WHEN Olivia 'Ollie' Henderson was shopping in Melbourne for her year 10 formal, she didn't expect to leave the shopping centre with anything than a dress.
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But boy was she wrong.
"My mum and I made a special trip to Melbourne and I was scouted in the shopping centre," the Sydney-based model said.
"Within six months, I went on my first international trip to Milan and continued full-time from then.
"Modeling is a limited career time wise and I wanted to make the most of it while I had the opportunity - which I did, so I ran with it."
Born in Daylesford, raised in Creswick and schooled in Ballarat, Ollie is a true local. But her feats extend far beyond the borders of the central highlands region.
In addition to her modelling career, the 26-year-old last year founded House of Riot - a project combining fashion and art to raise awareness about social justice issues.
"House of Riot came off the back of what I see in retrospect as somewhat of a protest. I was living in New York...and was frustrated at the political climate in Australia. I decided when I came back I would do something about it," she said.
Upon her return to Australia and as part of Fashion Week in Sydney, Ollie hand-painted 100 t-shirts branded with political slogans. The t-shirts were sported by models, photographers, and stylists alike.
"Each of the slogans was developed with the individual wearing them in mind. We wanted this movement to be about individuals voicing their opinions rather than jumping on a bandwagon of something trending."
The success of the t-shirts well exceeded Ollie's expectations. Soon she was flooded by calls from local and international stores wanting to stock her clothing. And so House of Riot was born. Now, Ollie's t-shirts are not only used to raise awareness about topical issues but her organisation also donates sales proceeds to charity.
"We also have other apparel but we want to stay true to the DIY punk ethos of our items with the overall message that anyone can be doing this and we can all be engaged in our communities. Our goal is to inspire young people to speak up about political issues they believe in and give them opportunities to do so."
Ollie Henderson is doing remarkable work for a woman of her age, and her portrait by artist Kim Leutwyler was selected as a finalist in this year's Archibald Prize.
But as far and wide as she spreads her riot, the former Ballarat Secondary College student will never forget her roots.
"Growing up in the country gave me a connection to the land that I wouldn't have had if I grew up in the city.”