Local Threads

This week Olivia Harvey breaks down how her very niche upcycled sweatshirt designs almost got her sued by you know who, how she pivoted, and the unexpected commission she received in the wake of it all. We talk about her journey into fashion, her time at Emerson, and her one and only market she ever does Wicked Women Makers Market coming up on November 29th tickets available via the event page below.

Follow Olivia's brand Oh_Pleeze on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oh_pleeze/?hl=en
The infamous substack article: https://substack.com/@ohpleeze/note/p-173153781?utm_source=notes-share-action&utm_medium=web
Wicked Women Makers Market Tickets: https://www.facebook.com/wickedwomenmakersmarket/
Learn to Sew: https://www.northriverarts.org/event-6395349?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnBD3SOeP6yPUrAdwDLcZGS5G08gBivStluEsJeTEXOMSK6lTAo5LYamPU5S0_aem_dvH8RHI-rE2DKxtNioAxHw
Boston.com article https://www.boston.com/news/arts/2025/07/15/lobsters-cigarettes-and-dunkin-south-shore-artist-aims-to-capture-the-mass-vibe
Linktr.ee https://linktr.ee/ohpleeze
TikTok: https://tr.ee/NklTvEPvUZ

Mentions:
Southern New England Fibershed: https://fibershed.org/affiliate/se-new-england-fibershed/

Follow Local Threads Podcast on all platforms https://local-threads.transistor.fm/

What is Local Threads?

Local Threads is a storytelling podcast documenting the voices of New England's creative community. Artists, organizers, and culture makers who shape spaces, movements, and shared experiences.

Molly:

Welcome to this week's episode of Local Threads. I'm Molly, your host. And this week, I'm sitting down with a local South Shore upcycler, Olivia Harvey. Olivia has a brand called Oh Please and has got herself into a little bit of a pickle in this past year, and it all has to do with a local coffee brand. We get into all the tea about everything that went down, her pivot, and also the unsuspecting brand that reached out to commission her for one of her bespoke pieces.

Molly:

Without further ado, get your iced coffee, and let's get into it. Welcome to the podcast.

Olivia:

Thank you. Thank you for having me.

Molly:

I've always tried to get one of your lobster shirts. Yeah. But I'm not fast enough.

Olivia:

Yeah. It's it's like, it's scary. Honestly. It's scary for me every time too. Because people they try to get it, a lot of people get it, and then I get the angry messages rolling in.

Olivia:

And a lot of them are, like, not actually angry. They're like, I can't believe I didn't get it again.

Molly:

Yeah.

Olivia:

I'm like, I don't know. Shoot. Yeah, I don't I have to find a new system. I think I have to actually have a different website where things are reserved in carts. I don't know.

Olivia:

I don't know. It's like Presale. Yeah. It's the one

Molly:

But then at that point, that you may have too many.

Olivia:

Right. Know? You have just one person. Exactly. And that's kind of part of the reason why I haven't opened up commissions at all because I'm afraid of having too much.

Molly:

Honestly, I think a little bit of people not getting it every single time is okay.

Olivia:

I think so too. I mean, it's I don't wanna be like this this scarcity, you know, scare, like a scarcity scare every time.

Molly:

Yeah.

Olivia:

But at the end of the day, it's a sweatshirt. Everything's gonna be okay if you don't get one.

Molly:

Yeah. I'm sure they will eventually. They will eventually.

Olivia:

They try hard enough. Exactly. Just get a sticker in the meantime.

Molly:

Yeah. Where'd you get the idea?

Olivia:

Well, it was kind of it was one of those things where I wasn't really feeling any creative interest. This was back in, like I think I made my first one in 2023, 2022. And I think every artist goes through this where it's just like a really creative low point and you're like, I just don't have any energy. I don't know what I wanna make next. And a few friends had said in the past, like, you should really try a lobster.

Olivia:

I think that would be really fun. I've always was kinda like, yeah, but that sounds really hard. Yeah. I don't know if I really wanna do that. But I just got to a point where I was like, I really have no other ideas, so I think I'll just try it.

Olivia:

And I made the lobster and then I was kinda like, he's definitely missing something. I don't know what he needs to be holding something in his claws. And then the the cigarette and the Dunkin' Donuts cup just kind of was like

Molly:

I'm gonna believe that out every

Olivia:

single time. Every time I say Dunkin'. Yeah. Dunkin' Dunkin'. Duncan.

Olivia:

And it kinda just made sense because, like, we're in Massachusetts. And as I've I've always said, like, we all know that guy. Yeah. The guy with the sig.

Molly:

It's the Ben Affleck.

Olivia:

It's the Ben Affleck. Yes. Exactly.

Molly:

Or a meme

Olivia:

or photo. What is it? It's it's all of it. Yeah. He's always he's always got his double duty.

Olivia:

So and then I I posted a picture of that on my Instagram at the time, and I only had, like, probably 300 followers. And it got, like, a 100 likes, which was huge.

Molly:

Yeah.

Olivia:

I was like, oh my god. People really like this. And so that was the first design that I made multiples of kind of intentionally because I was like, I think maybe more than one person might want this. And then it kinda just took off from there, and it became the the best selling design Yeah. Until I had to kinda put the kibosh on it for a while Yeah.

Olivia:

Then. Well, it's

Molly:

so funny because until you live in New England and or Massachusetts, you don't really get the significance of the Ben Affleck photo.

Olivia:

Yeah.

Molly:

You just get, like, he's exhausted. He's over it. He's smoking a cigarette, and he's drinking a Dunkin'. Yeah. But once you live here

Olivia:

It's like everybody looks like that.

Molly:

Embodies it. You embody that

Olivia:

Yep. Aura

Molly:

Yeah. Every day. It's an exhaustion. I don't know why because this isn't like a miserable place to live.

Olivia:

No, it's not. It's really beautiful.

Molly:

It's just maybe he's like the driving. And I need to stop talking about the driving because it makes me sound like I'm geriatric.

Olivia:

I was just gonna say I on my way here, I nearly got hit about four times.

Molly:

Yeah. What is going on?

Olivia:

I'm like, what's going on with this area? Why is everyone being insane right now?

Molly:

They're either high or just really can't drive. I don't understand.

Olivia:

I don't get it either. I was like, this is really crazy.

Molly:

And the last thing I wanna do if I smoke weed is drive. Yeah. I don't even wanna, like

Olivia:

Just sit on the couch.

Molly:

Yeah.

Olivia:

Please do us all a favor. Let's just sit

Molly:

on the I can't even do that. I gotta take a walk. You know? That's why I don't do it.

Olivia:

Yeah. Yeah. Fair enough. Yeah. Just don't drive.

Molly:

Yeah. I I don't know. But there is, like, that level of exhaustion, whether it's, like, with work or

Olivia:

every Literally everything. And it's I think it's, like, a seasonal depression thing too. Because it's always, like, you got your iced coffee and your cigarette, but also like your Patriots beanie

Molly:

Yeah.

Olivia:

And like your Carhartt jacket and like your plaid, pajama pants. Yeah. Crocs. Crocs and your Crocs, and you're just outside. Yeah.

Olivia:

You're just outside. And you're like, well, yep. That's just kinda it's like a mascot. Yeah. Every every man born and raised here is the Massachusetts mascot.

Molly:

It was funny because I worked for a company in Connecticut, and I worked with a lot of people in New England. And we would just in teams, we would share that picture.

Olivia:

And it's kinda like that is exactly how you're feeling. Yeah. No words need

Molly:

to be spoken. Don't have to say shit else. We all Yeah. We're not in the mood for this shit.

Olivia:

Feeling like this, don't talk to me.

Molly:

But there's also, like, a fun, like, nostalgia to it because it's it makes me laugh when I see it. It doesn't make me pissed. Right. It just makes me laugh. It's so relatable and, like, the lobster part

Olivia:

of it.

Molly:

I mean, something so simple as a lobster that like normally is on all like the chewy stuff.

Olivia:

Exactly.

Molly:

And you made it into something way more like, I guess, punk.

Olivia:

Yeah. I'll take punk. Yeah.

Molly:

Why not?

Olivia:

Yeah. Yeah. Because it is like

Molly:

It's upcycled

Olivia:

It's and upcycled. It's

Molly:

like handmade Yep. Which obviously upcycled is handmade.

Olivia:

Yeah. It's like, the lobster has always been well, not always, but it's more recently become such a symbol like on Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, on like the sweaters. I've been seeing these sweaters all over the place with the lobster on it. Like, that's those are really cute, but let's let's get back to reality here. Yeah.

Olivia:

You know?

Molly:

Not everything is, like, good girl aesthetic.

Olivia:

Exactly. So

Molly:

Which is, like, gives me the cringe, even though I'm wearing a sweater dress right now.

Olivia:

Yeah. But it's black with tights.

Molly:

It's black. Yeah. You did a video of this of this at some point, it blew up.

Olivia:

Yes. I think it was just earlier this year. Because I've been making these for a few years now and been slowly gaining support for them, I guess. Yeah. A lot of people have been loving them.

Olivia:

But I posted a video of them, I think, in February. And it was one of these I re I kind of remade the video later this year, but it's like if you have a sweatshirt that you don't like anymore, you can just put a lobster on it. And that video blew up, I think, on TikTok, and then it it did really well on Instagram too. So that's when all of a sudden I went from, like, a thousand followers to, I think, within three days, like, 10,000 followers. Woah.

Olivia:

That was and that was really I was kind of afraid to leave the house. Yeah. Just like one of those, like, oh my god, what's going on?

Molly:

Yeah.

Olivia:

And I remember my mom went to our town, our our local library, and she heard some ladies at the counter talking about the video. And she's like, that's my daughter? Oh my god. That's crazy. And she she told me that.

Olivia:

I was like, I don't think I I'm kind of afraid to leave the house. I don't I don't know. I'm just this is kinda weird. Which and it was really cool. It was it was great to see all the positive feedback, but it was really overwhelming.

Olivia:

And that was kind of the the catalyst for the new boon of interest in them. And then I had to eventually take that one down, so I remade it with my new design. Mhmm. But that one also got, positive feedback from Duncan too Yeah. Which is part of the whole debacle that I'm still boggled by.

Molly:

Duncan reached out because of that video, like their PR team.

Olivia:

Yes. But this was the second time they had reached out to me, back when I first started making them in 2023. I think I had been making them for maybe, like, five or six months. And obviously, trademark infringement or copyright infringement was just not on my mind because it was just, like, nobody's really this is a very niche thing. Yeah.

Olivia:

It's clearly handmade. These this the cup that was on the design was clearly fabric and like Yeah. It's all done in parody. And it just wasn't on my mind. Yeah.

Olivia:

So they somebody reached out in my Etsy inbox, because I was still just selling on Etsy, And it said, like, hi, this is so and so from Dunkin'. And I was like, oh my god. Wait. I think I'm gonna get in trouble. And it it clicked.

Olivia:

I was like, oh my god. Wait. Maybe what I'm doing is not right. So I kind of just let it sit in my inbox for a couple days. Was kinda scared.

Olivia:

And then I opened it up and it was a PR person from Dunkin' saying that Dunkin' really liked my design and they gave me tickets to the Levitate Music Festival that summer. Because they were like, it's Dunkin' sponsoring the festival and to show our appreciation. Would you like tickets? And I was like, yeah, that's wow. I I thought maybe I was gonna get in trouble.

Olivia:

This is great. So that was kind of the seal of approval, and then I just continued making them. And then when I had that video blow up earlier this year, they reached out again and then they sent me a swag bag of Dunkin branded merch.

Molly:

Mhmm.

Olivia:

They were like, these are really great. We're so happy that you're using Dunkin in your designs. And then, like, two months after that email is when I got the cease and desist from Corporate. From corporate. From their legal team.

Olivia:

Yeah. Which is crazy because I thought they're

Molly:

that it would come from cause it's from Massachusetts. Right?

Olivia:

They have like a headquarters down the street. They're headquartered in Massachusetts.

Molly:

Yeah.

Olivia:

But the law firm is based in Washington, D. C. So I was like, is this even real? What's going So I did a lot of research. They sent me the cease and desist at, like, 03:30 on a Friday afternoon.

Olivia:

So I was totally blind.

Molly:

So strategic. Ruined your

Olivia:

whole weekend. Ruined my whole weekend. I was, like, so giddy with giddy's the wrong word, but I was like freaking out, obviously. And I was like laughing because I was like, this is crazy. This is so crazy.

Olivia:

And then I was crying because I like, oh my god, everything's ruined. It was just a it was truly a roller coaster

Molly:

Yeah.

Olivia:

Of emotions. So I did a lot of research over the weekend, and I found out that it's a real law firm. They do represent Duncan. They, like, hold all of Duncan's IPs and Yeah. Trademarks.

Olivia:

So then it was like, you have until this date to remove all your images, stop selling this design, or or else or else, meaning they would sue me. Yeah. So so I kinda had to just give it. I talked to a trademark lawyer, and he was like, you kinda just have to they have a lot more money than you, so you kinda have to just abide by the rules here.

Molly:

Yeah. Honestly, I will say,

Olivia:

for the plot, worth it. Yeah. Exactly. And also,

Molly:

your design now with the ice cubes

Olivia:

Yeah. Is way better. It's way better. Thank you for saying that.

Molly:

Honestly, we all know what it is.

Olivia:

Exact we all know what it is.

Molly:

It's short show. Honestly, not everybody drinks the same coffee.

Olivia:

It's true.

Molly:

We all do drink iced coffee though. That is very true. Must. It's a must.

Olivia:

It's a must. And it's even more of that meme, the Ben Affleck meme than it was before because like, he that's kind of the thing too. Like, people in Massachusetts only drink iced coffee all through the winter. Yeah. So it's it has worked out in my favor.

Olivia:

It's a really good story. It's a funny, weird

Molly:

story. I mean, how crazy is that too? Because, like, you had said to the PR team didn't know. Yes. They had no idea.

Molly:

Yeah. And honestly, they probably should have never encouraged you.

Olivia:

No. They shouldn't have. I obviously emailed them, the person that I had been most recently in contact with

Molly:

Mhmm.

Olivia:

Just to say like, hey, what's what's going on? We just had this really pleasant interaction and now I'm getting the cease and desist. Like, did you did you know about this? Or did I do something? Or what's going on?

Olivia:

And they were just as confused as I was. Yeah. So they were like, we're gonna circle back with the team and we'll get

Molly:

back Circle back.

Olivia:

They circle back. They're gonna circle

Molly:

back with Of the course they said that.

Olivia:

Yeah. I'm gonna rope in my Yeah. The the team and we'll get back to you. I was like, all right. And they didn't.

Olivia:

So I I emailed them, I think, three or four times that next week.

Molly:

Your Substack article had me fucking rolling. And I read that to my husband last night

Olivia:

Yeah.

Molly:

And he was dying.

Olivia:

Oh, my god. Yeah. It was so good. Thank you. Thank you.

Molly:

I was thinking to myself, like, someone needs to take that and animate it because that's

Olivia:

so funny. Anybody know animation out there? That'd be so weird.

Molly:

I know. I need to find someone that's so if you do animation, hit me up. That'd be so funny. The funniest fucking video because I could see you. Yeah.

Molly:

Like, the Like, one, you write really well. Thank you. So Thank you very how many times do you go open a Substack and it is so boring?

Olivia:

Yeah, I know. And I I will say that I've already abandoned it. Like, it's I've haven't really written anything of Substance since that. Yeah. But I will return to it.

Molly:

It was good enough.

Olivia:

It was good enough. I can just it's on a hiatus for

Molly:

I saw someone, and I'm not gonna take credit for this idea because I'm chronically online, but I saw someone have this it was a TikTok where, basically, she was saying, make let this be a your sign to make your own corner of the Internet and have your own website about you. Oh. And it's always, like, in progress and always doing something. She has, like her VHS collection, she took every single photo of it, and, like, she has, like, a little TV. It looks very MySpace like.

Molly:

Oh, cool. And it's so fun. Like, I'm like, we need to do that. Yeah. Like, You treat all these other know?

Molly:

Companies.

Olivia:

Exactly. I'm gonna have to

Molly:

figure out how to do web development on

Olivia:

my Well, that's the thing. Honestly Just get another thing that has

Molly:

Yeah. To be

Olivia:

You can do it. We did that TikTok. We can

Molly:

do anything. Yeah. That was hard, I will say. Hard. Like, I needed a cigarette after that and

Olivia:

a nice coffee. Yeah. Exactly. Not from Dunkin'. Not from Dunkin', though.

Olivia:

From a nice local boutique coffee house. Yeah. No more corporations. When did you start sewing? I have been sewing since, I think I was like 10 or 11.

Molly:

Oh, wow.

Olivia:

Yeah. I've been I took a bunch of sewing classes. There was like kind of a summer sewing camp that I went to for many years. I was like the oldest kid there by the end

Molly:

of Do they still have it?

Olivia:

No. So it was taught by this woman, Brooke Stanton, who is a costume designer. She works for a bunch of different a bunch of different opera, companies right now. So she does really beautiful, like, Elizabethan gowns. Yeah.

Olivia:

Really cool stuff. But she worked on movies. She did, Star Wars, which was really So she would run these classes, and they were mainly for kids. I think I probably stopped taking them when I was, like, 15 or 16. But she was just so fun to learn from.

Olivia:

So she did a summer camp and then a fall make your own Halloween costume camp, which was so I was all over that.

Molly:

My god. I wish she would do it again.

Olivia:

I know. It was so much fun. And basically, whatever we dreamt up, she was like, we'll figure out how to make it. I was I think when I was 12, was like, missus Lovett from Sweeney Todd.

Molly:

I love that.

Olivia:

And I've wanted as screen accurate to the Tim Burton movie as possible. And she was like, alright, we can do it, but it's gonna be a lot. So we did like, she a fully boned corset

Molly:

Oh, wow.

Olivia:

And this big skirt that was made out of this heavy fabric. And I did go trick or treating in it, and I was like You still have it? I still have it. Does it fit? I doubt it.

Olivia:

Yeah. Yeah, I doubt it. But it was really beautiful.

Molly:

Yeah.

Olivia:

And I was like picking up the rear the whole time, because I was like, guys, I'm wearing a fully boned corset. Like, please wait for

Molly:

me. Yeah. I like,

Olivia:

we would

Molly:

have wore that to prom.

Olivia:

I know. I probably could have. It was just so it was so beautiful. It was great. So I took her classes until I kind of aged out of them, and then kinda just kept up sewing on the side as a hobby.

Olivia:

I sewed a few dresses for high school dances, which

Molly:

was

Olivia:

cool. And then I went to college, and kind of didn't sew sew much, but I sewed a few things during the summertime. And then got out of college and kind of picked it back up again just as something to do while I was trying to figure out what it is I was gonna do with life.

Molly:

What did you go to school for?

Olivia:

I went to Emerson College for writing for film and TV.

Molly:

Well, that makes sense.

Olivia:

So I did literal writing.

Molly:

Your substack was so good.

Olivia:

Thank you so much. Oh my gosh. It I've been going through this period where my creative writing brain has been totally shut off for so long. So my friends and I, we just started our own little writing group just to kind of like Love that. Egg each other on a So little it's been kind of a fun way to get back into writing creatively.

Olivia:

Yeah. You should definitely nurture that

Molly:

and Yeah. Keep making stuff. Thanks. Because I I love a good, you know, short story. Yeah.

Molly:

Especially one that's written where you can visualize. It read like like I said, an animation.

Olivia:

I love that. I love that idea.

Molly:

It's hilarious. Like That would be so her I'm gonna link it in the show notes, but like

Olivia:

I was just like, yes.

Molly:

Everybody has driven by someone's house or some bullshit place that has pissed them off Yeah. Or person, and you're just like, fuck you.

Olivia:

Heat your ass. And I still, like, even on my drive here, see a Dunkin' Donuts,

Molly:

I'm like, you son of a bitch. Bitch. And and obviously the whole bit where, yeah, they're on every corner, so it's So like

Olivia:

I'm doing it all the time.

Molly:

Yeah. Yeah.

Olivia:

I'm constantly mad. Yeah. But I do feel like one day I'll probably cave and get Dunkin' Donuts again, but I haven't yet. Yeah. So maybe it'll just get easier to avoid it.

Molly:

I will I will say, but it's really not good at all.

Olivia:

It's not good.

Molly:

And it makes me feel like shit.

Olivia:

Yep. It's and that's the other ironic part is that it's not good coffee. Yeah, that's true. It makes you feel bad. But yet, here we are.

Olivia:

We're all

Molly:

Yeah.

Olivia:

We are all addicted to it.

Molly:

I'm gonna get a cease and desist now.

Olivia:

Yeah. You are. You better bleep this out. You better bleep out the name. Yeah.

Olivia:

I'm gonna We're not talking about you. Okay? You'll just have to guess. You'll have to guess. Blur the mouths out.

Molly:

Yeah. Crazy. So when you went to Emerson love that. Their programs, by the way, Do you have any scripts ready?

Olivia:

Technically, yes. But I, like, went back. I go back and I read them not often, but I did kind of recently because we were starting this writing group. So I was like, maybe I'll just kind of rewrite something that I had written ten years ago. And it was so it's just like, god, what was I thinking?

Olivia:

Yeah. I mean, I think probably everybody who writes or creates goes back to something that they worked on ten years ago and it's like, Jesus. Yeah. I'm so bad. Like, that is so heinous.

Olivia:

So I'm, like, kinda just shelving Yeah. Those past projects. But, yeah, I mean, we wrote whole feature length scripts as part of the program and That's so cool. TV pilots. It was a lot of fun.

Olivia:

It was really fun. And they have they have, like, you can spend semesters abroad, but they also have an LA program. So I went out to do the LA program for a semester, and it was my last semester of senior year. And I feel like they should probably offer this, like, sophomore or junior year because it was during my senior year where was like, wow, I really don't wanna live in LA, and I really don't think I wanna do the whole Hollywood thing. Like, this is I I don't think I'm cut out for it.

Molly:

Yeah.

Olivia:

So then it was kind of like a, what did I just spend all this money?

Molly:

Oh, no. Oh, no.

Olivia:

But it was, like, it was such a fun four years, and I've met so many cool people. And it has the people that I've met at Emerson, we've all kind of just helped each other in whatever career we've wanted to do, just even emotional support. So it's it's all been worth it.

Molly:

Yeah. And honestly, if you wanted to create something, you can.

Olivia:

Yeah.

Molly:

There's so many people that make films from an iPhone and

Olivia:

Yeah. There was that movie that came out, like, three or four years ago that was shot Fully. Fully on an iPhone. Just so cool. Yeah.

Olivia:

And I think it is kind of it's becoming a more inclusive space where they more people are being accepted into film festivals that are really low budget. So, yeah, I think it's just kind of it is shifting and changing in a way that's kind of exciting,

Molly:

so I Yeah. Think I'm excited about it as someone who has no formal training in literally anything, really. I'm like, oh, one day I can make something.

Olivia:

Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Anyone can.

Molly:

Who cares?

Olivia:

Who cares?

Molly:

Honestly, there's so many people making really good on YouTube that is so entertaining. So, I mean, I've kind of stopped watching a lot of shows because I they

Olivia:

know. It's like it's Too much

Molly:

reality TV.

Olivia:

It's too much reality TV. It's quantity over quality Yeah. Especially on Netflix. It's Every time I have

Molly:

a show that I love, they canceled it. Yeah. They canceled it.

Olivia:

Yeah. It's kind of, it's an interesting it's a changing landscape with that whole thing for the better and also for the worse. There's, like, really no middle ground

Molly:

Yeah.

Olivia:

Anymore. So I don't know.

Molly:

I don't

Olivia:

know what's gonna happen, but good luck to everybody Yeah. In the industry.

Molly:

You just posted well, no. Smarties posted

Olivia:

Yeah.

Molly:

You. Yeah. The candy, in case you guys are confused. Smarties of candy. Hop around all the time.

Molly:

Mhmm. How did that happen?

Olivia:

So I reposted I think this is the chain of events. I'm not quite sure, but I recreated that video that did really well on Instagram, with my new design with the iced coffee. So it was like, you got a sweatshirt you don't like, put a lobster on it. And that did really well again, which was great. And I think the Smarties social people saw it.

Olivia:

And then if you go on to my page, you can see I think my first two pin posts are about the cease and desist issue. So they must have read that, and they were like, hey, we would love to work with you. We have this idea, to give something special to one of our biggest fans. So if you wanted to come up with a design for that, we would love to to commission you to do that.

Molly:

Woah. Nice. Yeah.

Olivia:

That would be so great. Yeah. So I did. So, like, we kind of bounced a few ideas back and forth, and they were really cool with the lobster. They were like, obviously, we can't have a cigarette on it.

Olivia:

I was

Molly:

like Yeah.

Olivia:

That's fine. But it just it made sense for the lobster to be holding the the Smarties candy And then they gave it to one of their biggest fans, this girl named Trinity, which was really cool.

Molly:

Yeah.

Olivia:

Yeah. So that happened, I think, a couple months ago, and they've been kinda working on the video and Mhmm. Packaging it and sending it to her. So, It just went live today.

Molly:

That's so awesome. Yeah. Yeah. Was funny because I'm like, we're literally recording today, obviously. Yeah.

Molly:

Obviously. The day that that video and now, you know, me, I have scoliosis and I'm like, that's I know this. Yeah.

Olivia:

Yeah. Lore. Yeah. More lore to talk about. Keep filing you.

Molly:

But also like Smarties, hey.

Olivia:

I know. Random. Really random. And I thought that they were a New England based brand. It doesn't really matter if they are or not.

Olivia:

But they're based in New Jersey,

Molly:

Close enough.

Olivia:

Not really close enough. But I was like, this is just this is the way to do it.

Molly:

Smarties, if you're listening, I wanna know. I wanna go to your factory, and I wanna see how they're made. I know that it's probably out there already, but I just wanna go

Olivia:

Yeah. I wanna go and see it, and I wanna test. I'm such a nerd. I love I'm sure it's watching

Molly:

that stuff. Yeah. I went to a textile factory or mill nearby.

Olivia:

Cool. That was fascinating and not expected. Nearby? Yeah. Oh my gosh.

Olivia:

And you can just go in and watch.

Molly:

Well, I went with the Southern New England Fibersheds. Shout out to them. If you guys don't know what that is, I'll link it in the show notes. But they sometimes they do, like, they'll do a farm tour where there's like alpacas or something or someone who grows plants for natural fabric dyes.

Olivia:

That's cool.

Molly:

Or they'll go to a textile mill or whatever and non members can just pay, like, a little bit or Okay. Members, I think it's free. It's a really great nonprofit. Started out of California. Wow.

Molly:

Hopefully, I can have them on the podcast. But Yeah. That would be awesome. The others there's a lot of textile mills nearby. Yeah.

Molly:

But I just never

Olivia:

It's it's I mean, like, I've seen videos. Would love to see it in person.

Molly:

It's cool.

Olivia:

I'm also a huge nerd for stuff like that.

Molly:

So what's next? I mean, do you plan on making things and just going

Olivia:

down that journey? I think so. I

Molly:

You definitely should because you're really talented. I

Olivia:

love Thank you. I definitely want to keep making things. This has become a way bigger part of my life than I ever anticipated. And it's a hobby I haven't given up yet, which is like, that's such good news

Molly:

for But some people don't even

Olivia:

have one. That's true. That's true. I'm one of these people that likes to learn a new hobby and then I do it for maybe like three weeks.

Molly:

I'm like,

Olivia:

all right, well, I've done that. I've learned how to do that. And then I just leave it

Molly:

for a I'm the same, but I also need to buy every single accoutrement that goes with That's

Olivia:

part of the problem. And then,

Molly:

yeah, then I end up with a craft room that Yeah. Is real bad. I'm like the lady from Labyrinth with all the trash. It's me. It's me.

Olivia:

With all, like, paintbrushes coming off of your back.

Molly:

Yeah.

Olivia:

Yeah. It's bad. It's really the hoard is real. Yeah. The hoard is real.

Olivia:

And especially when, like, I'm the type of person who because I'm an upcycler, if people are like, hey, do you need I have a pile of old clothes. Yeah. Do you want it? I'm like, yeah, absolutely. I have old fabric.

Olivia:

Do you want it? Yep. Absolutely. So it's just it's it's organized chaos. I do know where everything is, but it looks really bad.

Olivia:

It looks really bad.

Molly:

It's so hard because things take up so much space.

Olivia:

Yeah. They do.

Molly:

And then you're like, I don't wanna add to the landfill.

Olivia:

Exactly. So I'll just do I'll do something with it.

Molly:

Yeah.

Olivia:

But, you know, I've had fabric in my stash for probably ten, fifteen years, just something that I bought. Because because I buy a lot of old bedsheets and stuff at Savers to use for sewing projects. So something that I bought ten years ago is still sitting there. And I'm like, well, I'll probably still make a dress out of that someday.

Molly:

I got, like, gave me all of these samples for, I don't even know, upholstery samples Oh, yeah. And also draperies. And then Okay. There's maybe 10% of them, I'm like, oh, that's cool. The rest of them are like, ugh.

Olivia:

Yeah. And then what what do

Molly:

you do?

Olivia:

Yeah. Do you do? Right? Yeah. It's tough.

Olivia:

And there are I have learned that there are some really good, textile recycling places around here.

Molly:

Mhmm. Oh, what are they? Tell me.

Olivia:

Now, of course, I can't remember the names. I'll have to show you the names of them. I think there's one that's really local, like South Shore Textile Waste or something. But unfortunately, they only they don't take things below a certain size. So most of my stuff is, like, little tiny scraps.

Olivia:

Yeah. So I've been doing, this, oh my gosh, what's it called? It's it's like a take back bag. It's a fabric recycling bag Mhmm. That I get mailed to me and then I fill

Molly:

it Is it trash? What's it called?

Olivia:

I used to do trashy, but I don't think that they want fabric scraps. So I found a new place. I think it's called it's called Retold.

Molly:

Retold.

Olivia:

Retold.

Molly:

Oh, okay.

Olivia:

And it's a bag specifically for fabric scraps, and they turn it into insulation or something.

Molly:

That's great. Yeah. I had not heard about that before. I'll definitely link that in the show notes as well.

Olivia:

It's very cool.

Molly:

I feel like there is so much opportunity in New England, specifically because of the history of, like, the textiles in this area.

Olivia:

Yeah. It's great. And it's still having been even, like, step foot in into the world of upcycling and recycling, fabric recycling, you meet so many cool people who know so much about, like, oh, yeah, you can donate to this place or, you know, I have facts about how much waste is is being omitted by textile plate. It's just like people know so much, and you don't really interact with these people on a daily basis. So it's been cool to connect with different people who know so much about recycling and upcycling and just sewing and fabrics.

Olivia:

It's pretty cool.

Molly:

Did you start doing this with the environmental piece in mind, or did you just start doing it because it was accessible?

Olivia:

It was kind of both at the same time. I've always been a thrifter. I think as of this point, I think probably, like, 85, 90% of my wardrobe is thrifted, And that's always been the case. In college, I kind of went off on a, like, fast fashion binge because I was like, my gosh, I have my own money and I can buy stuff and this is great. But then I instantly kind of came back down, back to thrifting afterwards.

Olivia:

So that's always been an important element to my own closet. But I started it during COVID, so it was kind of a way to make my clothing better Yeah. Without going shopping because we couldn't. Yeah. So, it kinda just went hand in hand.

Olivia:

It's like using what you have or using what was discarded by somebody else and then, making it better,

Molly:

I guess.

Olivia:

Leaving something better.

Molly:

Another COVID journey.

Olivia:

Yeah. As so many people have had.

Molly:

Yeah. Every single person on the podcast. Really? Yeah. Oh my god.

Molly:

Except maybe, like, two. Wow.

Olivia:

You know? That's fascinating.

Molly:

And it's funny because a little lore for me, I wanted to write a book called Project Perspective

Olivia:

Okay.

Molly:

To talk about everybody's experience during COVID. And it's just funny how it kind of evolved because now I'm doing this and it's kind of essentially the same thing. Yeah. And it's also, like, not writing there was, like, some legal hang up that was bothering me. Like, I didn't wanna sell a book

Olivia:

That's

Molly:

profiting off of other people's stories. It Oh, felt

Olivia:

that's true.

Molly:

Yeah. You know? Yeah. So I was like, And plus it was super triggering at the time, like, gosh, I couldn't even work read in my head the word anxiety without having a panic attack.

Olivia:

Oh, That's that's bad. That's like the opposite of a therapeutic Yeah,

Molly:

was like, the last thing I think I could do right now is talk about how, you know, hospital stuff or like anything crazy. Yeah. Not even crazy, just like real.

Olivia:

Yeah. Real. Just needed to

Molly:

bury my head into Gilmore Girls, which is my

Olivia:

As you should.

Molly:

Guilty, like that's my most embarrassing TV watch.

Olivia:

Oh, but that's not even that embarrassing. Everybody does it.

Molly:

Well, I I didn't I'd never even heard of I didn't even watch it until COVID.

Olivia:

Oh, wow. Yeah. I think I started watching it in COVID too. I hadn't watched it before.

Molly:

I was like, what's this cozy show? I wanna live in in a town like this.

Olivia:

No. Right?

Molly:

Wow. What happened? I did. That was weird. I manifested that a little too hard.

Olivia:

No. You thought about it. Yeah. And it came true. It came true.

Molly:

That was, yeah, strange. But, yeah, the the evolution during COVID was awesome.

Olivia:

Yeah. It's just It was hard, but awesome. It was really hard, and it was really scary. But it it did force people to kinda just reevaluate what they found important. Yeah.

Olivia:

Work all of a sudden was kind of just not really important. You could work from home and it's kinda like, wow, why aren't we doing this anyway? Yeah. Obviously, spending time with family, but just taking a look at the stuff around you Yeah. Too.

Olivia:

And being like, I don't feel connected to any of this stuff or, like, I have too much of this.

Molly:

And then when thinking about like, okay, I have all of this stuff and I need to keep it till it falls apart Right. I'm ashamed of myself. Right.

Olivia:

It's like there's no way I can do that. Yeah. There's I can't wear all of this stuff until it falls apart. And I'm still I still have way too many pieces of clothing. Yeah.

Olivia:

I'm just never gonna wear it all.

Molly:

Me too. But I also feel guilty. Like, I can't get rid of it.

Olivia:

Yeah. It's it is a weird it's a weird guilt thing. Yeah. Because once you're aware of how bad or how much clothing is in the world already, it's like,

Molly:

oh no.

Olivia:

Oh no, we're suffocating. But we we do the

Molly:

best we can. That's all

Olivia:

we And can as long as we are aware of it, which is a huge step forward because you just make better choices.

Molly:

Yeah. And honestly, I'll be the first one to admit, like, I still fuck up. Oh. You know?

Olivia:

Me too.

Molly:

Buy new shit.

Olivia:

Yep. Me too.

Molly:

And then the dopamine goes away really fast.

Olivia:

And then you look at

Molly:

it and

Olivia:

you go, I didn't need that. I have something that looks like that already.

Molly:

Three. Yeah. Or three of them.

Olivia:

Or three. Yeah.

Molly:

Yeah. Like how many black pieces of clothing do I need? Or sneakers?

Olivia:

Oh, sneakers are I buy a new pair of sneakers every year still. And I be fair,

Molly:

if you wear them all the time, they don't last.

Olivia:

Yeah. Know. That's true. But, yeah, it's just like that's part of the problem too is that clothing isn't really made to last anymore. So you do have to repurchase it if you buy it new.

Olivia:

So it's like we are part of the problem, but it's also a much bigger problem that we don't really have. Yeah. And I'm

Molly:

honestly sick of it being put on on the consumer.

Olivia:

Yeah.

Molly:

Yes, we have a responsibility to reduce our consumption, but, like, hello. Let's

Olivia:

go What are these corporations? Yeah. You know? They have the money to make actual changes, and they don't.

Molly:

But, yeah, let's go ahead and make a fucking pube thong.

Olivia:

I just saw that yesterday and I I said it must be a joke.

Molly:

No. It's It must be. The joke is she can sell literal Yeah. Trash and people will buy it Yeah. And sell it out.

Molly:

And that's the joke.

Olivia:

We That's the joke.

Molly:

The consumer is the joke. Just like the nipple bra and The like

Olivia:

nipple bra. Yeah. Which still does numbers. People love the nipple bra. Just what?

Molly:

Yeah. It's crazy. Just go outside without a bra

Olivia:

Exactly.

Molly:

When it's called. Right. Boom. Free.

Olivia:

Free and it's free.

Molly:

Yeah.

Olivia:

And it's free. But yeah, it's it's pretty wild. I mean, I guess, like, we we can make a change by deciding what it is we buy. Obviously, like, our money speaks for us. Yeah.

Olivia:

But who the fuck wants that?

Molly:

I What is that? What is that?

Olivia:

I don't know. It's just so you can say that you have it, I guess. But like but so what? Yeah. You could also make that yourself.

Olivia:

I'm not gonna give you any examples as to how you could

Molly:

do that, but it's I

Olivia:

mean, it's pretty organic. It's

Molly:

pretty organic.

Olivia:

Like, just grow your own pubes. Yeah. Get on

Molly:

your bush. Or if you don't want to, then you could shave them off Uh-huh. And glue them to a fucking thong you already have.

Olivia:

Yeah. Maybe it's just it's just so stupid and silly that it kinda leaves me speechless, Yeah. You

Molly:

Why do we need a thong with hair on it?

Olivia:

I don't know. Oh, God.

Molly:

I don't know. That's the vibe for Friday.

Olivia:

Yeah. You know, you won't catch me making a thong Yeah. In my brand.

Molly:

Honestly, no. Hear me out.

Olivia:

Well, actually, a lobster With a bushy thong. With a bushy thong

Molly:

Let's get us the ice coffee. Let's get another cease and despair from Skims.

Olivia:

Oh, that would be so great.

Molly:

Honestly, it'd be really fucking funny.

Olivia:

Yeah. It's it's it's parody, Kim.

Molly:

Yeah.

Olivia:

Sorry.

Molly:

Do you have any other partnerships coming up?

Olivia:

No. Or collabs? No collabs. No. No partnerships.

Olivia:

The Smarties one was pretty big.

Molly:

Mhmm. Yeah. That was that was so cute.

Olivia:

It was really cute. Turned out really good.

Molly:

And I love that they commissioned you.

Olivia:

Yes. That that's awesome. Was very respectful.

Molly:

Makes me wanna buy some Smarties for Halloween.

Olivia:

Oh my god. Yes. And who doesn't love getting Smarties in their Did you pretty bad.

Molly:

Did they send you some?

Olivia:

They did. Yeah. They did. They sent me a huge box of, like PR? Of PR.

Olivia:

And I still have a bowl of it on my counter. Oh my god. Because they cook for so much. But, yeah, they're delicious. I had forgotten how good Smarties

Molly:

are.

Olivia:

Just a little after lunch treat.

Molly:

But also, like, didn't know they had a biggest fan, but I guess there's a big fan for everything. Right? There's

Olivia:

a big fan for everything.

Molly:

Does she have, like, a collection or something?

Olivia:

I don't know. I don't know how they chose Mhmm. Her. I think it was like she must interact with them on social media a lot. I think that must be it.

Olivia:

But yeah, it was like they found her, asked her her size, and then just got back to me and was like, kinda do whatever you think would be cute. This is her size, and then we'll send it out

Molly:

to her, which was great. That's awesome.

Olivia:

I know. She's got a one of a kind Smarties Lobster.

Molly:

Yeah. Which is so much more, like, rewarding than, like, making mass produced stuff.

Olivia:

Exactly.

Molly:

Somebody has, like, a one of a kind

Olivia:

Yeah.

Molly:

And it's such a cool story behind it. And even the lobster sweatshirts with the the coffee Yeah. And the cigarette have such good lore

Olivia:

that Exactly.

Molly:

It'll always be something that

Olivia:

is such a conversation starter. It is. And they are all one of a kind too, which is Yeah. I think is really cool too because you're you I can't replicate them because they're all cut out by hand, they're all sewn by hand, I mean, with a machine, but, like, it's just a different I approach them the same, but they turn out differently every time. Be different shades of red

Molly:

and and Yeah.

Olivia:

I love it. So it's just it's nice having it's kind of like a fun way to collect art that you can wear because it is kinda and I'm, like, patting myself on the back here, but it's like is. It's kinda like art. It's like a one of a kind piece of art.

Molly:

So Did your did anyone in your family sew? Or were you like No. Not really.

Olivia:

My grandmother sewed, but I think it was mainly because I think everybody's grandmother sewed. Yeah. So she made a lot of my mom's stuff growing up. But she, I don't think ever sewed with me. I think maybe we spent like an afternoon sewing, and then she got really fed up.

Olivia:

She was like, that's it. I'm not I'm not teaching you. Yeah. So it's kind of like my mom is an artist. She's a mixed media artist, so she does collage and stuff.

Olivia:

So art has always been in the forefront, but I'm I'm the first one of the family to do textile stuff.

Molly:

Does your mom have a hoodie?

Olivia:

She does. Does she? She has she has a does she actually I don't think she has a lobster one, actually. Uh-oh. But she has some of the earlier

Molly:

Yeah.

Olivia:

Very stuff. Yeah. Yeah. Sorry, mom. I don't even have one.

Olivia:

I don't have one either.

Molly:

You don't?

Olivia:

No. Because I'm like

Molly:

You gotta save your resources.

Olivia:

Save my resources. And then every time I make one, I'm like, yeah, could probably keep this. I'm like, or I could just sell it. Somebody else will want it. So, yeah, don't have

Molly:

one either. Do you still have all your Dunkin' swag?

Olivia:

You know what? I do. I have they sent me a really nice tote bag that is kind of one of those like L. L. Bean style tote

Molly:

Oh, shit.

Olivia:

So I'm like, yeah, could really this is great. I could really use this.

Molly:

Put your lobster on it.

Olivia:

That's what I'm thinking. I think we're just gonna cover it up.

Molly:

The big cigarette.

Olivia:

The biggest cigarette, the biggest dunks branded Yeah. Coffee. Yeah, the the swag bag, it was like the most random stuff

Molly:

Yeah.

Olivia:

Imaginable in there. But, yeah, I do still have all the stuff until I bury it in my backyard with like a hex on top of it. Yeah. Getting I'm

Molly:

burning it for ritual. Yeah. I want to do moon.

Olivia:

Yeah. Just a little Halloween prank, that's all.

Molly:

Yeah. Was there anything that you wanted to promote that you have coming up?

Olivia:

The big thing is I am gonna be at the Wicked Women Makers Market this year. It's their annual, craft market. They do a really, really nice job, setting it up and decorating, and there are so many great vendors there. And it's the only market that I do, so I'm reserving everything that I make for that.

Molly:

When is

Olivia:

it? It's November 29.

Molly:

Okay.

Olivia:

I think it's $5 to get in, and it's at the Marshfield Fairgrounds. It's it's just so much fun. There's, like, such a great energy there.

Molly:

I'm gonna have to come because

Olivia:

Yeah. You should. It's it's so fun. I buy most of my Christmas presents there. Yeah.

Olivia:

There's just so many cool vendors.

Molly:

Yeah. If you if you guys get a chance, definitely go to that. Yep. If you don't get a chance to go to that, go to a local market wherever you are. Buy stuff for Christmas there.

Molly:

Go to the thrift and buy stuff.

Olivia:

Yep.

Molly:

Make something cool or don't buy anything at all. Exactly. Because guess what? It is Red Friday this year. We're not buying from Big Box.

Olivia:

I love that. I love that. Yeah. It's just it's it's kinda it feels very hollow, doesn't it?

Molly:

Yeah. It's boring. Yeah.

Olivia:

Malls are gone. Malls gone. Are There's no

Molly:

And that was like the hangout and then it and wasn't even if you didn't have money, you went to the mall.

Olivia:

Exactly. Just to walk around. And see your friends,

Molly:

see your enemies. Yeah. Talk shit. Absolutely.

Olivia:

Eat the food court.

Molly:

Yeah. Go to the movies.

Olivia:

Dude, like, so much shit went down at the mall. And you heard about it the next day at school, and you're like, oh my god.

Molly:

Did you see? Did you see so

Olivia:

and so with so and so, holding so and so's hand?

Molly:

I thought they didn't even like each other.

Olivia:

Turns out they were wrong.

Molly:

Now it's all on TikTok.

Olivia:

Yeah. All the drama shows. It's sad.

Molly:

Yeah. It's really sad. Whatever happened to getting in a fight in the schoolyard? You know I mean?

Olivia:

You're like, you gotta get out your rage in a physical way sometimes. You can't just put it on social media. I'm not saying that kids should be fighting, but

Molly:

They should have arguments.

Olivia:

They should have arguments.

Molly:

And learn conflict resolution

Olivia:

Exactly.

Molly:

Off the internet. Yeah. Yeah. Honestly, yeah.

Olivia:

You should. Wait. Yes.

Molly:

Because think that's the biggest problem right now is, like, people are not getting into arguments in real life. I'm not meaning arguments that go and do something really stupid and irreversible, but, like, have an argument. Feel stupid.

Olivia:

Feel stupid. Fight with someone who's in front of you and not, like, make a video and then wait for them to respond in another video. Yeah. You know? Like, that's so stupid.

Olivia:

Grow up. Yeah. Fight in real life. Yeah. With that being said.

Olivia:

Yeah. Shop locally this Yes.

Molly:

Have a great happy holidays.

Olivia:

Fight with your family in person.

Molly:

Yeah. Pull pull some hair, throw some mashed potatoes, talk politics.

Olivia:

Talk politics. Fight about politics. Yeah. I'll be fighting about politics this Christmas for sure. Yeah.

Olivia:

Just kidding.

Molly:

Thank you so much Thank for

Olivia:

you for having me. This has been so I

Molly:

keep meaning to buy a sticker. I need to do that.

Olivia:

I know. Stickers are finally in stock and staying in stock. That's really exciting. So they should be still on the website.

Molly:

Perfect. Everything will be you have, you will bring to Yes. The market.

Olivia:

Yep. Wicked Women Makers Market. And I'll have sweatshirts, I'll have my t shirts, screen printed t shirts, pendant flags that I'm making out of old pants.

Molly:

Oh, I love that.

Olivia:

Stickers. I just made some postcards.

Molly:

You want all my scrap denim?

Olivia:

Yeah. I do. I actually do, if you have scrap denim.

Molly:

Yeah. I do.

Olivia:

I can't say no. I can't say no. Do I need it right now? No. But I'll use it.

Olivia:

So but thank you for having me.

Molly:

No. Thank you for this exclusive It seems it's an Tea. Tea. Deep Massachusetts tea.

Olivia:

Seriously. The the line has been drawn. There's a huge war.

Molly:

It's gotta be hush-hush. Divorce.

Olivia:

Seriously. It is like it is divorce. And whose side are you gonna be on? Your mom or your dad's? Sorry.

Olivia:

It's dramatic. Sorry, everyone.

Molly:

Let's go get some coffee.

Olivia:

That sounds great. That sounds great. From the local place. From the local place.

Molly:

Hope you enjoyed this week's episode. Check the show notes on where to find Olivia. She will be at the Wicked Women Makers Market in Marshfield, Massachusetts on the November 29. She says it's pretty big, so if you're looking to support a local business, a maker in the area, check it out, and I will see you next time. Bye.