From Blueprints to Silk

Translating Architectural Motifs into Profound Narratives

By Hailey Bethke | Photography courtesy of The Clearly Collective

Olivia Cleary took her architecture degree, turned it on its head, and launched a quiet luxury brand.

Utilizing her detail-driven skill set, Cleary began translating her architectural sketches of distinguished buildings to silk scarves. Drawing inspiration from college campuses and nostalgic locales, Cleary launched The Clearly Collective with a collection of silk scarves featuring these hand-drawn architectural motifs. This process allowed her to channel elegance while capturing powerful narratives about the uniqueness of each place. Cleary believes design should be timeless and intentional, and meaningful gifting should transcend the traditional logoed college sweatshirt or destination matchbook. At age twenty-seven, she has garnered an impressive client roster of iconic brands ranging from the Olympics to McLaren and Cartier—and she’s just getting started.

“I was always a creative kid, building little fairy houses, sculptures, and popsicle stick structures,” Cleary shares. “My parents encouraged me to pursue a practical career with a creative outlet, and architecture worked really well with how my brain functions.” Her program at the University of Virginia School of Architecture emphasized design thinking, which covered how to take a wildly abstract idea and make it digestible. “This helped me learn the ideation process of creating something valuable to other people,” she reflects.

The idea to apply her background in architecture to fashion began with Cleary’s search for a chic yet memorable gift for her friends. The University of Virginia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the iconic Rotunda marking the heart of campus life. It was the ultimate subject to translate onto a silk scarf. It held meaning, allowed Cleary to express her style, and called upon known architectural elements that resonated with her college friends. Not to mention the dozens of ways to style a silk scarf: as a top, belt, skirt, in your hair, on a bag, in a frame—the options are endless. “Architecture is so timeless and transcends different age groups; it’s universal,” she affirms.

This summer, Cleary returned to her alma mater, the University of Virginia, to participate in the highly sought-after Darden iLab incubator program. Emerging with an even clearer vision for the brand, she says her most significant takeaway is having a refined structure to succeed. “My friend told me this great analogy of what it means to be an entrepreneur: Imagine you’re in a room full of beach balls, and each one represents a problem you need to solve in your business. You’re always hitting new beach balls into the air, but inevitably, they will fall back to the ground. You have to figure out which ones you’re going to hit first and which ones you need to hit the hardest,” she says. “The idea of this analogy is prioritizing the one million things you need to deal with to get a company off the ground. One day at Darden, we had to refine one hundred goals into three goals, and within each of those goals, write smaller goals that we could take actionable steps toward.”

Cleary’s tips for succeeding as a young designer and marketing her brand also break down to a simple formula: marry your creativity and uniqueness with something the everyday person understands. “Don’t reinvent the wheel when you’re getting started,” she says. “Later on, you can create something super innovative, but if you go out there with a product that no one resonates with, it won’t catch on.” Many of the world’s greatest artists were only recognized after their lifetimes because society wasn’t on the same page; people couldn’t appreciate the designs or relate to the pieces at the time they were created. “I took my own style and married it with architectural elements people recognized and understood,” she continues. “From there, I was able to be more unique as time went on.”

At its core, The Clearly Collective is a luxury lifestyle brand because Olivia has mastered the art of effectively communicating purposeful stories through design. “I think what makes a compelling story are the details,” she expresses. “When it comes to a luxury product, think about those small details and experiences that resonate with the customer. My friends and I were staying at a hotel in Portugal, and when we got into the car to leave, there were flowers on the dashboard, and they had filled up our water. They had also given us to-go containers of this phenomenal olive cake I had said I enjoyed at dinner a few nights before. Every single industry has these layers of details. So many little things go into creating a rich customer experience that keeps people coming back.”

The storytelling experience is ingrained in the very first step of the design process for each scarf. Cleary and The Clearly Collective team begin with an introductory call regarding brand values, history, and the aesthetic of the company, college, or location represented. “I want to understand everything that is customer-facing and to identify ‘Easter eggs,’” she says. “Easter eggs are small design stories that resonate with whomever the recipient is in a personal way. For example, I was doing a project for a private villa in Lake Como. The mom really wanted this three-hundred-year-old olive tree in the center of the home to be kept through the renovation, which was a bit burdensome, but it was an inside joke for the family. The tree was an unassuming part of the final scarf design but also one of the most important elements. That’s always the most rewarding part of my job: when I can incorporate those personal elements in a memorable way.”

Each of the scarves in the Collegiate and Destinations collections also tells a profound story. The Hamptons scarf is a favorite, featuring hand-drawn architecture reminiscent of local favorites like the Surf Lodge, Clam Shack, Carissa’s Bakery, Southampton Social Club, and more.

Cleary’s favorite design project to date was her collaboration with McLaren San Francisco for Monterey Car Week in 2023. Using the iconic elements of the local Laguna Seca racetrack, she designed a stunning car wrap, dress, and silk scarves for the British luxury automotive brand. “When creating this design, I had to learn more about car culture and what McLaren owners value most,” she recalls. “One of my biggest takeaways is that track day is such a monumental occasion for this community. Getting down to the track in this gritty atmosphere in jeans and a T-shirt is what keeps owners coming back. The racetrack itself isn’t the most glamorous; there are cones, metal fences, and concrete barriers. What I really enjoyed about this design was taking this rough-around-the-edges experience and translating it into a product that is both beautiful and meaningful. If you look closely, there are traffic cones on the scarf, but that’s all part of the thrill this experience represents.”

Cleary also notes that social media has massively impacted the growth of her brand. All her clients have been inbound leads from Instagram. By sharing behind-the-scenes looks into her business, photo shoots, and new product ideas, Cleary has built a devoted community of over seventy thousand followers. “The algorithm works to put you in front of people who will resonate with your type of story,” she says. “It has the power to drive someone’s brand to the right people because of the free marketplace and algorithm that helps us find new brands and connect consumers. Everyone should take a course in storytelling because it’s so valuable.”

Above all else, Cleary credits her success to the unconditional support from her community. From roommates to family and followers on social media, she thanks the people who have helped her in big and small ways. “A year and a half ago, I didn’t have this confidence in what I was doing,” she admits. “It takes a lot of courage to believe in your designs because beauty is all in the eye of the beholder. But there were so many people who believed in me, asked questions about my brand, and gave me their time.”

She notes that she looks forward to pouring back into these individuals once the initial chaos of starting a small business lessens. “A quality many don’t value enough is giving intentional, extended periods of time to people,” Cleary explains. “I feel like this pertains to my age group because, from college to my age of twenty-seven, there are so many transitions. We’re all trying to figure life out. I have noticed that when people give me their time and when I slow down, these relationships become incredibly impactful. We don’t often give ourselves a lot of time for something, whether that be a task or investing in a relationship. But when you give a task that effort, it’s incredibly fruitful in a mutually beneficial way. Intentional, long periods of time in a fast-paced world are important. And when somebody gives that to you, you should really thank them.”

Cleary is all in on The Clearly Collective after quitting her corporate job this past spring. Moving forward, she is excited to expand her ready-to-purchase collections while collaborating with more luxury brands. A partnership with a luxury hotel in Saudi Arabia or India is at the forefront of her vision board, alongside another automotive collaboration, this time with the International Concours of Elegance in St. Moritz.

VIE Readers, Use Discount Code VIE10 for 10% Off Your Purchase at TheClearlyCollective.com!

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Be sure to snag one of The Clearly Collective’s iconic silk scarves as a memento of your college days, a memorable graduation present, or a tribute to your favorite coastal getaway. To view the complete collection or inquire about a custom project, visit TheClearlyCollective.com and follow along on Instagram @theclearlycollective.