Want to know what millionaires wear at home? Just take a look inside Olivia Von Halle's store, it's like looking through one of those very expensive castles. The British designer sells what you might call the Rolls Royce of pajamas: opulent silk loungewear that can cost upwards of a thousand euros. Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna and Angelina Jolie are among his customers and every Christmas David Beckham gives his wife Victoria one of these pajamas.
It all started in the late 2000s when Von Halle was living in Shanghai. “Back then, very short and body-hugging clothing was fashionable. After leaving we continued the party at home. Back then I wanted to take off my tight clothes to smoke and drink gin and tonics. Then I realized I wanted to dress differently, sexy in a modern way and wrapped in silk,” she tells EL PAÍS from London. Since he couldn't find anything suitable, he decided to order pajamas from a local tailor. Soon she started taking her out of the house, to her 25th birthday party and even taking the dog. The others noticed the pieces and sent him their measurements so he could order copies. The couturier could not cope with the enormous order list and recommended that Von Halle look for a factory. “He really gave me the idea,” admits the designer. However, it was his experience as a fashion trend analyst that led him to identify a good market niche. “I noticed that there is a leading brand for every clothing category. “For example, Burberry is great for trench coats, but they didn't have any for pajamas,” he explains.
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The company was founded in 2011 and grew slowly and traditionally. At a time when social networks were scarce and digital marketing was barely developed, it attracted a loyal audience thanks to word of mouth. “We usually send gifts to well-known people, but we have never paid anyone to carry the brand. Generally, it is the celebrities themselves who shop directly on the Internet. It is true that the big push for us came when these public profiles started sharing on social networks how they were preparing for big events like the Oscars or the Met Gala and they started showing our pajamas. Until now, it was not known what famous people wore behind closed doors. “That’s why many people started sharing on networks how they were preparing for their wedding or certain dates,” he explains.
Recently, as the cost of living has increased, the brand has lost middle-income customers who saved up to buy Von Halle pajamas or received them as gifts from their circle of friends on special occasions. Instead, he has gained followers with high purchasing power. “These are people who belong to that 1% of the population, or I would say even the 0.1%, who wear our pajamas every day and distribute them in their various houses,” reveals Von Halle.
Olivia Von Halle's clothing became popular thanks to videos showing celebrities preparing for events such as the Oscars or the Met Gala.Olivia Von Halle
With their designs including slippers, bathrobes and stylish tracksuits, Von Halle has undoubtedly redefined the way wealthy women make themselves comfortable. “We like the idea of designing with the idea of receiving at home. As a hostess, dressing up can feel a little silly, but these pajamas are comfortable, pair well with accessories and jewelry, and allow you to move around to complete the preparations. They can also be washed. I put them in the washing machine and my team puts their hands on their heads. The problem is that you have to use a special soap.”
Olivia Von Halle now has a store in Sloane Square, London's Golden Mile, where she lives with her husband Hugo, the brand's finance and operations director, and their three children. For the founder, the key to the brand lies in attention to detail. All of the brand's labels are made of silk and no plastic has been used in both the products and the packaging to make the result as natural as possible. “From my perspective, luxury means generosity. I don't want to compromise on quality to make more profit. For the PureCash line [un juego de palabras entre cash, dinero en inglés y la cachemira, ya que los precios rozan los 3.000 euros]We use the best cashmere on the market. If I added 30% wool, we could continue to sell for that amount and make more profit, but we prefer not to give in. “It always surprises me that other brands lower the quality but sell at just as high prices.”
Campaign image of the PureCash line, a play on words between “cash”, money in English and Kashmir, where prices are close to 3,000 euros. Courtesy of Olivia Von Halle
Von Halle speaks to EL PAÍS after sharing a hearty British breakfast as he celebrated the night before. “In my group of friends, we decided that we should reserve time for ourselves this holiday, so we met for dinner and decided that whoever left first should foot the bill. In the end we were all there until one in the morning.” He is particularly looking forward to speaking to a Spanish media company because his family has owned a house in a town in the Aragonese Pyrenees since the 1960s. “It is a very special place for me. I worked in the city supermarket for several summers, cutting a lot of sausages at the deli counter. I also helped in the canteen, from early in the morning we had coffee with liqueur,” he remembers with a laugh.
However, in a luxury environment where everything is usually taken very seriously, she runs the brand with a light and cheerful spirit. “In London we sent gifts to households, accompanied by a pianist and wonderful waiters serving champagne.” For those who ask him what the future of the brand looks like, von Halle is clear: “We want to stay focused on what is really difficult. “Without external investors, we have enough freedom not to grow without reasons,” he comments. “We decided that our pajamas would be the best in the world: we only want to do one thing, but do it well.”