Melanie Wong is not your typical aunt. When her nephew was born, she began searching for stylish, sustainable athleisure clothing for kids. After finding limited options, she decided not to compromise—she took action. What started as a project to create hoodie and jogger sets for her nephew quickly evolved into Olive + Splash, a non-toxic athleisure brand that now offers stylish clothing for men, women, and children.

Melanie sources sustainable materials, such as wool, known for its breathability and healing properties. It sets her brand apart from others. She is dedicated to supporting the local community and takes pride in her Canadian roots. With her commitment to ethical fashion, Melanie continues to make a significant impact in the industry, demonstrating that style and sustainability can go hand in hand.

“It takes a specific type of person to be an entrepreneur. I enjoy not turning it off, figuring out problems, constantly learning, striving to be better, and providing a unique sustainable product to the community,” Melanie said with a confident smile.

Melanie took the public relations corporate communications program at Mohawk College and worked in the field for three years before transitioning to entrepreneurship.

“My time at the college was fantastic, I absolutely loved it,” Melanie said. "I did a co-op through the program and learned an incredible amount, and the hands-on experience at such a young age was amazing.”

Despite her success with Olive + Splash, Melanie didn’t grow up designing clothes. She grew up playing sports; in fact, was a Mohawk College Mountaineer Varsity soccer athlete and saw a market for cute athletic wear. She wanted to be able to rock sweats without looking like she just rolled out of bed, and with that thought and love for her family, Olive + Splash was born.

“I didn’t want the trucks and the trains and the dinosaurs for my nephew, I wanted something elevated and sustainable, I couldn’t really find that in Canada at the time,” Melanie said.

She was blown away by how quickly other families were noticing her designs. Before long, parents were requesting sets for their own babies.

“Part of the sustainability with the sets is that they’re unisex, they can be passed down to little brothers or sisters and be reused that way,” Melanie said. Although she was advised to have her items made overseas to profit more, Melanie has stayed true to her business's values, ensuring everything is made within the GTA.

Not only does Melanie craft high quality clothing, but she has also been crafting meaningful relationships with her customers along the way.

“I have been honoured to watch these babies grow, from in the womb, to newborns, to toddlers, and sometimes they end up being models for the company,” she said with a smile. “Face to face is one of the best parts of the business, I have built some really incredible friendships.”

Five years from now, Melanie aspires to have her business featured in Holt Renfrew, and with some “really fun” designs coming on the horizon, she’ll settle to have her brand in everyone's closets…for now.