My work clothes Katie Kolodinsky, Founder and Creative Director, Silk Laundry
In this bi-weekly series, we interview female executives, founders, and CEOs - basically boss ladies - about the "power suits" or effortless outfits they wear every day to conquer any job.
Katie Kolodinsky, founder of clothing label Silk Laundry, did not follow the traditional path to running and owning her own business; in her 20s, Kolodinsky studied medicine, acupuncture, Chinese medicine, and psychology. Later, he pursued a more creative education, studying framing, industrial sewing, and interior design. By chance, Kolodzinski was invited to buy a small Australian lingerie label that he often shopped for. The owner, with whom Kolodzinski had befriended, thought that Kolodzinski's creative abilities and her husband's business acumen
would be a good fit for the label.
Kolodzinski accepted and devoted a year to running the store. As she attended various textile shows, she realized that she particularly enjoyed working with silk; in 2015, Silk Laundry was born.
The brand began with five different fabrics: a 90s-style slip dress, a cami, a t-shirt, shorts, and a button-up collared shirt. It was a small collection," says Kolodinsky, "that was really tight and could be worn with anything. The line has since expanded to include silky blazer and shorts sets and animal print dresses, but her beautifully minimalist aesthetic remains the brand's throughline to this day. [Currently, Kolodzinski has three stores, two in Australia and one in Montreal, where she lives, as well as a direct-to-consumer website. Silks are sourced from China, and all colors and prints are her own. As creative director, she does not predict specific trends or colors for her collections.
Recently, she has been working on diversifying silk by blending it with other materials, such as creating silk linen and silk wool. Says she, "[Silk] has become really exciting because there are no limits." At the same time, we're looking to expand with more stores and other products." I don't see Silk Laundry slowing down anytime soon."
Read on to find out how this entrepreneur prepares for work and even steals her style.
"My 2-year-old doesn't sleep much, so I get up early, around 5:45. I start by holding her like a mom and posting on my (Silk Laundry's) Instagram account. Then I try to get my two kids ready as quickly and efficiently as possible, make breakfast, pack their lunches, and get them out the door. [In between, I grab a cup of coffee and finish whatever the kids had for breakfast.
I walk a lot, so I walk the kids to school, which takes about 45 minutes, and then I walk them to school, which takes about 10 minutes, and then I walk them to school, which takes about 10 minutes. It's not something I want right now or need in Montreal. If it's summer, I walk about an hour and a half to my office, put on a podcast or an audiobook, and start my day. I'd get to the office around 9:30 a.m."
"It depends on the weather and my mood, but I usually start by deciding what kind of pants or top I'm going to wear and go from there. Often I'll wear a sample from Silk Laundry for three months or so to see where the buttons are and how long the sleeves are. If I try it on and don't like it, I often don't include it in my collection. Luckily, I can wear what I want in my wardrobe and be as creative as I want. When it comes to beauty, I am pretty straightforward. Creams and oils for my face. I'll use lipstick, blush, and mascara (if the weather is nice and I have an extra two minutes)."
"I wear shearling a lot. Working on a cashmere collection of sweaters and knits. Wear cool leather pants or black denim and match it with a cashmere knit or silk top. In the summer, I wear dresses and a light blazer or jacket. When I have a meeting, I wear a blazer that makes me feel good. I have a Saint Laurent blazer that has a great shoulder line and makes me feel professional, sophisticated, and powerful right away.
I wear sneakers a lot. If I have an easy day, I may change my shoes and wear sandals, but right now I mainly wear sneakers because I don't drive. Sneakers allow me to get the kids to school and walk to work as fast as possible. For casual wear, I like Golden Goose sneakers. They are very comfortable and made of soft leather. I also bought a beautiful pair of sneakers from Nike.
As for clothing outside of Silk Laundry, I have a few favorites. I love Lemaire, Proenza Schooler, and Loewe. Lemaire has the best denim, and if you look for the men's denim collection, you'll find something you really like. I'm not much of a shopper, so I prefer high brands for basic items. If I did, I wouldn't be able to afford many of those (more luxurious) items. I am very particular about my wardrobe, so I am fine with just a few things that I need."
"Clean, sophisticated, and comfortable."
"My motto since I was 22 [stems from this one example]: when I had just moved to Sydney, or was about to move from the Gold Coast to Sydney, someone who had been shopping in my store for years said to me, ' Katie, whatever you do, never turn down an invitation. These words changed my whole way of thinking, always saying yes and never saying no. It has definitely made and changed my life for the better."
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