LAUNE x Omid Afshar
Meet Omid Afshar, a Persian lifestyle, food, and culture creator whose work is rooted in storytelling, community, and connection. Based in New York, Omid uses food, music, and everyday moments as a way to explore identity and stay connected to his Iranian heritage. From highlighting Persian culture across the city to building real-life community through Club Joon, Omid’s work is about bringing people together and creating moments that feel both personal and universal. Below, he shares his LAUNE, some fav Persian spots around the city, and what he’s looking forward to this year.
1. Tell me about yourself.
Hi!!! My name is Omid. I am a Persian lifestyle, food, and culture creator who loves exploring NYC and the world through storytelling. Over the past two years, I have been on a journey to feel more connected to my roots, which has led me to incredible people, places, and experiences.
I have always been drawn to creating. From making videos and music to performing in theater, creativity has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. Being able to blend that with showcasing my Iranian culture through my content has been one of the most meaningful parts of what I do. My goal is to create work that feels warm, honest, and rooted in community, while inviting people into moments that feel both personal and universal.
2. What is your LAUNE (mood)?
My LAUNE mood right now is hopeful and passionate.
3. What inspires you?
Community and storytelling. I am drawn to moments that feel real, whether that is people gathering around food, sharing music, celebrating culture, or simply being together. My work on social has always been about capturing those human moments and turning them into something people can feel connected to.
I am especially inspired by my Iranian heritage and the way culture, memory, and identity show up in everyday life. Through my videos and photos, I try to highlight beauty in places that feel familiar but are often overlooked. I love showing how food, family, art, and shared experiences can bring people closer.
At the end of the day, I am inspired by creating content that makes people feel seen, welcomed, and a little more connected to each other.
4. Tell me about Club Joon!
Club Joon is a community I created to bring people together through Persian culture, music, food, and shared experiences. It started as a way to create space for people who were craving connection, especially those who felt far from home or wanted to reconnect with their roots.
What makes Club Joon special is that it goes beyond a party or an event. It is about creating a feeling of belonging. Whether someone is Iranian or simply curious about the culture, everyone is welcomed into a space that feels warm, joyful, and open.
Through Club Joon, I get to take what I do online and bring it into real life. It is a place where people meet, celebrate, and form real connections, which is what my work has always been about.
5. What drives your creative process and content?
I am always paying attention to how a place, a meal, or a moment makes me feel, and I try to build my content from that feeling first. I never want my work to feel forced or overly produced, I want it to feel honest and lived in.
A big part of my process is also listening to my community. The people who follow my work, the conversations I have in real life, and the stories people share with me all shape what I create. That feedback loop keeps my content rooted in real experiences instead of trends.
I am always guided by the idea that content should feel like an invitation. Whether I am sharing food, culture, or a moment in New York or abroad, I want people to feel like they are right there with me.
6. What do you love about New York?
I am originally from California, and I never thought I would leave. But coming to New York for work completely changed me. This city has an energy that feels unmatched. It pushes you, challenges you, and inspires you all at once. There is something powerful about being in a place where people from everywhere are all chasing something, and if you can build a life here, it really does feel like you can do anything.
I also love how easy it is to meet people when you are willing to put yourself out there. New York encourages you to be a YES person. Things feel less superficial here. What you see is what you get, and that honesty makes it easier to form real relationships, which is a huge part of what drives my work and the way I create.
7. What are some of your fav Persian spots in the city?
Eyval in Brooklyn will always be special to me. It was the first Persian restaurant I went to when I moved to New York, and it was also the first place where I filmed myself eating Persian food for my content. That video ended up inspiring a lot of what I do now, so it feels very full circle.
I also love Sofreh and when I just want something simple, comforting, and classic, Ravagh is my go to for no frills Persian food that always hits.
8. What are you looking forward to in 2026?
A free Iran. That is something I am carrying with me into 2026 and beyond. It is a hope that lives alongside everything I create and share.
I am also excited to continue growing what I have built in a more intentional way. I want to deepen the stories I am telling, expand Club Joon, and create more experiences that bring my community together both online and in real life.
I am looking forward to traveling more, meeting new people, and sharing culture through food, places, and human connection. More than anything, I want to keep creating work that feels meaningful, rooted, and true.
9. What’s next for you?
More food, more friends, and a lot more dancing. I want to keep exploring new places, meeting people who inspire me, and letting those moments shape what I create.
I am also excited to keep growing Club Joon and building more spaces where people can come together, feel seen, and celebrate culture. What is next for me is really about staying open, staying curious, and continuing to follow the joy that started all of this in the first place.
Rapid Fire:
1. Describe your style in three words.
Preppy, playful, polished.
2. What’s one product you could not live without?
My Fujfiilm cameras, especially my X half.
3. Early mornings or sleeping in?
SLEEPING IN. Let me rot in bed please!!!
4. Favorite place?
Japan
5. Favorite drinks spot in New York?
Any dive bar with a good vibe. I love myself a good dive bar tbh.
6. Favorite restaurant in New York?
Deli Point in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. I know it’s not a restaurant but it’s the only place I can go and get the best meal, therapy, and laughs at all times of the day! The best food no joke.
7. Dream collab?
Duolingo. Let’s teach people Persian!
8. Favorite brand?
Currently Urban Outfitters is really hitting the spot again for me. Their jeans are so good.
9. Favorite icon?
My parents.
10. Favorite movie?
Back to the Future Part 2.
11. What are you loving right now?
Everything in my pocket. My wired headphones, Blistex chapstick, Listern strips, my lil slim Coach wallet, and good vibes.
