Tell us how designing pillows lead into Fashion and sleepwear, and how you see these two industries merging together.
After studying fashion & business at university, I started my career working for Petrena Millar Design in Auckland, which I absolutely loved. I learnt so much from Petrena – and my time there was extremely valuable to how I developed as a businesswoman. I never meant to leave the industry however after going overseas (which didn’t eventuate for personal reasons) an opportunity arose at Sleepyhead and I found myself designing pillows and other comfort related products. My love for technologies, design and development grew. I had a Business Manager role, however, product design and development is really where my heart lies. I love to learn about new technologies, how they work, and what they do to enhance our lives or the environments around us. Over this time I often dreamt of going back to the fashion industry and starting my own sleepwear line. The working name at the time – was Nighties by Natalie.
After leaving to have children, I started my baby sleep related business Growbright, where we sell the safest baby cot mattress and award winning maternity pillows. I decided in the first lockdown it was time to deal with the little voice in my head. I had to go back and do what I originally set out to and start my own fashion label – better late than never.
I wanted this brand to be focussed on women feeling good in their sleep space – to add a little bit of luxury to their bedtime routine to make them feel like a goddess by using the perfect fabric for sleeping in: Tencel. Tencel is as it is soft as silk, washable, environmentally friendly and temperature regulating. I also felt strongly about having something that both looked nice, and made you feel calm.
Developing my own pillow line felt like a natural fit to the brand as not only did it lay heritage to my experience, it could also add luxury to a person’s sleep space. A pillow, yet often not seen, can make or break your sleep and Goosedown always felt so luxurious to me, however, it never supported my neck through the night. I had learnt so much about how every person sleeps differently and has different needs so I developed my concept of building your dream pillow using Luxurious Pillow Toppers, which fit perfectly pillows to give you the luxurious feel of Goosedown yet you get the support of the memory foam pillow underneath to ensure you stay aligned through the night. We have several different height, feel and cooling options depending on the person’s requirements, finding the perfect pillow for you takes just a few steps on our website using our Pillow Menu.
We have recently extended the range to include Silk Pillowslips in our offering after wanting a good quality slip to accompany our luxurious by Natalie pillows. Silk pillowslips by nature are kinder on your hair and skin as they help to reduce friction and don’t crease. I tested many different options to find the perfect one and I am very happy with our outcome. We are also extremely excited to launch our by Natalie Travel Carry Bag in September which allows you to easily take your by Natalie pillow with you on night’s away or trips overseas. The Carry Bag rolls your by Natalie pillow into a compact size which is perfect for planes as it can fit in your carry on bag, or sit on top of it, or allows you to take in the car on a road trip without taking up much space.
How do the materials used in your sleepwear promote rest and relaxation?
We focus on Tencel™ as a fabric as it is extremely effective in the sleep space.
Tencel™ is a sustainable regenerated fabric made from a cellulose fibre that is derived from wood pulp. Tencel™ is manufactured using an environmentally responsible production process where the excess water is recycled and the solvent for treatment is reused. The final product is compostable and biodegradable, so can fully revert back to nature at the end of its life.
On top of this, Tencel™ also has a number of benefits that are great for sleep being soft as silk, quick dry, machine washable but most importantly promoting rest and relaxation due to its moisture-wicking/temperature regulating properties. It keeps you cool and dry, while also avoiding overheating, perfect for wearing to bed or out and about even in the summer months. As it’s a smooth fibre (soft as silk) it helps prevent irritation to the skin & feels exquisite on the skin.
What are your thoughts on the blurring boundaries between sleepwear and daywear (especially since the onset of the pandemic!) and how do your own designs reflect this?
The essence of the by Natalie brand is for women to feel beautiful within themselves, for themselves, so I feel merging beautiful designs that you can rest in or put on to go out and about and feel beautiful in is a really nice synergy. I also loved the idea of having something beautiful for a weekend away with the girls or when an unexpected guest turns up early in the morning in summer.
The brand was not originally intended to be worn as ready to wear but our customers loved our classic shapes and I had a lot of fun styling the pieces and so, it evolved in its own nature.
When designing, although the look is important, comfort is a key factor. We make everything slightly larger to give room when you sleep and often think about how it can be worn both to bed or lounging and also out of the house.
We love your tagline “invest in rest”. What other ways to do you support yourself with self care to ensure that you’re well rested and looking after yourself? What does your evening wind down routine look like?
My non-negotiable is exercise, I find it important for my day-to-day mental and physical health, but it can be a juggle at times with work and two young children. Keeping a routine helps me keep this in check – I go to the gym at 5:30am and go to bed at a reasonable hour on weeknights so I don’t feel rushed or stressed to get it in at the end of the day when I really need to get home and spend time with my family.
Post lockdowns as many of us did a few things fell by the wayside so I am getting back to eating healthy, drinking less – making these basic health changes a priority in my day-to-day life.
What are some of the key design considerations that you think about with by Natalie’s Bridal range? How do these sets differ from everyday loungewear?
Designing the bridal range is extremely fun as we get to think about the different times in a bride’s journey, obviously the wedding night but also the night before the wedding with her bridesmaids, the morning getting ready, gifts for her bridesmaids, pieces for their mothers or other special women in their lives. The pieces need to all tie in well together as they will be photographed together but there needs to be a variety to suit everybody’s comfort needs.
Your personal favourite by Natalie design to date?
The Sleepwalker Dress will always be my favourite – this is from my inaugural collection. I had many iterations of this before getting the perfect design and it continues to be a by Natalie favourite often selling out.
I often wear it like a dressing gown, almost as a housedress. I love nothing more than getting home, taking a shower and slipping into my Sleepwalker. It feels amazing to wear on the skin and fits beautifully on so many body types. Many of our lovely customers end up buying them in every colour! I have loved seeing this worn out of the home as well – it is the perfect piece worn like a kaftan or on a summer evening. It also looks great with a belt and boots.
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