Lorna Luxe built an online empire on the power of clothes. Now, after an unimaginable personal loss, she is thinking differently about what getting dressed can do for us. As she launches her new denim edit with River Island, I met the original influencer to talk about fashion as armour, identity and starting again – then put the jeans to the test myself.
Talking to Lorna on FaceTime feels exactly like watching her on stories. The 44-year-old fashion influencer and brand founder has been a staple in my feed for years. Her personality is as I’ve known it since about 2015. Like talking to your oldest friend who will be honest with you when you need it, but still be warm and generous.
From starting a career as a flight attendant to working at an online homeware brand, she started blogging and posting her outfits online in between. Known as the OG blogger behemoth, ‘Lorna Luxe’, she pioneered the iconic faceless mirror and street-style poses that you’ve seen all over Pinterest moodboards, showcasing luxury and street style fashion.
Lorna’s faceless ‘chestfies’ and outfit shots allowed the audience to put themselves in her position, imagining themselves in her outfits and her lifestyle. But it was when she turned to video that she cultivated her loyal following due to her Northern humour and down-to-earth nature.
Lorna’s late husband John passed away after his battle with cancer earlier this year, and so began Lorna’s new normal. He was not only her business partner, but he was also a key figure in her content, creating a close, personal connection with her audience.
She tells me she’s pivoted away from ‘Lorna Luxe’, where her brand began, to be known simply as Lorna – marking fashion as a second act. She laughs as she tells me, “John kind of ran my business, and I had to have a meeting with my accountant in Nottingham, who I’d never met, because that was a ‘John job’.
River Island
“I wanted to kind of dress like him and he always wore suits. So I trotted down to Nottingham in my little outfit because clothing is armour and feeling empowered by clothing. And I’ve always championed that for the whole of the time that I’ve been talking about fashion, I’ve always encouraged people to wear not what you think you should wear, but what makes you feel good.”
She’s now launched her first denim edit with River Island, the legacy high street retailer known for its inclusive trend-led styling. “Collaborating with River Island made sense to me because I’ve been shopping there for so long. It’s a British high street retailer that we all know, and I remember shopping there in my teens; it’s been a long journey of being a customer and a fan.”
Despite founding her own luxury lifestyle brand, LA-S, Lorna deliberately steered away from denim. “We didn’t think we could do it better than the high street at that price point, especially at the units and volume. The pieces I chose as an edit are quite wearable and easy for all body shapes, because my community is so varied. I’m always thinking, ‘What size is my girl, what height is she?’ and so many high street brands still don’t go above a size 16-18, which blows my mind. Here we can do petite, regular, tall and a whole range of sizes.”
The edit couldn’t be more true to Lorna’s aesthetic: relaxed and elevated for every day, there’s something for everyone.
River Island
“I think that when I was first starting and sharing my outfits for Instagram, I really wanted to be unique and different, and I would explore loads of random brands and shapes, and I never really had an identity as such.
“And then as my page took off and I became busier, I didn’t have the time to be thinking about what could go with this or that, and I started to build a bit of uniform and denim played a big role in that.”
Lorna said her attitude to things has changed a lot over the years of influencing. “I’m very conscious of having stuff, like what is the stuff for? If it doesn’t have a memory or hold a significant feeling, why am I holding onto it? My day job is permitting people to do stuff, right? Whether that’s wearing gold with silver, right, or trying a different shape of jeans, or, you know, pretty much every day, I’m challenging my own community into a new idea of thinking or a new way of looking. My gut is rarely ever wrong, and I always think, ‘What would John do?’”
I was fortunate enough to try on three styles – as a denim lover, I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed. The denim edit features four core silhouettes: Barrel, Sculpt Wide, Cigarette and 90s Straight, that you can easily take from day to night.
River Island x Lorna Luxe Mid-Wash Barrel Jean
Nicole Ocran/River Island
The barrel leg has been having its moment over the last couple of years, and long may it continue! I knew immediately that I would love this pair of denim, as it’s been a staple shape in my wardrobe for a while.
It’s a shape that understandably divides people, but this has a slimmer barrel that feels very streamlined. I find it really balances proportions and adds a little bit of interest to a look due to its unique shape. So easy to wear with heels, trainers and boots, it’s the perfect everyday jean.
River Island x Lorna Luxe 90s Straight
Nicole Ocran/River Island
It’s been a long time since I wore straight-leg jeans, so I was hesitant about this pair. I thought there was no way this would suit me, but I love them. As a 5’1” girl, I really love how leg-lengthening they are.
The 1990s are back in a big way, and this slim, yet relaxed style is so comfortable. I can imagine this styled with an oversized blazer for a polished feel. They’re a staple you won’t feel desperate to take off as soon as you get home.
River Island x Lorna Luxe Sculpt Wide
Nicole Ocran/River Island
These wide-leg palazzo jeans are a real statement; I’m a big fan of the shape and stretch. I can’t stress enough how wearable each pair of denim is in this collection, and this pair is no exception. They are pull-on, which seems unfamiliar for denim, but the elastane in the jeans makes it easy, and they hug the body in the best way.
I sized down to a 16 in this pair and could’ve easily gone down to a 14 because there is so much stretch. Wear with a fur coat and statement boots for a sophisticated look.