Emilia Wickstead’s Guide to a Good Night’s Sleep
New Zealander Emilia Wickstead has built her eponymous brand on the premise of being properly dressed for every occasion, be it a black tie event or a boardroom meeting; a wild night out or your very own wedding. Now, Wickstead has also extended her offering to bedtime, with the launch of her first nightwear collection, British Vogue journalist Sarah Harris reports.
“I love to explore the ceremony of dressing up to sleep and the traditions of nightwear,” says the designer over a pot of fresh mint tea at Claridge’s Hotel, where she hosted an intimate dinner and sleepover on 3 November in celebration of the launch, Harris writes. “I couldn’t think of anywhere better to be celebrating this collection than at Claridge’s Hotel, if there is anywhere that has mastered the art of resting in complete comfort, it’s here.”
The 10-style capsule includes buttoned-up belted playsuits, tie-neck ankle-grazing nightgowns, and pyjama sets with matching robes in a spriggy blue floral or blush stripes piped in black and made in Italian cotton. It’s a collection that had us thinking: what’s the designer’s own personal bedtime routine?
“I get a lot less sleep than I used to, but 8 hours is my biggest luxury. Before I go to sleep I automatically in my mind picture something exciting – something to look forward to or that is happening in the present. If I’m in need of a really deep sleep, then I take magnesium just before bed,” Wickstead explains.
“Sleepwear has always been important to me; I have drawers full of pieces that I have collected over the years. I love lounging in pyjama sets and robes – especially in the mornings – but it has to be something that makes you feel put together and comfortable to be seen wearing, so much so that I am not in a hurry to get showered and dressed. Right now, I’m obsessed with my full-length long-sleeve nightgown in pink with black piping, which you could probably belt and happily wear it out the house come spring.”
Original article by Sarah Harris, British Vogue, November 5, 2019.
Photo by Nicholas Wells.
