Designers, Liise Wyatt and Karly Orr, came together in 2012 to create Wyatt Orr. Seen as the epitome of cool “comfortable luxury,” their collections are curated selection of work-wear essentials for the working creatives. Let’s be honest. How many times do you go shopping for a look that’s far from office admin, and no where near as eccentric as the fashion circus we’ve become accustomed to seeing lurking to be shot by Bill C?! Wyatt Orr, as creatives themselves, understood the industry’s plight and continually conceptualize a line that’s on point, but is also great for storytelling photography. Here we get the 411 on on Wyatt Orr.
Tell us your history in fashion.
We met and became friends while in design school in Seattle. We recognized an unusual creative synergy and felt there was something unique about blending our individual aesthetics. At that time we were developing our individual clothing lines and were both looking for studio space, so we found a tiny 450 sq ft studio to share above a coffee shop in Ballard, a Seattle neighborhood. It was there that we began collaborating on smaller projects, which eventually lead to our capsule collection, Wyatt Orr. The collection was well received, orders grew, and during the fall of 2012, we fully integrated both collections (Liise Wyatt and Karly Orr) into one brand, Wyatt Orr.
What’s your inspiration behind this collection?
The AW14 collection draws on a rich, dark color palette inspired by the Pacific Northwest forests, which we felt contrasted nicely with this idea of sharp geometric shapes and angles. We incorporated asymmetrical layering with the silks, leathers and wools to provide additional depth in both individual pieces as well as when layered together. The collection is dark but interspersed are bursts of olive, mauve and chartreuse; again, playing on what you would see in a PNW forest landscape. The goal was to incorporate all these elements while maintaining a well-edited and versatile collection of wearable pieces that work well together and on their own.
If your collection was any city in the world, which would it be and why?
This is a great question, and a really tricky one! It’s difficult to pick one city that encompasses Wyatt Orr, but we can relate it to the natural beauty of Iceland. The landscape and the almost supernatural wonder of the Northern Lights makes for a mysterious background for its quirky, unassuming architecture, intriguing culture and many creative residents.
Describe the Wyatt Orr woman.
The Wyatt Orr Woman! We talk about “her” a lot, and in our studio we refer to her as Wynona. We think she is amazing; she marches to her own drum. She is independent, free spirited, kind, graceful and smart. She wants beauty and refinement and balance in her life and never sacrifices her comfort for fashion. She seeks out unassuming brands with high-quality fabrics and looks for details in her clothes that aren’t too flashy, but understated and quietly confident. This is just the beginning of Wynona, but hopefully gives you a small peek at who she is.
What’s your favorite piece from the collection?
We love the Slouch Pant in wool gabardine and buttery leather below the knee. They have an elastic waist and ankle cuffs and the roomy cut flatters lots of different bodies. Most of all, they are beyond comfortable!
We’re also drooling over the wool/cashmere Shawl Jacket with leather detail on the sleeves. The overall cut is slouchy with an oversized hood, and the heavenly silk charmeuse lining adds a subtle pop of color inside.
What’s in store for us in for the following seasons? Any collaborations?
We love collaborations and we have many exciting things in the works for SS15 and beyond, but we can’t reveal a thing just yet ???? Stay tuned!!