CEO, Founder + Designer | Sønderhaus, American Fork
Through Scandinavian-inspired brand Sønderhaus, Olive Daphne Redd is creating clothing that holds heirloom-type memories. Olive designed the first collection in the fall of 2022, and now the brand is dressing Utah and beyond with ethical, sustainable, slow fashion. Olive spends her days researching trends, drawing future designs or collaborating with the team on launches — all while taking care of her two daughters who spend time with her at the office.
SHOULDERING THE LOAD
“I am a mom of two daughters, aged 3 and 4 months. They are the lights of my life. My husband works full-time as a software engineer and is my perfect opposite. Things are chaotic and overwhelming at times, but having a career that fills me up helps me to be the best mom and wife that I can be.
“It is important to me to have a workplace that is child- and baby-friendly. Half of our employees are moms, and more often than not, there is a toddler hanging around and multiple babies sleeping in carriers. I believe that employees are the most efficient and reliable when they feel taken care of. Having a flexible workplace is one of the ways that we foster that care and build a positive office culture. As well, we all work in one room together and it makes for the most fun, collaborative workplace.”
A STEP AT A TIME
“I attended Brigham Young University and studied family science. I loved the clothing construction classes, and it was the closest thing the university had to a fashion degree. I also worked in the Ballard Center for Social Impact, which ignited my passion for ethical manufacturing and sustainable production. I co-founded a non-profit organization that helped refugee women in Ecuador to start and scale small businesses. This was an incredibly meaningful time in my life and helped me learn business basics and discover my love for entrepreneurship.”
BRAINSTORM
“The idea was to recreate pieces my sisters and I fought over from the back of our parents’ closet — pieces of clothing that hold memories. Future heirlooms. Our first clothing piece, the Jeanie Sweater, is modeled after the sweaters my paternal grandmother knits for all of her great grandchildren. All of my designs are pulled from people and places that are dear to me.
“I started to design our first collection in the fall of 2022. I was a new mom using nap times and evenings to dream up ideas. While trying to plan my time, I designed the ‘Our Week’ planner pad to help me stay on top of things. I shared the design to Instagram, asking if anyone would want to buy one for themselves. The planner went viral on TikTok, and all of that money went to the sampling and production process for our first collection. I brought on my sister Ingrid and our good friend Malia to help with the business and content creation. We launched our first capsule collection of five pieces in May of 2023!”
GIVE HER A HAND
“I am most proud of the community that Sønderhaus has built. The brand has pulled together like-minded people who are inspiring and sincere.
“Our best selling item is the ‘I can’t believe it’s not vintage’ crewneck sweater. It is such a classic shape and I find myself reaching for it multiple times a week. My favorite as of late is the Elizabeth blouse that launched with our winter collection (that I’m also wearing in this photo).”