Lunya, a luxury sleepwear brand founded 10 years ago, isn’t resting in terms of expansion plans.
The growing company has named Blair Lawson as its new chief executive officer for Lunya founder Ashley Merrill, who will remain in an advisory role.
Lawson, who became CEO in mid-May, is busy. The brand, based in Santa Monica, Calif., is expanding its retail footprint from four to eight boutiques this year and partnering with major department stores including Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdale’s.
The Lunya founder said she spent two years looking for someone to take over the top executive’s job. She was impressed by Lawson’s more than 10 years working at LVMH, as well as her jobs as chief business officer at Beautycounter and Goop. “It’s like handing over your baby,” Merrill said. “I didn’t take it lightly.”
The new CEO said she sees great potential. “There’s a ton of opportunity that I think was elevated by COVID,” Lawson said. “Right now, our business is almost all direct-to-consumer, and I think there’s a lot of potential for expansion in retail, wholesale, and partnerships.”
As of early 2022, the company only had four retail locations in Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta and Houston. It has added two more stores this year in San Francisco and Boston and two more on the way in Chicago and Dallas.
It’s already sold at Nordstrom and select boutiques like Revolve and Neighborhood Goods. Later in the third quarter, it’s launching merchandise at Neiman Marcus and then at Saks Fifth Avenue. By the spring of next year, it will also be on Bloomingdale’s shelves.
Lunia silk sets are bestsellers. credit: lunya
The company’s revenue has doubled since 2019, said Merrill, who declined to give specific numbers. It helped when the sleepwear innovator introduced a partner in 2019 with Lahgo, a men’s brand for its women’s line, Lunya. Like the women’s line, this includes sleepwear and loungewear made from comfortable, high-end fabrics. Best sellers include a washable short silk set for $238, a restorative jogger for $148, and a cotton/silk long-sleeved Henley for $98.
Nearly all of Lunya’s merchandise is what the company calls “elevated rest wear,” which is functional for sleep and home use. Lunya’s best-selling product for women is a tank top and pull-on shorts set made of washable silk, priced at $188.
Another popular item is an organic Pima cotton robe with some innovative details, such as an attached belt, sleeves narrow enough to push them up so you don’t get them wet while washing your face or working in the kitchen, and a neckline. Which at the front door modestly transforms into a V-neck-covered neck for receiving packages. It sells for $250.
Lunia is also working with Innovative Fabrics. It is introducing a Pima cotton line called Cooldown Pima, which works to cool down your body while you sleep. “We consider ourselves problem solvers to get better rest,” Merrill said. “Temperature appears to be one of the challenges of getting a good night’s rest.”
In the fall, Lunya will introduce washable silk sweatpants, called Silksweats, and the company is testing washable silk bedding. “Homeware products are definitely on the road map,” Lawson said.
Merrill started Lunya with an idea that grew into a business. She was tired of wearing her husband’s old T-shirt as sleepwear. He didn’t put his concept into action until after he enrolled in business school at the University of California Los Angeles.
Now the company is moving to the next level. “I really believe that different stages of a company require different things. I have been looking for a great CEO for a long time,” Merrill said. “Now the company gets the two of us. Together we can do a really great job.”
Originally published at Pen 18
No comments:
Post a Comment