Photo: Blessing Opeyemi Photography
Chia and Hleeda Lor of Unicorn Eclipse are in the business of “dreamifying” with their products.
Five years ago, if you had asked sisters Chia and Hleeda Lor if they’d end up working together, running a full-blown stationery business, they’d probably say, “No.” The sisters, both graphic designers, began making and selling stickers in 2016 as a hobby during college in Menomonie, Wisconsin, and now run Unicorn Eclipse out of Woodbury.
Clear Snowglobe Sticker
In the years since, both sisters had other jobs, but they began feeling burnt out. In 2020, they started drawing more, getting back into the creative groove together. It was a welcome escape, and they began developing their unified style and the reborn Unicorn Eclipse brand started to emerge.
Later that year, Chia lost her job and saw it as an opportunity to really go for it. “It was stressful, but it pushed me to go back into my creative mode,” Chia says. She asked Hleeda if she could see herself quitting her full-time job someday and joining Chia in this new endeavor. “I was surprised but excited about this idea,” Hleeda says. “This was something we both had been wanting. I was very excited and happy to support her decision.”
By January 2021, Unicorn Eclipse officially launched with a fresh new look. Every bit of growth was exciting and motivating to the sisters. As more and more people interacted on social media and on Etsy, they felt encouraged to continue and ultimately hit a milestone that prompted them to transition to their own website.
Chia and Hleeda have always been close. Their designs are often nostalgic and familiar, drawing from their shared childhood. “A big inspiration for us is video games, how whimsical and unique different games are,” Chia says. “When we were younger, we were obsessed with Neopets … even today, we love cute, cozy games like Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley. There’s a lot of cuteness in them.”
Stocking Sticker
Their style is uplifting and almost celestial, taking an everyday item, like a floppy disk or a popsicle, and adding color and whimsy. “We are always trying to take something simple and find ways to dreamify it and make it beautiful,” Chia says. It is clear when perusing the Unicorn Eclipse social media or scrolling through products on their website—they sell everything from stickers to notepads to suncatcher window clings—that these designers are meticulous, thoughtful and lighthearted.
Winter Wishes Notepad
Focusing on a dreamy aesthetic does not diminish Chia and Hleeda’s sharpness when it comes to branding and growth. Their education and experience as graphic designers is on impressive display in their dedicated social media presence, dynamic new collections and the fact that in the nearly three years—they will celebrate its third anniversary next month—since launching, they’ve grown to be an eight-person team. They’ve had success as wholesalers, too, shipping products to cafes and shops around the country. That’s where they’d love to see some growth, especially in Minnesota.
Even when Unicorn Eclipse was based in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Hleeda said they saw a lot of orders from Minnesota. Moving to Woodbury solidified the work-life balance the sisters had been craving. Being more centrally located among family and friends makes running this growing business easier. The post office is bigger, too! “It’s been really nice working with them,” Chia says.
It’s clear that Chia and Hleeda are excited by the work that they do and motivated by the success they’ve achieved since taking the leap. “I just didn’t want to go back to a regular job,” Chia says. The style and evolution of Unicorn Eclipse is proof of success. By taking little things and adding their own unique style, the Lor sisters have tapped into a sense of delight that is hard to deny.
Unicorn Eclipse
Instagram: @unicorn.eclipse
TikTok: @unicorn.eclipse
YouTube: Unicorn Eclipse
