What started as a simple quest to cure boredom turned into a colourful, eco-friendly candle business that’s lighting up homes across New Zealand and beyond. Odd Socks Candles was born from a late-night hobby and a love for creativity, evolving into a brand that blends playfulness, sustainability and a whole lot of heart. Here, founder Holly Collins shares the journey from kitchen experiments to market stalls, and how a pair of mismatched socks became the symbol of embracing individuality and living life a little less seriously. She talks about the inspiration behind her business, how she balances work and family life, and her hopes and dreams for the future.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
It might sound weird, but I would say what first inspired me was pure boredom, I was in desperate need of a hobby. I needed a creative outlet – something that I could see come to life before my very eyes. I bought a DIY candle kit online in early 2018 and haven’t stopped making candles since.
Like with any hobby, you start going down the rabbit hole of all things related to that topic. I realised early on that the types of candles I was creating were vastly different from the ones you could get in-store and online. I noticed colourful candles were few and far between, and that candles that weren’t bad for the environment were counted as a luxury item and had the price tag to prove it.
There was a gap in the market for fun, environmentally friendly and affordable candles. I was inspired then and there to create Odd Socks Candles, something a little different that I could call my own.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
I launched Odd Socks Candles on the local market scene, starting with the first-ever Titahi Bay Easter Fair. I bought too much stock thinking I would sell out of everything (every vendor’s dream!). While I didn’t sell out that day, I recall not doing too badly. We got lots of compliments which reassured me that I was on the right track.
From there, I signed up for every market I could, as each one was a new opportunity to put my name out there. A year later, I went on to create our website, which now attracts people from all over New Zealand and Australia.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
I would say we have had two key breakthroughs. The first came during COVID with an increase in our online sales. Being a new candle business, online sales were slow at first. As pretty as our candles look online, you can’t virtually smell a candle, which as we all know, is a crucial part in the decision making when buying a candle! I found it hard for people to trust our products online that have never seen us in person before. But during COVID times, everyone wanted to shop and support local businesses, and this trust helped us build a nationwide customer base.
Our second breakthrough was being stocked at Welly Collective, a local gift store. This pushed our candles to the next level. We now had a physical space in Wellington where people could see and smell our candles. It put us in front of people that had never seen us before and they could take their time looking over our candle range, finding the perfect gift for themselves or a friend.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
It is very tricky to find the correct balance. I still work full time as an accounts manager during the day, and at night and on weekends, I work on Odd Socks Candles. I sometimes feel like Batman, living a double life. The only difference is that he’s a billionaire in a cape that fights crime, and I’m at home making candles!
I’m very fortunate to have my husband work alongside me in this creative adventure. He helps me not only with the heavy lifting but with the emotional side that comes with running a business. He is very understanding and helps when he can, especially at markets and expos. Even though we are technically working, it still feels like I am just hanging out with my best friend all day.
Our family is growing, and we are expecting our first daughter in June, so we will soon be finding our new balance, which is exciting and overwhelming all at once.
