Creative lead behind Australian ecomm brand The Oodie exits
The Oodie has built a brand around being "unapologetically cosy"
The creative lead behind wearable blanket brand The Oodie, Rachel Ward, is set to depart the business in December after five years helping to scale the brand globally.
Ward joined the Adelaide-founded e-commerce company in 2020 as a contracted creative director, before stepping into the brand director role two years later.
A spokesperson for The Oodie’s parent company Davie Group confirmed that it has begun recruiting for a new head of brand.
Belinda Barlow, CEO of Davie Group, said in a statement to Mumbrella: “We are incredibly grateful for Rachel’s contributions. We will miss her dearly as she has been such a valued member of our Oodie family. We also acknowledge that everyone deserves the opportunity to move on and grow in their careers.”
Founded in 2018 by David Fogarty, The Oodie is best known for its oversized hoodies and wearable blankets, which gained popularity during the pandemic lockdowns in 2020 and 2021.
Rachel Ward will exit the brand in December
In a job advertisement, the brand describes itself as making people feel “ridiculously happy” and “unapologetically cosy”.
Parent company Davie Group has meanwhile expanded into categories including apparel, health and wellness, pet care and beauty.
It has also expanded internationally and now sells in the UK, the US, the EU and New Zealand.
On her Linkedin profile, Ward describes herself as having “had the privilege of helping transform The Oodie from a start-up to a global comfort icon, scaling from $0 to $150 million in three years and becoming Australia’s most loved comfort brand.”
In that time, Ward said the brand sold around eight million Oodie products.
However, the brand found itself in hot water in 2024 when it was fined $100,000 by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission for not putting fire hazard warning labels on six of its children’s products.
