TDR Interviews: Sleeper

Effortlessly reimagining and redefining loungewear, this Ukrainian luxury easy-to-wear brand seamlessly blurs the line between day and night, routine and relaxation, weekdays and holidays. Crafting timeless garments for life's celebrations - comfort, versatility and joy intertwined is the common thread of everything that they bring to the market.

A breath of fresh air as Sleeper’s evolution marks an exciting chapter in its journey - we decided to dig deeper into the alluring story of its brand’s rebirth in collaboration with Anton Herasymenko and know what’s next.

The Design Release: Tell us about Sleeper and its founders.

Sleeper: Sleeper is the brainchild of Asya Varetsa and Kate Zubarieva - both raised by mothers and grandmothers. They’re former glossy magazine editors, so fashion and design has been their passion and conscious choice.

For Asya, Sleeper evokes magical memories of the Ukrainian summers of her childhood - Yalta. She recalls an old family mansion with a veranda wrapped in trailing muscat grapevines and a round table draped with a white lace tablecloth. It was here, every summer, that several generations of her family would gather to savor the abundance of the Ukrainian season.

On the other hand, for Kate, Sleeper embodies the bohemian Kyiv of her youth, homes brimming with laughter, dance and visits from family friends - journalists, writers, artists - and endless conversations about books and travel.

TDR: Take us through its journey and how it has evolved into the brand it is today.

Sleeper: Neither Asya or Kate Zubarieva had any design experience and on the outside the wind of change was roaring as the Revolution of Dignity was flooding the streets of the Ukrainian capital. The girls founded Sleeper in their mid-twenties with $2,000 of their own savings. In December 2014 they then launched its first daywear-to-nightwear pajama collection and enlisted their friends as photographers and models, with Asya personally creating the initial website. It was in January 2015 that Franca Sozzani - the late editor-in-chief of Vogue Italia - named Sleeper as her favorite brand of the month and the rest is (recent) history.

The iconic Sleeper’s look - Party Pajamas - was introduced in 2017 with the idea of a special outfit meant for Christmas and New Year celebrations, when you gather with people you love, drink champagne, dance and make wishes that will surely come true. Since its launch, it’s gained immense popularity and is a favorite among celebrities from Hilary Duff to Emma Roberts, Brie Larson, Anya Taylor-Joy, Margot Robbie, Suki Waterhouse, Kate Moss, Alexa Chung, Poppy Delevigne, Adwoah Aboah, Kendall Jenner, Kourtney Kardashian. The style made appearances in TV series such as And Just Like That, Emily in Paris, Katy Keene, Duchess, Ted Lasso, Loot and has recently had its moment in the Barbie movie. The set additionally graced the covers of Tatler UK and Cosmopolitan UK, featuring Paris Hilton and Lena Dunham. Another significant look - the Atlanta Dress - has reached cult status according to British Vogue and Telegraph.

This year, on the verge of its 10th anniversary, Sleeper is experiencing its rebirth. Today it’s a niche easy-to-wear brand that reimagines loungewear. 2023 marked new beginnings for Sleeper that has begun its transition into a more mature elevated brand with both its designs and the image.

TDR: What is it inspired by?

Sleeper: Closely intertwined with the essence of womanhood, Sleeper is guided by the shared vision of two women who draw inspiration from their strong and caring mothers and grandmothers. The brand's world is profoundly feminine with over 95% of its team comprising women of diverse ages who bring in professionalism, authenticity, strength and beauty to the forefront. Sleeper is committed to empowering women in business and aspires to be a place where every woman can thrive and be herself.

Each and every design is seen not just as clothes; the brand aims to fabricate attire empowering women through all walks of life. Sofia Yablonska - Sleeper’s guiding star - influences this journey.

TDR: Tell us about Anton Herasymenko.

Sleeper: Along with being a talented Ukrainian visionary who created Readymag - a well-known design tool - and a contributor for Pinterest, Anton Herasymenko is a close friend of Asya and Kate. Witnessing Sleeper’s development, he was able to capture the brand's essence and values and incorporate them into the design.

TDR: How did the collaboration come about?

Anton Herasymenko: It all started with a friendship. I met Asya and then Kate back in 2017 I believe and since then we've been traveling a lot together, having fun and simply rooting for each other. We spoke a few times about working on something together, but we never really found the right project or the time for it. However, with the war in Ukraine and the girls having to relocate their team as well as think about how to rejuvenate Sleeper - I thought that was a way in which I could support them.

TDR: What was the thought process behind the new brand identity, visual storytelling and e-commerce platform?

AH: So we wanted to refresh the brand and craft a new symbol - an emblem that Sleeper didn't have before. The idea of the black horse came spontaneously. In the world of betting, 'sleepers' refer to dark horses that are often overlooked - yet they frequently emerge victorious and bring luck. We thought this would be a stunning poetic image. It's a reflection of how we all might be seen as sleepers at times, faced with doubts from others or ourselves, but these doubts don't prevent us from achieving our goals and feeling triumphant. The color palette is further a subtle nod to the brand's Ukrainian heritage.

TDR: Take us through the design process.

Sleeper: The Sleeper team completely trusted Anton - Asya and Kate shared the general idea and some references. The task was to whip off the unnecessary husk and smarten up. We had different images in a moodboard - Ukrainian traditional horses, Japanese interiors, Range Rover, pack of Gitanes cigarettes.

AH: For me it’s about power, freedom and beauty. I believe that a horse, rose and cornflower blue sky convey this as much as possible. It took a few months to create sketches but the final result exceeded all expectations.

TDR: What was your favorite part about this entire process and what were the challenges that you faced?

AH: The most cherished moment for me was showing the symbol to Asya and Kate. It's always an emotional experience and you can usually tell right away if it hits the mark or not - that reaction before your mind boots up and starts thinking logically, analyzing why you like it or not.

TDR: What's next?

Sleeper: Sleeper just had a rebranding soft launch (for its e-commerce and digital) and the next step will be in spring 2024 - where the brand launches its new packaging, labels and so on.

This February Sleeper also launches its Spring-Summer 2024 collection - a line that is a vibrant celebration of summer, bursting with floral elements inspired by the ingenious English horticulturist Ellen Willmott. Moreover, this collection serves as an homage to the elevated Sleeper logo. Featuring a noble horse that symbolizes strength and the yellow rose of friendship, this new brand identity harmoniously represents the foundation of Sleeper.

The line encompasses fresh styles as well as reimagined Sleeper’s classics. Influenced by Willmott's comprehensive work ‘The Genus Rosa’ that encapsulates her lifelong explorations, this collection showcases handcrafted silk flowers and intricate rose embroidery designed by Ukrainian artist Yuliya Geras'ko.

TDR: Tell us about the packaging design that the brand plans to unveil soon.

Sleeper: The new packaging is still in production and it will be ready by spring! As for the idea for the packaging - Sleeper has expanded to shopping bags. As the brand is more represented in e-commerce, it strives to carve a real shopping experience and the accompanying emotions for customers and shopping bags are the best way to do it. Aren't they?