability in an industry often driven by overconsumption. We caught up with her to chat about her earliest fashion influences, dream collaborations, and defining values.
FSF: What was your earliest fashion inspiration?
OB: Audrey Hepburn and my great-grandmother. I loved the glamorous and chic fashion of the 1940s and 1950s.
FSF: What is a quote or mantra that inspires you and why?
OB: One of my favorite quotes is from Coco Chanel: 'To be irreplaceable, one must always be different.' This speaks to the power of individuality.
FSF: How would you describe your personal style? OB: Experimental, monochromatic, and fluid.
Photo courtesy of @visualleepleasing
FSF: What are three pieces of clothing or accessories you can’t live without?
OB: Headbands, tights, and oversized button-downs.
FSF: How has mentorship impacted your fashion journey?
OB: Mentorship has been invaluable in my fashion journey; my mentors have not only helped me discover and refine my design voice but also continuously challenged me to step outside my comfort zone and grow.
FSF: What's the most valuable skill FSF has taught you?
OB: To not be afraid, to take risks, and to trust my instincts and vision, even when they might feel unconventional. It's also taught me not to be afraid of failure or rejection.
FSF: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
OB: As simple as it may seem, be curious has been the best advice I've ever received. It has guided me through every project, and my willingness to learn and explore has directly enhanced the quality of my work.
Photo courtesy of @visualleepleasing
FSF: What do you want your impact on the fashion industry to be?
OB: I aspire to make a meaningful impact on the industry through empowerment. I want my designs to have a purpose.
FSF: If you could collaborate with any three designers or fashion leaders, living or passed, who would they be and why?
OB: Thom Browne, Elsa Schiaparelli, and Jeremy Scott. They each have qualities I aspire to obtain throughout my work. The balance of craftsmanship, avant-garde storytelling, and high-energy visuals would be my dream collaboration.
FSF: What are the biggest issues you’d like the fashion industry to tackle or solve?
OB: Overconsumption.
FSF: In three words (or less), the future of fashion is…
OB: Innovation.
