PARIS, France – Combining their love of comfort with a passion for Paris chic, two women with local ties have launched BED, a new sleepwear brand.
The sleepwear designed by Brooke Larney and Amy McDermott features high-end details and is made from 100% vegan satin. The company sold 100 pairs the first weekend.
One of the key features of the sleepwear is a tunnel design, allowing the sleeves and legs to be cinched up for a custom adjustment.
“We’re already getting feedback from our short friends saying, ‘This is amazing,’” McDermott said.
And BED sleepwear is not just for sleeping.
Larney said the fashion industry has had a notable shift toward “athleisure” with big companies making comfortable clothes suitable for everyday use.
“And we’re going to see that with pajamas soon, where pajamas aren’t just something you’re wearing to bed,” Larney said. “They actually look so nice that you are running to grab coffee or to the supermarket really quick. So we’re trying to build this world where we’re in bed in these, but we’re also getting out of bed and we’re hitting the town.”
BED sleepwear launched in two colors: Midnight Navy and Bordeaux Rouge and sells for $125 a pair. Larney and McDermott plan to expand the line, keeping the same luxurious satin feel but adding colors and styles such as black and white, bridal, short sleeves, shorts, tank tops and even dresses.
“Our goal is just to roll out new designs of pajamas and keep building this world of BED,” Larney said, adding “the branding is quite cheeky.”
Their slogans include “We can’t wait to see you in BED,” “Get in BED with us” and “It’s time for BED.”
Larney and McDermott launched the line July 25, and while many of the first sales were through family and word of mouth, they are building a social media following.
Going forward, the successful 29-year-old entrepreneurs hope to draw more traffic to BEDSleepwear.com and their social media channels like TikTok and Instagram as they build a direct-to-consumer business.
Larney is a Youngstown native and a 2014 Ursuline High School graduate. McDermott is a native of Beaver County in Pennsylvania and graduated from Central Valley High School in 2014.
After graduating from the University of Dayton, Larney’s career included a job at JP Morgan Asset Management and three years in finance at boutique firms. McDermott went to Duquesne University in Pittsburgh and then started working in the fashion industry.
Their paths merged when they were on the ground floor in the development of AI technology that allows consumers to virtually try on and style fashion. Larney said they are co-inventors of the patented technology, did the pitch to raise capital for the product, saw the product launch and worked directly for the CEO of a Los Angeles company that owns it.
But after three years, they decided to move to Paris and pursue their master’s degrees in strategic brand management.
“We started building BED because we noticed how obviously chic everyone in Paris dresses, but us Americans, we love our comfort,” Larney said.
And their skills in fashion, marketing and finance directly compliment each other, giving them the skill set necessary to continue building their business. They also believe their Midwest roots have helped make them successful.
“I have a lot of grit from growing up there and a lot of confidence,” Larney said of her Youngstown roots. “I feel like it has taught me to work hard and you can get whatever you want.”
McDermott said the local community can be very loyal. “They really want to see their people succeed, and we really saw that opening week,” she said.
Pictured at top: Brooke Larney, left, and Amy McDermott.