Meet Hannah Barry of Sedvana

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Barry.

Hannah, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started Sedvana after years of feeling underwhelmed and frustrated by the lack of options and innovation when it comes to women’s sleepwear. It all looked incredibly similar and wasn’t functional – if you wanted to sit or read with your knees up, you were most likely completely exposed, and there was always a choice between being sexy or being pretty shapeless. Everyone has been spending a lot of time in loungewear and sleepwear recently, and I craved something that I could wake up in and immediately begin my day – make my breakfast, do a meditation or a stretch, read a little bit and take my dog out for a quick walk without needing an outfit change.

Sleepwear is also something that people don’t generally put a lot of effort into – it’s usually old stained clothes, or a matching set someone gifted, or it’s lingerie. It’s usually made in thin and cheap materials that are hand-wash only or shrink easily. I wanted Sedvana to last a long time and have as small of an environmental footprint as possible, which is why we chose all recyclable or biodegradable packaging materials, and deadstock fabrics, or leftover materials from other brands, for our styles. I’ve worked in fashion for my entire career, and the emphasis is most commonly on what will sell the best versus what problems we can actually solve. Sedvana is a small collection, here to grow slowly and with a major emphasis on function, sustainability and simplicity. Instead of pressuring ourselves to pump out collections by the season, we’d much rather take the feedback from our customers on what they’re still struggling with and launch that.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s been a timely road. When the idea for Sedvana first hit me, it was all-consuming, and I wanted to launch it quickly. The selection of fabrics, finding the right partners, and perfecting the fits all took an incredibly long time which at times, was frustrating. It’s worth it now because we can confidently stand behind all aspects of Sedvana and know that we were thoughtful in our decision-making. There will also be a lot of input when you’re starting something new – mostly well-intentioned, and sometimes from people you really admire and respect. Picking and choosing what actually works for you and the brand while learning to stand up for it and say “no” takes time and wasn’t a skill I necessarily had at first.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Sedvana means “tradition” in Swedish, and before its creation, I spent most of my time in women’s sleepwear, desiring more functionality and style.

It all begins with thoughtful design. We make our sleepwear with all deadstock fabric or leftover materials from other brands, right down to our tags, buttons and packaging. None of our fabrics are dyed, so there is no excess water waste and all of our packaging is recyclable or biodegradable. It continues with its functionality – shorts you can read with your knees up or sit cross-legged in without exposure, thick but breathable materials to avoid nipple exposure, buttons to control the amount of sexy you want, high-cut tanks to avoid side-boobs and high-waists to flatter and provide security when bending over or sitting down. While most sleepwear brands don’t focus on longevity and use fragile materials designed to shrink and pill so you buy more, Sedvana uses high-quality cotton, modal and spandex blends that are machine-washable and designed to last. How we market it is extremely important as well – our models are never retouched and we don’t style their hair or wear makeup at photoshoots because we don’t look like that at bedtime. We’re here to set realistic expectations for women.

What are your plans for the future?
We want to continue to solve problems and innovate in our designs while keeping our carbon footprint small. While we plan to expand our offering, it will be slow and intentional.

Pricing:

• Tanks – $90
• Tops – $95
• Pants – $110
• Shorts – $100
• Robe – $199

Contact Info:

• Email: hello@sedvana.com
• Website: www.sedvana.com
• Instagram: @sedvanasleep
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sedvanasleep/

Image Credits:
Milan Radojicic