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How I dress the part: Orna Holland, Global Lead Staffing for Stripe
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To celebrate the launch of the Christian Louboutin accessories pop-up in Brown Thomas, we asked tech careerwoman, Orna Holland, to pick her favourite piece from the new collection and talk all things fashion and style.
Having started her career in HR with Microsoft in 1999, Orna Holland has amassed over 20 years’ experience scaling teams for some of the world’s biggest tech companies, including Google and Facebook, where, as Director of Staffing, she scaled Facebook EMEA from 35 to 2,000 people. Today, as Global Lead of Staffing for Stripe (the multi-billion dollar company set up by the Irish Collison brothers), Orna supports all engineering hiring globally.
“Working in the tech industry, you can really wear whatever you want,” begins Orna. “Plenty of people come to work in shirts and ties because that’s the vibe they’re into. It feels like a very open environment where people can be their authentic selves and simply wear whatever feels comfortable to them.” Orna herself is known for her fashion sense and statement style. “I would describe my style as fun and relaxed. I don’t take fashion too seriously and am definitely drawn towards a more edgy look.”
One wardrobe approach
“I’ve never in my life ever had to have ‘workwear’. I have some suits in my wardrobe, but they’re leopard-print or gold!” says Orna with good humour. She has a strictly ‘one-wardrobe approach’. “I’ve never had to change what I wear to go to work and then to go out afterwards.
“I’m five foot five, but in my head, I’m five foot seven, so I’m definitely a fan of a heel. I even have a pair of the Louboutin runners with built-in heels, but you will catch me in flats every once in a while.”
Casual for Orna would be a T-shirt paired with leather trousers. When asked if she ever feels judged, as a female leader in her industry, by how she dresses or looks, she answers firmly with a laugh.
“Well, I don’t ask, so I don’t know! In 2023, there’s really no place for judgement around how people dress or look. People today are making a stand on how they want to express themselves, how they want to be referred to (i.e. she/her/them/they) and any judgement around that would just seem archaic, especially in the tech work environment.”
Career highlights
Having worked with some of the industry’s most impressive founders – from Larry Page and Sergey Brin at Google, Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook, and John and Patrick Collison at Stripe, it’s taught her a thing or two about working at a high level.
“For me, if you are dressed and ready to roll and you’ve got your hair and make-up done, then you’re feeling good – you’ve got a pep in your step. I wouldn’t say it would make you more productive, but I think it helps get you into the headspace before you even get into the office.”
I buy pieces I love, look after and re-wear
Orna likes to buy key pieces for her wardrobe. “If you can wear a dress again 12 years after you purchased it, then you bought the right dress.” Orna is a firm believer is recycling her clothes. “I don’t do fast fashion. I buy good quality key pieces that I love, look after and re-wear, and that friends of mine will borrow and wear and I love that.”
With two daughters, aged 15 and 17, Orna is happy that she will be able to pass on plenty of her better pieces also. “Right now, they borrow my coats and shoes but not so much dresses. They have their own style”.
Orna is also delighted to see them borrow and swap clothes among their own friend group. “I love that nowadays, when they’re going to a party and they see a friend on social media wearing a dress, they’ll send a DM to ask to borrow it – and then rotate these dresses all over Dublin. It’s great to see the next generation rotating and sharing; there’s no competitive sense of ownership. Depop is also very cool; my daughters are on it all the time. It’s very different from when I was their age, it’s much more progressive.”
Right now, some favourite pieces in Orna’s wardrobe include the black Rotate dress she is pictured wearing here. “I got it in Brown Thomas a few weeks ago. It’s new, it’s fun and it’s edgy; it’s currently my favourite piece. I’m also on the lookout for a nice winter coat. I also have the coolest white, gold and neon pink pair of Louboutin heels which are amazing.”
As the owner of more than 50 pairs of shoes, including about 10 pairs of Louboutins, Orna loved the pair of Astrid Lace strass pumps she wore for our shoot. “They look very delicate, but actually they were really manageable to wear. You could walk around in them no problem as they’re not very high, although you’d be afraid to damage them, they’re so beautiful.
“It’s exciting to see them updating the classics in the new Louboutin collection. The branding is still Louboutin but it feels more current, very stylish, very edgy, very now.”
Orna wears Astrid Lace strappy pumps, €1,295 and a black Loubi54 leather crossbody bag, €1,850.
Pick up the brand new issue of IMAGE Winter, on shelves now, to see the full shoot where we asked three seriously stylish Irish women, killing it across worlds of fashion, interior design and business, to share how they dress for success. The new Christian Louboutin accessories and kids collection pop-up is now open in Brown Thomas Dublin. Book an appointment to explore and shop the new collection with the help of an expert shopper.
Photography: Anthony Woods. Shot on location with thanks to the team at The Stella, Rathmines and The Dunmore, Rathmines.
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