Jordana Joseph

Sep 18

Since Jeune Otte began in 2019, we’ve had the pleasure of dressing women that inspire us, many of whom we’re lucky enough to call friends. Friends like Jordana Joseph. The Chicago-based interior designer has supported the brand and worn our pieces in wonderful and unexpected ways over the years. For this interview, we visited Jordana’s home to talk about her design philosophy and how it informs her unique personal style.

JEUNE OTTE: First, let’s talk about your interior design practice, how do you describe your approach?

JORDANA: The spaces I create are first and foremost about the people who will be living in them, and then secondly, what will fill them. If I don’t know every detail about how my clients live – what’s important to them, how they move through a space on a daily basis – I couldn’t possibly be successful in creating an environment. I like to dig deep into the minutia.

JO: Tell us about the space you’ve created for yourself.

JORDANA: We have lived in this house, with our 2 children, for 14 years.  It was designed by Krueck and Sexton, who are long-standing neoteric Chicago architects. They have only designed a few residential projects so this is a pretty unique place and we continue to work with K+S on its evolution. My kids roller skate around the dining room table and throw the football in the living room, my husband is always fixing a failing appliance, and I am perpetually trying out new furniture. It is not precious, this house can take a beating but still cleans up well. We entertain often but when people are over they rarely know the mess that is lurking behind the curtain.

JO: What’s your relationship to fashion?

JORDANA: I have a devout love of color, pattern and textures when it comes to fabrics for interiors, so it's a natural parallel for me with fashion. It's like I am upholstering myself. I try not to wear black, it feels like a less interesting option given my penchant for pattern. I don't use shopping as entertainment, it's more of a quick outing, and I am usually pretty sure about my choices (not to say I don't make mistakes).

I am not a planner when it comes to getting dressed, or anything in my life for that matter. It's always spontaneous and rarely do I shop specifically for an event. It takes me about 10 minutes to get dressed for the day, and not much more for dinners or parties. My mother has always been a huge influence on my style. She was (and still is) one of the few well dressed women in Milwaukee, where I grew up, and I am lucky enough to have nearly all of her best pieces in my closet now, which is great until you realize that you need a much bigger closet for this particular type of pack-ratting.

JORDANA: Fashion can be a superficial game; all the labels and designers to fall prey to, and the classic cautionary tale of the clothes wearing you. Shopping Jeune Otte feels different, it's a much more personal experience wearing Jeune Otte because the collection is created by my friends.  I am more attune to the details: a pleat that Elise would design, or a print that Heiji would wear, and always pockets, which I love.  I am so proud of what Heiji and Elise have done with the collection and excited to tell people the designer when they ask what I am wearing  – which they always do!

JO: Any favorites from the new collection?

JORDANA: Well, the Reed Pants are particularly good this season in a dreamy soft wool. I have a few of the Reed sisters already: the mustard gold velvet from Collection I are still a favorite and I wear the denim pair from Collection IV incessantly, so I see loving this pair as much as the others. 

Heiji kindly put me in this longer skirt, she knows I say I am too old to wear a short one and this purple skirt suit (The Helen Skirt and Laura Shell) felt great on.  It reminds me of the “Fabulous at Every Age” feature in Bazaar where they told you what to wear based on your age, 20’s, 30’s etc. They were clearly trying to tell us all something, subtly, kindly. For a long time I identified with the “In your 20’s” but then somehow overnight I jumped a few decades and now it feels like the higher numbers are more appropriate for me.

JO: As a longtime friend of the brand – can you share any standouts from the last few collections?

JORDANA: The neon painted Calvin Dress from last season is a favorite. I have it hanging on a hook in my closet so I get to see it everyday. I love that it is a limited production – I am sure we will see more of that in collections to come.  Jeune Otte designs are so long standing, soon I will be able to pass them down to my daughter and let her figure out how to solve the closet problem!