Orisue President Leaves Company
Allen Doan, president of the Orisue Inc. men’s fashion label, left the Santa Ana, Calif.–based line June 15 to pursue other ventures. His departure was caused by creative differences with other Orisue executives.
“There was a change of opinion of how things were to be done,” Doan said. “I had to do what was right for me as an entrepreneur.”
Orisue executives Richard Vaughn and Kevin Nguyen are directing the company after Doan’s departure. Vaughn formerly served as marketing director. He will serve as Orisue’s chief executive officer. Nguyen worked as the label’s operations director. He will now serve as Orisue’s chief operating officer.
“The outlook for the company is good,” Vaughn said. “We’re reworking the direction of the brand. It’s going to tapping back into the line’s origins—more streetwear. There will be a larger emphasis on graphic tees rather than wovens. We’ll continue cut-and-sew, but we’ll have more options to choose from.”
Doan started Orisue in 2006 with Michael Huynh, who left the label in 2010 to launch the more contemporary line Publish. Both Publish and Orisue were regular exhibitors at MAGIC and active sports–oriented trade shows, such as Agenda.
“Orisue” is a synonym for origami, the Japanese craft of creating art from folded paper. “Like paper, fabric is plain unless you put in stitches and other details. Then it becomes a piece of art,” Doan said.
The line’s sales were $2.7 million in 2011, Doan said. It was most popular for its bottoms, but it also produced outerwear and woven tops.
“It’s a brand for everybody,” Doan said. “The mission was to get men to take style and fashion more seriously.”—Andrew Asch
