the oru story
ORU Linens is a homeware brand based in Brooklyn, NY with a fundamental respect for craft and woven pattern. ORU Linens was founded by Sophie Wise - an American-born, London-educated, woven textile designer. After spending a decade living in London, Hong Kong, and Tokyo, Wise debuts her accumulated global experiences and creative expertise with originally designed, 100% linen tabletop products. ORU Linens offers luxury textiles for the home with decorative pattern designs that are richly woven and made with high quality, natural fiber.
It seems that now, more than ever, people are turning to home-life for solace and a feeling of grounded security. Home furnishings and interior decor should embrace individuality and can also invite others into a personal space to share a sense of warmth, social connection, and comfort. ORU Linens supports every customer’s sense of home while also promoting the vast diversity and sophistication of design and craft.
why ‘oru’?
ORU Linens take inspiration from Japanese textiles and the unique fusion of deep tradition and modern innovation in Japanese design. The word ‘oru’ is Japanese, meaning ‘to weave’. Traditional Japanese characters, known as Kanji, are deeply symbolic in their calligraphy process and breakdown. The Kanji character for ‘oru’ (織) is actually a combination of three particles that mean ‘yarn’, ‘sound’, and ‘axe’. The yarn is the assembled starting point, the sound is of the loom weaving all the threads together, and the final axe is the cutting off of finished fabric. The three Roman characters of ORU nod to its original 3-in-1 character and significance. This deeper word symbolism is much like the complexities of woven textiles: there is always much more than meets the eye and every individual stroke or thread brings great value to the complete product. We believe that every dining table should tell its own story and beautifully reflect each individual’s intrinsic sense of home. With ORU Linens on your table, you can do so while adding a new flare of originality.
As common, white table linens continue to be replaced by artisanal designs, celebrating the resurgence of the Arts & Crafts movement, ORU Linens brings highly-detailed structural compositions, sophistication, and a timeless design sense to the table. From initial conceptual inspiration, down to sewing up each mitered corner, every detail is thoughtfully considered. Our placemats, napkins and coasters innovatively combine geometric, architectural design with the soft ease of linen. All designs are first hand-woven on a loom before being reproduced in Lithuania using 100% Baltic flax.
Baltic flax is world-renowned for its beautiful quality and light durability and ORU Linens’ products are made entirely in Lithuania, including flax yarn spinning and dyeing, weaving, finishing and sewing. We work with a local mill - a member of The European Confederation of Flax and Hemp (CELC). This allows for excellent quality control and standards.