My First Clothing Collection

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Oh my gracious, friends. Last week, I typed this actual sentence in an e-mail to a group of girlfriends: “I am wearing the pants I co-designed and a photographer from the New York Times will be here in three minutes(!!!).” Is that not the craziest thing you’ve read? A far cry from my usual messages, for sure: “Playdate next week?” or “Should I feed Bee chicken if it was cooked in red wine? or occasionally, yes, ever-the-cliche: “Can you pick up eggs?”

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But it’s true. It really happened (more on NYT here), and last week offered a slew of banner moments for many members of our household. Ken kicked off a new project, Bee learned how to fold socks (mildly excited about what this means for my laundry workload) and a big cardboard box full of samples for my new capsule collection for Lunya Company arrived on my doorstep.

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Let me back up. When I was in Singapore last spring, an email from a girl I met years ago at a conference I spoke at (did you follow that? Too excited to rephrase!) flew into my inbox with the words “design a pattern” and “elevated pajamas.” And if you’re curious, the only two words it often takes to get my attention are indeed “design” and “pajamas.”

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So I responded with total curiosity and a mild disclaimer: I’ve never done this before. I’m not a technical designer. I’m the worst at dimensions. And Ashley, the founder, is like, “No big. We’ll figure it out.” (Paraphrasing is my love language.)

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And we did. I got to work brainstorming what I wanted my pattern to look like – classic or futuristic, geometric or organic? – and started doodling ideas. And because the crux of Lunya is to celebrate personality-infused pjs, it only made sense to have one letter become my inspiration for the pattern: ZZZ.

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I’m a fan of ZZZ. I protect my ZZZ. I look forward to my ZZZ nearly every evening. So clearly, sleep isn’t something I need to be persuaded into celebrating. I’m a natural.

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But I’m also a fan of mornings, and I wanted these pajamas to work double duty. I wanted basics for daytime wear; fabrics that feel luxurious by day but comfy by night. I wanted each piece to have a spark of detail; something interesting to set it apart. And I wanted everything to pair seamlessly with a million different wardrobes and a zillion different lifestyles. Zzzillion, even. (Pardon me.)

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And here’s where the story gets great. Ashley ran with my ideas and doodles and files and – a few emails and phone calls and more files and more emails later and – boom: the collection was breathed into life, straight into a cardboard box to be delivered to me to unpack and squeal over accordingly.

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I love everything about these pieces. The pocket tank (above) is perfectly swingy and cropped in JUST the right spot for a 30-something that isn’t into showing skin but loves a good cropped fit. It’s light and soft to the touch but a substantial-enough weight that it holds its own on a morning coffee run, daytime festival or night on the town.

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And then, there’s the pajama pants (above). Good gracious. They’re incredible when paired with Converse sneakers and a graphic tee for errands or yoga, but then you can – just like that – dress them up for dinner. The contrast pockets and ankle detailing add just the right amount of style, and pro tip: they look darling when you roll up the cuffs to sport your new fall ankle boots.

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The tee – made from the same crazy soft, swingy fabric – is a show-stopper, too. Dare I say business in the front; party in the back? Too long ago? OK here; let me just show you:

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I know, I know. Asymmetrical, layered, gorgeous.

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And now I’m just rambling.

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So here’s the deal. My capsule collection is ready to be pre-ordered here (in time for holiday delivery!), and this is the part I didn’t anticipate. It’s scary. I’ve really only produced words, or projects for my home, or gosh, I don’t know, emails. I’ve never really done anything this seemingly monumental in terms of holding a real, tangible dream product in my hands. And as exciting as it is, it’s kind of nerve-wrecking, right?

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So I’m going to level with you: I’d love your support, whether that means purchasing elevated pajamas for yourself or your favorite Christmas elf or even just sending an encouraging note, comment, Tweet or email saying that it’s OK to do scary things. We’re strong and resilient, and it’s important to do hard things. Because it is, right? It so very much is.

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Anyway, whew. Style with a side of soul-searching. You knew it was coming.

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Also, good news! If you pre-order here, your items are packaged in a darling furoshiki wrap (I used mine as a headwrap above, but they work equally well as impromptu gift wrap or hobo bags!).

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As always, thank you for reading; for your thoughtful comments and gracious emails and heartfelt notes. Life offers such an odd journey when you say yes to unabashedly, wild, hard dreams.

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So whether your dream is launching a capsule collection or fixing your marriage or planting a church or founding a nonprofit or having a baby or home-schooling or traveling to Italy or overcoming cancer or meeting your neighbors, I wish you peace and rest and hope in the process.

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Sweet dreams, friends. May you find your ZZZs.

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