I am a long time fan and customer of Canadian knitwear designer, Olena Zylak, as noted in my first post about her on my original blog almost ten years ago. My collection of owned items from Olena Zylak has grown since then and I am as in love with her pieces now as I was back then. Olena Zylak has been designing her signature knit pieces for 25 years! What an amazing accomplishment. The collection consists mainly of winter hats, infinity scarves and wraps.
Olena is very hands on in the design and creation process, literally. Olena hand sketches the designs, maps out the patterns by hand, knit in studio in Collingwood, ON (with some help during busy periods) and then finishes each piece on sewing and surging machines. The silhouette of each hat is hand formed which is what helps make them unique. Products are created in small batches to make each piece exceptional and distinctive so they last for many years.
Olena has won many Designer of the Year awards and been featured in many newspapers and magazines. Her designs also caught the eye of some very well know celebrities, including Prince, Juliette Lewis and Olivia Newton-John. You can read more info on that and the awards Olena has won here.
My Olena Zylak knitwear pieces are a staple of my winter wardrobe. Wearing them is one of the only good things that comes with the colder weather lol. I actually own quite a few things from her and had to go on a self imposed cut off. It is always so tempting to break that rule though. Once I get a job and am at full income again, I see a new Olena hat and/or scarf in my future.
Items can be purchased at select retailers and through the Olena Zylak website. They ship throughout Canada using Canada Post. USA and International shipping is also available. See the Online Shipping Section to note potential delivery times.
Photos from Olena Zylak website. Model images: Photos: Geoff George • Styling: Sandra Yang • Model: Teddy Bannerman (Ciotti Models)
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