WEARABLE SLEEPWEAR HAS NEVER BEEN THIS DESIREABLE. AN INTERVIEW WITH THE FOUNDERS OF GENERAL SLEEP; BAILEY MEREDITH AND GRETA VAN DER STAR

GENERAL SLEEP
Interview with Veronika Makovey-Carafa

Wearable sleepwear has never been this desirable. With our new realities of working and playing from home - the two have now become so intertwined that the only consistent thread is the need for requisence whilst looking instagram snappable. No longer is being doused in linen isolated to holding a Byron Bay postcode, the word has got out about how soft and durable this fibre is and we’re keen to have it caress our skin all day and night. General Sleep are a new NZ label emerging in the sleepwear realm of flexi-wear, and with their unique cotton-linen fabrics they encourage you to live in their products; from sleeping to nicking off to the shops you needn’t change, nor sacrifice your style or comfort.

Having just launched with MatchesFashion, founders Bailey and Greta found a moment in their busy schedules to Facetime me from New Zealand and provide a fascinating deep-dive into their brand; from where the idea arose to how they operate an ethical and sustainable clothing label. They provided a real insight into the challenges and realities as well as the surprises and joys. 

So how did you both meet? 

We met five years ago when we were working in the fashion industry in different areas; Greta was working as a photographer and I (Bailey) was working for Kate Sylvester (the NZ designer). We kept crossing paths on shoots and became friends after our multiple meetings. 

And from what point in the friendship did you decide to start a fashion label together?

Bailey: I distinctly remember that moment, we were having one of our usual chats at one of each other’s homes. We were sitting by the fire and discussing how ‘wouldn’t it be nice to be able to have some lovely pyjamas to wear in this moment that were still super nice, so that we could keep sitting, drinking wine and be comfy and cosy’. But there was nothing available in the market at that moment. And then the idea evolved from that moment. 

How long did it take from the moment the idea was had to the brand launching?

Bailey: It was a really long time before we released the first collection and officially launched the brand because we put so much time and consideration into the foundation of the business, which was ultimately the fabrics we wanted to use, the makers we wanted to work with and the fit of our pyjamas. General Sleep pieces are meant to be worn for sleep and during the day but it was the comfort factor during sleep that we mainly focused on; particularly the comfort and accessibility to move, so we really wanted to focus our energy on a refined and perfect product before we launched.

Greta: Also, we also thought about when you wear your pyjamas; for example I put mine on in Winter as soon as I get home, so durable fabrics too were important to consider. 

What is it that differentiates your brand from all of these other loungewear companies arising?

Greta: I’d say our traceability, we’re so open with where our clothes are made. Our main factory is a family-owned factory that’s been going since the 70’s and they have a relationship with every single level of production. They worked with the organic cotton farmers from the beginning to ensure it was pesticide-free. So trust and transparency really is our main point of difference. The factory is also really committed to utilising resources; they have a solar farm on top of their factory where the garments are made, they recycled water used for washing and steaming, any off-cuts that can’t be re-purposed are sent off to a paper mill to be used to make labels. 

Bailey: There are seven tailoring elements to all of our sets, it was always really important to us to do one thing and do it really well. 

How has the pandemic and this year affected your brand?

Greta: I think people have seen the benefit of investing in pieces like General Sleep, that you can wear around the house and spend all day in and if you need to nip out to get a coffee or go somewhere, you needn’t get changed. It’s definitely placed value in our category.

What steps have you taken or are thinking of taken towards circular fashion?

Greta: Rather than increasing carbon footprint and getting people to bring back garments, we’re thinking of teaching people how to mend things, so that through education we can empower our customers to make their clothes last longer. 

Why do you think there is such an influx at the moment of small fashion labels coming out of New Zealand?

Bailey: I feel like it’s always been like that, I mean, for a long time New Zealand had such a booming local manufacturing industry and then it got moved to being made off shore in China and Asia due to cheaper labour costs. In New Zealand we are trying to support small industries and businesses. It is ultimately harder to produce in New Zealand, and it’s up to the brand to toss up if it’s feasible to make it here whilst creating a product at an accessible price point to the market you’re targeting.  

Greta: In NZ we actually have a high proportion of small businesses, as people are willing to give it a go and people who are keen to get behind them and support them.

Your new collection called Clementine was released recently. What was the inspiration behind it?

Greta: So the white cotton poplin was inspired by some vintage pieces we had. With vintage cotton, especially the ones you find at a market, they’re just so soft, and you can tell that they’ve had a special life and still have lots of life still in it. The Agnes Wrap built on that too, but with a little more romance. The Gingham, we wanted to emanate a breezy ocean  and taking picnics or eating meals by the sea. We think about our fabrics a year in advance, so at the time of conception it was really hot and we wanted something light and breathable  as though you’re wearing nothing.   

And what are your plans for the future of General Sleep:

Bailey: There’s definitely plans for a contained expansion, we love what we’ve done and have created thus far, but it’s been nice to be taken on by MatchesFashion and be represented in the Northern Hemisphere, so we’re keen to grab onto new opportunities coming our way whilst continuing to keep it small and make what we need. 

To purchase their beautiful pieces you can find General Sleep at generalsleepstore.com

Did you have certain roles within the business that you stepped in from the get go?

Bailey: It was quite organic and flexible, but in some regards we knew that Greta would shoot the campaigns and look books and she would take care of the branding imagery for instagram as that was her area of expertise. And from previous experience at Kate Sylvester, I had worked in sales and PR and I had studied fashion design at uni so I mainly focused on the sales and production and Greta on the branding. In saying that, we always came together when it was time to design a new collection and work on fabrics and production. 

Talk me through the very first collection and launch of the brand?

Greta: We initially launched with just four pieces, the idea was always to keep the collection small and considered and never play into the fashion cycle too much because we were so aware of overproduction. We always wanted to place the importance on what we believed to be the ideal sleep shirt or pj set and refining those and tweaking over time. 

Was sustainability a major consideration and component of the business from day one?

Greta: Yes absolutely, it took us a really long time to find a factory to work with. We always knew we wanted to be able to trace the fabric, that was so important to us. New Zealand has always had an amazing fashion industry, but fabric traceability has been a vague area, as we don’t 

produce any fabrics here. From the get go we wanted to 

ensure that the farmers were paid properly, the pieces were properly made and we were doing our part in showing the transparency of our brand.

So the factory is in India? How did you find the factory? What was that process like?

Bailey: Yeah, well we initially started researching and investigating. We knew that an ethical supply chain was paramount to us, and through our research we came across this opportunity to work with hand-woven fabrics. I will openly admit too, that I hadn’t realised the extent to which hand-weaving in India was part of their culture and class-system. Prior to fabric-machines coming in and taking over, hand-weaving generated so much income for many communities in India. We looked all over the world, but decided on the factory that we now work with, which not only had all of their hand-weavers in this amazing space, in Chennai, but they also had the garment constructors in the same place too. We loved that all of the production from start to end was in the one vicinity. Since then we have had to incorporate another factory, as we’ve just grown and expanded over time but we ensured that they also conducted the same environmental and physical practice as the first factory. 

Once we found the one factory it felt easier to grow our community, however there was a lot of trial and error in the beginning and it was a daunting task. Just working with a factory in a whole other country is a challenge in itself.

Did you have to travel yourself to visit the factories to find the right fit?

Greta: We did eventually, but not initially. There were just a lot of zoom calls and communicating digitally. 

Did you experience many communication issues as a result of this? Or any problems in the production with the fit or explaining your vision? 

Greta: No, we did the patterns here in NZ. 

Bailey: For me, the pattern is still so heavily weighted in the design process. You can draw a picture, but it’s impossible to communicate how something should fall, the proportions and ratios. That’s all reflected in the patterns and intrinsic in the design. But in terms of quality, we were actually blown away with the construction of the garments that the factory produced. 

Greta: They are unbelievable with how they operate with cotton and we loved that our factory was GOTS certified. 

Was it always a priority to mix Cotton and Linen or were you adamant to lean towards a certain fabrication?

Bailey: I guess through that beginning process before we launched, we were trying to find that ideal combination. We landed on the decision that having the combination of cotton and linen together created the perfect balance 

between strength and soft floaty feel. We also went with 100% pure organic Cotton fabrics. We found that this worked as some people preferred the crisp structured feel of cotton as others like the looseness that you get with 

linen and we covered off those two customer bases. The linen we use really does soften so much over time and it’s a lot more beneficial for the farmers and environment.