The brand

In 2006, two friends and a huge desire to do things their own way.

Twenty years later, not much has changed.

Our Story

Olow is first and foremost the story of two friends who love art and who one day decided never to ask for permission. Twenty years later, they bring artists together, build collections, and steer their ship freely. From their studio-stores in Paris and Nantes, collections are born from encounters, passions, and convictions. They are produced in Portugal in small family factories, or in France using traditional craftsmanship.

The Genesis

It all started in a rather punk screen-printing workshop in Les Lilas. Mathieu and Valentin have known each other since their communication studies in Montreuil. They had already set up a short film association together and tinkered with creative projects in every direction. The project was clear from the start: a clothing brand resolutely focused on artistic collaborations. They were 25 years old, had 4000 euros in their pockets, and an immense desire for independence.

The adventure began with t-shirts. They designed the visuals themselves, or artists from their network did. Over the years, the wardrobe expanded. From the outset, they wanted to be in line with their values: made in Europe, in organic cotton. In 2006, it was rare, complicated, the choices were limited, and the quality was not always there, but they persisted.

The turning point

The first real turning point came in 2010. After four weeks of commercial touring around France, forty points of sale opened their doors to them. Cash flow stabilized, and in 2012 came their first salary, 500 euros – the foundations were starting to hold.
The brand moved several times, from Paris to Nantes, following the lives of the two founders. Collaborations, travels, exhibitions, concerts. Twenty years passed, with their storms and their pleasant surprises.

Today, Mathieu and Valentin are still at the helm, solid and serene. Far from the Parisian basement office of the early days, Olow now has two studio-boutiques, a network of reseller partners in France and abroad, and a close-knit team spread between Paris, Nantes, Bordeaux, and the Alps.

"Our friendship is still intact, as is our initial desire: to develop a sustainable, accessible, creative, and free brand."

Mathieu Sorosina
Co-founder

Our team

Here is a presentation of our team, from the core members to the slightly broader staff, who provide constant support.

Valentin Porcher

Co-founder
Artistic and Communications Director

As a child, in the living room of his high-rise apartment in Blanc-Mesnil, Valentin would tape sheets of paper together to draw large crayon frescoes featuring hundreds of characters. He dreamed of becoming a typeface designer. On weekends, he traveled across France in his parents' Toyota van, his eyes wide open. After high school, he met Mathieu in Montreuil. His eye for detail developed, his writing style refined, and his longing for elsewhere grew, leading to a round-the-world trip in 2017: 11 months of traveling, enriching himself with others, with nature, with life.

Today, Valentin is in Nantes with part of the team. He is responsible for artistic direction and communication.

Mathieu Sorosina

Co-founder
Artistic Direction and Production

Mathieu is the one who “breaks down doors,” the guy with legendary bluntness. A child of the Maladrerie estate in Aubervilliers, he grew up surrounded by artists’ studios. Curious about everything, a devoted fan of art in all its forms, he took up ceramics in 2022, just because. When he’s not on a nocturnal outing, pint in hand in Parisian bars or at an exhibition, he’s at the studio-shop on rue de Montmorency. An orchestra conductor who knows every file from A to Z, he manages production in Portugal, leads collaborations, follows collections, and co-directs the artistic direction with Valentin and Juliette. A live wire, and a fascinating job. It works out well.