Aussie pyjama princess Sophie Lovejoy has always had a never-say-die approach to everything she does.
Whether it was running a lemonade stand at seven, or breaking into the cutthroat TV producer game in the US, the ambitious South Australian never backed down from a challenge.
So when she saw a chance to have her booming sleepwear label Sant and Abel endorsed by the most famous reality TV family in the world, Sophie did what she always did – she grabbed it with gusto.
Below she shares exclusively with The Carousel the story behind how her pyjamas are now worn by Kourtney Kardashian, and even feature on an upcoming episode of Keeping up with the Kardashians.
I was a risk taker from day one. Whether it was teaching my friends rude songs in the playground inherited from my older brothers, or racing around muddy paddocks on my own separating the cows from the bulls.
I grew up knowing that if at first you don’t succeed, then find another solution.
In 2010 I was getting restless and seeking a greater challenge on top of my existing television career [as a producer].
My mum has a brilliant homewares store in Adelaide and wanted a new range of classic men’s boxer shorts to sell. My brother had recently moved to Bali to open a restaurant. I told her that I could make the boxer shorts in Bali.
I found that there was a gap in the market for high quality, classic and colourful cotton pyjamas for the whole family.
A few months later after extensive research, I went to Bali to manufacture a small collection of men’s, women’s and kids pyjamas and boxer shorts. By August 2011, Sant and Abel had launched online and in my mum’s shop.
The thing with starting your own business from the ground up is that it can often be lonely, stressful and all-consuming with no end in site.
I threw myself into the deep end when moving to LA, intentionally. Despite the solitude, it’s better to give something a go, than be bored and unfulfilled.
The Beverly Hills Breakthrough
As a frequent visitor to The Beverly Hills Hotel, I always wanted to get my range into their tiny but bustling boutique store.
To me, this hotel is the absolute top from a retail and guest perspective. I made several phone calls which vanished into thin air. But in January 2015, I attended a dinner with many buyers from hotels and resorts and I sat next to The Beverly Hills Hotel Spa Director. She connected me with the Retail Director and by April my Palm Tree range from the core line was in their store.
I used to wind up at the hotel’s Polo Lounge for night caps with Hugh Sheridan [Packed To The Rafters] and we would often talk abut how great it would be to design a range in their iconic Martinique print.
In August 2015, the Retail Director and I had a brainstorming meeting and she too wanted a Martinique range of pyjamas.
I suggested she should add a few more pieces to the range such as dogs bandanas and eye masks. The next thing, I was working with local manufacturers in LA creating a substantial 17-piece collection.
Sant and Abel is the first and only Australian brand in the hotel, and the largest supplier in their boutique store.
It was less than two months ago that the range was complete and we started to promote it.
The Executive Editor of the Kardashian Apps was already a fan of Sant and Abel. I told my PR company that I wanted them to pitch the story of the collaboration between S&A and the hotel to the Kardashians and offer it as an exclusive. They told me I was aiming very high with this request!
I told them if the Kardashians don’t take it, fine. We’ll work our way down the pecking order. But at least try.
The response from Jen’s pitch to the girls: Kourtney Kardashian absolutely loves it and wants to write the exclusive. She not only wrote an amazing piece on the collaboration with the hotel which she had spent her life growing up in, but also acknowledged Sant and Abel as a great Australian sleepwear brand.
Two days later I had the Senior Producer of Keeping up with the Kardashians emailing me. She said they were filming that afternoon and following Kourtney’s article, they absolutely must have pieces from the collection for their episode.
Within an hour, a show runner was at my house collecting night shirts and eye masks. By that afternoon, friends were sending me screen shots of the girls on Snapchat in their outfits. I was overwhelmed – primarily because I couldn’t believe the Kardashians had uploaded footage of Sant and Abel pajamas. But also because I couldn’t work out how to use damn Snapchat to watch the footage
A couple of hours later, Kourtney and Khloe continued with their social media quest and posted multiple photos on Instagram having a pillow fight in their night shirt and eye mask.
The response on social media, the traffic to Sant and Abel and subsequent emails, and ultimately the sales at The Beverly Hills Hotel have been absolutely extraordinary.
Beyond anything I could have imagined.
