Olivia and Veronica dreamed of creating a Catholic clothing brand for women.
Shortly before seeing that dream come true, one of them felt a different calling: a vocation to religious life.
Olivia recently made her temporary vows with the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne.
Litany, the Catholic clothing brand they founded, shared their recent reunion at Olivia's (currently Sister Maria Dominique) first profession of vows.
Although both founders grew up on opposite sides of the United States, their search for a faith community united their paths.
"What started as a friendship over Christ, coffee, and conscious clothing, soon blossomed into a business idea as they both experienced the problems facing the fashion industry first-hand," the brand stated on its website.
The company's Instagram also listed the path both young women took on their journey: fabric shopping in college, their participation in a panel on modest fashion which inspired the company's creation, opening a bank account for Litany, their first photo shoot, and Olivia joining religious life.
"Litany is possible because of [Sister Maria Dominique's] generous, artistic soul," the post says. "Knowing she was entering religious life, she still poured her heart into laying the foundation and making our first collection with Veronica. We are so joyful today. Please join us in praying for her as she lives out her vocation!"
Sister Maria Dominique studied fashion design at Parsons School for Design - The New School and created a collection inspired by the Sorrowful Mysteries for her thesis. Currently, she spiritually supports the brand through her prayer.
A Clothing Brand Focused on Drawing the Soul to God
On its website, Litany stated that its mission is “to offer women beautifully tailored, ethically manufactured, and functionally sustainable garments.”
“We believe you are more than just a body; you're a body and soul composite and our clothing speaks to both,” Litany states. "Our collections are inspired by spiritual realities that are meant to draw your soul to God. We embrace authentic femininity while acknowledging the uniqueness of the individual wearer."
Through its social media platforms and website, the brand teaches innovative ways to show faith through clothing, giving advice on colors, fabrics, and designs to dress according to the liturgical feast of each day of the year.
The Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne
The Congregation of Saint Rose of Lima, better known as the Hawthorne Dominican Sisters, was founded by Rose Hawthorne Lathrop, daughter of novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of "The Scarlet Letter".
"Rose was a convert to Catholicism," the congregation explains, "and in searching for a way to serve God and the poor, began her work of caring for incurable cancer patients on the Lower East Side of Manhattan."