YouTube star LaurDIY embraces playful fashion
If wearing a onesie is your idea of the most comfortable outfit possible, then there’s a new collection for you.
Lauren Riihimaki, known as LaurDIY on YouTube by her more than 8.5 million subscribers, has renewed her partnership with Canadian retailer Ardene for a collection of pieces inspired by her playful personality. And it just so happens to be chock-full of onesies. There’s a llama onesie. A tie-dye unicorn onesie. A reindeer onesie. You get the idea
We caught up with the Toronto native, who now lives in Los Angeles, to chat about her latest collection, her personal style and how she makes athleisure look good.
Q How would you describe this collection?
A I think the two main pillars are comfy and cute. I’m all about comfort and super-soft sweaters.
Q What inspired the styles beyond just comfort?
A Athleisure has really popped off in the last year or so, so that was a big focus with the clothing. And then, with the onesies, that’s definitely not athleisure. That’s just straight-up comfort. But we wanted to make onesies that were a little bit different, something new. We wanted to innovate our colour and texture, as well as the graphics on the faces. Just seeing what we could do that was new with onesies.
Q Who is this collection for?
A It could be for pretty much anyone. Everyone likes to be comfortable and everyone likes to look cute, so I don’t think it targets any one specific demographic.
Q A lot of athleisure-wear has a bad rap. How do you make comfort look stylish?
A It’s about being able to do half and half. I’m a huge fan of leggings because I’m not a huge fan of jeans. So, if I’m wearing pants, it’s usually leggings. So, I think it’s pairing them with things like flannels or leather jackets, and playing them up with jewelry or other accessories.
Q What made Ardene a good fit to partner with?
A Growing up in Canada, I’ve shopped Ardene my entire life. And it has been really cool to see the store evolve from an accessories store into a more apparel millennial store.
Q Do you have a favourite piece from the line?
A Probably either the llama onesie or the girl gang hoodie.
Q So, can we expect to see some of these pieces in your YouTube videos in the near future?
A Oh, definitely. Especially once it starts cooling down a little in L.A. I’ll be living in all this stuff.
Q What’s next for you?
A We had a huge launch season in the past month, doing DIY jewelry kits and the craft line. So, it’s expanding those into what works and what didn’t work. Evolving off of that. And we’re also evolving into more room decor lines that will be launching next year.
LaurDIY’s third collection with Ardene launches in stores and online on Nov. 14.