Fancy a cat nap in some locally made, luxe pyjamas? Dreamers, read on.
Cat’s Pyjamas makes stylish sleepwear sets and nighties for the ethically and sustainably conscious.
Duo John and Cheryl Dellavedova launched the label in 2016 to provide a sustainable alternative to the fast fashion brands saturating the sleepwear market.
“My dedication to making sleepwear goes way back,” Cheryl says.
“Once, as a child I pondered into a ditsy print pair of PJs, missing my mother who was in hospital and clearly the comfort of the floral design has never left me.
“My mother helped me learn to sew and was an amazing inspiration at the machine, set up on the kitchen table.”
Dellavedova originally trained in nursing and worked to put herself through law school.
She says it was nursing that taught her the value of a great pair of pyjamas.
“It amazed me how many people didn’t have any, or couldn’t get help to have them always at hand and laundered – suffice to say I’ve put people into pyjamas now both as a profession and as a designer.”
With her brand, she aims to construct sturdy but stylish garments that suit all ages and body types.
The Cat’s Pyjamas essentials range covers sleepwear and loungewear wardrobe staples, including camis, shirts and robes in pure cotton, linen and jersey, plus a luxury prints range made with BCI-accredited Liberty of London fabrics.
Dellavedova says they stick with natural fibres and everything is made in accordance with the principles of a living wage, producing all their garments onshore in Australia.
“I am very loyal to the need to employ the onshore garment industry and was shocked to learn a little about the political backdrop behind what made cheap imports so competitive,” she says.
“I believe strongly in the strength of handmade artisanal garments from the perspective that it’s ridiculous that we wear what are everyday things which have little connection to our sewing skills and design capabilities, and that is one of the reasons I have started my business.”
Dellavedova is referring to the globalisation of fashion supply chains that often results in a single style of clothing being assembled across multiple countries, as Dana Thomas reports in Fashionopolis.
This process adds to fashion’s environmental impact of course, but it also removes a lot of the skill that’s formally been associated with the fashion industry.
What used to be a highly skilled profession of design and pattern making all the way through to dressmaking and finishing and various handicrafts is now an assembly line where garment workers are tasked with doing the same tedious job over and over again.
It’s safe to say, Cat’s Pyjamas are keeping their supply chain as simple as possible.
The brand’s garments are made in sizes XS to plus size (equivalent of size XXL in Australian fittings) – but they can make alterations to existing designs or custom make garments as well.
