Some brands begin with a five-year plan, a pitch deck, and a boardroom full of ideas.
Ola didn’t.
Ola started with a feeling, that something wasn’t right.
Underwear was supposed to be the easiest part of getting dressed. But for too long, it wasn’t. It rolled, it dug in, it needed constant adjusting. For something worn every single day, it demanded way too much attention.
And two women felt it. Constantly.
The Frustration That Sparked It All
Mel and Nadine came from different worlds, but landed on the same realisation: women deserved better underwear.
Not trend-led. Not over-designed.
Just underwear that actually worked.
Basics that felt effortless. Comfortable without compromise. Pieces that made sense.
In November 2020, that shared frustration turned into action. They began sampling products, designing to give this a go, not because everything was figured out, but because the idea felt too important to ignore.
Building Ola From the Ground Up
By February 2021, Ola officially existed. The website went live. Instagram quietly followed. This was the beginning of something better.
Ola released its first pieces. Real women tried them. Real feedback came in. And the response was immediate: finally, underwear that just works.
Behind the scenes, it was just Mel and Nadine doing everything themselves. Answering customer emails. Packing orders. Wear-testing products. Fixing what didn’t feel right. All from a tiny granny flat in Nadine’s backyard.
Nothing was rushed. Every detail mattered.
Second-Skin, Done Properly
From the start, Ola was built around one core idea: your first layer should feel like a second skin.
No rolling waistbands.
No digging straps.
No weird seams.
They tested countless fabrics, rejected anything even slightly restrictive, and refined fits again and again. If it didn’t feel right, it didn’t make the cut.
Ola wasn’t about creating more underwear, it was about rewriting what everyday basics could be.
Growing Without Losing the Point
As word spread, so did the Ola community.
Women started sharing Ola with friends. Creators wore it on repeat. The brand grew not through hype, but through trust, the kind that comes from products that genuinely do what they promise.
In June 2022, Ola was featured on Mamamia, marking a defining moment for the brand and reinforcing what customers already knew: women were craving better basics.
As Ola grew, so did the range. Beyond underwear, the brand explored swimwear, tees, matching sets, pyjamas, and cosy layers; learning, evolving, and refining along the way. Each new category helped sharpen what mattered most: fit, feel, and everyday wearability.
In 2022, Ola moved into its own warehouse and began building a team. What started with two women doing everything became a growing, women-led company, still detail-obsessed, still hands-on, and still guided by the same original standard.
Ola Today
Today, Ola is worn by over 87,000 women who don’t want to think about their underwear, they just want it to feel right.
Ola doesn’t chase trends.
It doesn’t overcomplicate basics.
It focuses on what matters: better fits, better feels, and everyday pieces that make sense.
The Future of Ola
Ola will always be about the first layer. The one you build everything else on.
Timeless essentials. Thoughtful design. Underwear that works, now and years from now.
Founded by women.
Built from real life.
Designed to be your first layer, done right.