A Note from the Founder.
Hey! I’m Audra and I am the designer/founder/crazy person behind ORBIS. I’m also a lifelong equestrian. ORBIS is the synthesis of three things: wanting to look good, love of horses and sport, and a drive to hold our sector to a higher standard of making.
Horses rule my life. I was a horse crazy little girl and that love of horses brought me from a western saddle on a quarter horse in California to a fancy warmblood in Germany. As a teenager, I discovered the joy of thrifting, vintage clothing, and a strong sense of individual style. I have always loved how getting dressed in the right clothes could make me feel like a new person, elevating my confidence and giving me a little more spring in my step. I was always a little irritated that my riding clothing never felt like ME…
i thought i was sooo cool in my purple pant and giant helmet combination, yikes.
I started ORBIS because the brand I wanted to wear didn’t exist. The riding world is full of apparel built around a fantasy of wealth and aspiration that feels stale and uninteresting to me, especially given the reality of many of us in the sport, who sacrifice a lot to keep going. I am not interested in creating clothes for a life I don't actually lead. I’ve also grown increasingly disheartened that most brands in our sector are unserious about anything even remotely approaching sustainability. Instead of being dissatisfied, I decided to put my textile and design knowledge to good use and see if I could make a better pair of breeches in an ethical way, that provided great value to a customer. It took over a year, but I finally did it!
...
I want to be comfortable but also look nice. I want to have super functional clothes that I can dress up or down. I want clothes that are made of materials that don't harm the health and well being of the planet we live on. I want clothes for the life I actually live: early mornings, late nights, trying to set my horse up well for a flying lead change, and all the hours in between when I want to look like a person whose taste and style is their own.
ORBIS: Only Riders Build In Style.
For any rider who feels affinity to this...
Ride with love!
Audra
Founder, Orbis Équestre