Hi friends! I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am to introduce you to Olive & Loom. Located on 11815 Grand Park Avenue at Pike & Rose, this fabulous local shop is owned by girl boss, Ferzan Jaeger.
The Must-Visit Boutique at Pike & Rose
“I’ve always been passionate about retail. Even when I was in graduate school in the states, I would buy scarves every time I went back to Turkey and I would sell it to boutiques in my town. I always had a very entrepreneurial mind and I knew someday I was going to own my own business.”
The Meaning Behind Olive & Loom
She founded her company back in 2016 while working a full time job at NASA. And yes, you read that correctly, a full time job at NASA. She designed and imported hand loomed Turkish towels and olive oil soaps, hence the name, Olive & Loom.
After giving birth to her daughter in 2018, she decided to quit her job and solely focus her efforts on Olive & Loom. Her Pike & Rose location opened in March 2019, and the store combines her love for interior design and textile items.
Olive & Loom: Passionate About Supporting Local Brands
Ferzan’s passionate about supporting other local businesses. “Since my brand is a small, woman owned business, it’s important to me to support other brands that share similar paths.” She carries some large names that her customers love, but her main focus is on smaller brands like Violet Red Studio and Sapahn Bags.
“One of the brands I love is Violet Red Studio. She is right out of Rockville and does mostly prints and cards featuring famous quotes by woman icons. The owner, Violeta, has two daughters and she started her business for her kids. Love the fact that it’s a family business, woman owned, supporting and emphasizing other women.”
Sapahn Bags is owned by a woman named Brooke, and she’s based in Nebraska. She designs everything from purses to wallets and gets the leather sourced and shipped to Thailand where she hires artisans from small villages, offering them fair wage.
Social Responsibility: Giving Back to the Community
In 2018, Olive & Loom launched their own socially responsible candle line called Kin & Care. Ferzan makes them at home in her basement with refugee women that have settled in the DMV area. “We pay hourly wages to our pourers and pay them living, fair wages to pour candles for us. We sell our candles wholesale and also do markets in the DC area. The community’s response to our candles is amazing and very overwhelming. We’re so thankful for their support.”
Plans for Kin & Care
Ferzan wants to continue Kin & Care, expanding employment opportunities to more refugee women in the area. “We strongly believe that making opportunities for people in need is a bigger impact than giving things. As we grow, it’s our goal to hire the majority of our work force from the minority, refugee communities.”
How amazing is that? I was honestly blown away by Ferzan’s mission, and she makes me extra proud to shop local. And speaking of generous, Olive & Loom has kindly offered to raffle away a $50 gift card so make sure you all enter.
Entering’s simple! All you have to do is follow them on instagram, and as always, there are bonus entries available to up your chances of winning. This giveaway ends on February 24th and is open worldwide. I’ll be announcing results here on 2/25 so make sure you check back! Until next time, friends.
I love Olive & Loom Candle Line, thank you for the chance to win
Thank you for this opportunity.
Great photo collection