Orseund Iris, the It-Girl Brand, was Made by the Internet
COURTESY OF ORSEUND IRIS
From starting out in a small, lofted studio in NYC, to some of the biggest celebrities sporting the brand, Orseund Iris is the name to watch out for. With eccentric, one-of-a-kind pieces, Orseund gives homage to fashions of decades ago with a twist of modernity.
Lana Johnson, the brain and creativity behind Orseund Iris, started out by selling women’s vintage on Etsy while freelancing on graphing design projects and art direction for fashion brands. Her education at FIT (The Fashion Institute of Technology) helped to enrich her creative and developing process. With lots of hard work, determination, and courage, she launched a proper collection and emailed her first digital lookbook to everyone she knew. It wasn’t received well at first and was highly discouraged, but transferred that energy into building a social media following while curating an exceptionally high-level aesthetic. Her decision to produce collections all year and to provide an aesthetic platform launched her brand into what it is today.
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Orseund Iris derives from a design project Lana submitted in college. Being inspired by old Nordic names, she wanted something rare that didn't even exist. She wanted to combine two names with the purpose of having the pronunciation be obscure and fun. Being heavily influenced by vintage, Lana derives most of her inspiration from silhouette and styles from the past. Her goal with Orseund Iris was to bring back elegance, classic, timeless, and romantic designs and pieces. Most of the pieces within the brand have a victorian-esque feel to them and that is a decade that truly inspires Lana. In an interview with Flaunt, she explains how “There's something so pure and poetic about the Victorian Era. I love the femininity. The exaggeration. The drama and insane detail. That feeling you feel when you wear one of our pieces, you just feel like the prettiest gal in the room, ever so ladylike. Almost angelic. I also love pairing a piece like the Victorian with classic vintage blue jeans. The juxtaposition of dressing up, yet making it street, seems so right to me.”
COURTESY OF ORSEUND IRIS INSTAGRAM
COURTESY OF ORSEUND IRIS INSTAGRAM
Orseund Iris pieces are unique and exceptionally well made. They have styles and pieces ranging from simple tanks to ethereal dresses and skirts. The Night Out Maxi Dress is 100% silk in an elegant ankle length showing its ultra feminine and romantic details. Some of the most iconic pieces include the Ivory Tube Tank, the Lady Top, and the Ballerina Wrap Skirt.
COURTESY OF ORSEUND IRIS
COURTESY OF ORSEUND IRIS
COURTESY OF ORSEUND IRIS
The next step for the label? Focusing on the digital e-commerce business and potential some events or customer experiences. Lana says “Growing Orseund Iris in real life would be incredible, but figuring how to transcend that dreamy mysterious vision into a physical space will be such a journey. My ultimate goal is to scale gracefully and do it with pride and thoughtfulness”