Meet the women behind Papinelle Sleepwear, your next sleepwear obsession.
Papinelle, the beloved sleepwear brand known for its luxurious fabrics and stunning prints, is celebrating over two decades of success. Co-founders Renae James and Nicole Kelly have taken the brand from humble beginnings—knocking on doors with suitcases in hand—to adorning the racks of American luxury department stores.
Their latest collaboration with iconic New Zealand designer Karen Walker marks their sixth sell-out collection together. Titled the Happy Dreamer Experience, this limited-edition collection features Karen Walker’s signature vibrant florals and bold prints brought to life on Papinelle’s feather-light, luxurious fabrications. It’s a dreamy blend of style and comfort that perfectly showcases the unique strengths of both brands.
In this interview, Renae and Nicole share their journey, the excitement behind their latest collaboration, and the secrets to Papinelle’s lasting success.
Hey Renae & Nicole! How’s Business?
Hey FashioNZ, we are thrilled to say despite being on an entrepreneurial roller coaster, we are over 30% up YOY.
You recently celebrated 21 years in business—congratulations! Can you take us back to the early days of Papinelle? What were some of the key moments or challenges leading up to the launch, and what emotions were you experiencing at the start of your entrepreneurial journey?
We are both lucky to be born with perseverance and grit. Fall down 7 times and get up 8. You never think about failing no matter how daunting it can be. The early days were all about the hustle, in the beginning it was taking suitcases door to door to see potential wholesale partners and attending trade shows. We actually met at a trade show in New York 21 year ago
The challenge has always been to maintain the persistence and to keep going despite the setbacks.
Over the past two decades, how have you seen consumer attitudes toward buying sleepwear evolve? What major shifts have stood out to you?
The shift towards sustainability was a noticeable consumer shift. We are grateful we were already well and truly on that journey. Without screaming it from the rooftops, we already had customer love and are known for our fabrications.
Papinelle is known for its luxurious fabrics and discerning prints. Do either of you have a favourite print from over the years that holds a special place in your heart?
That’s like choosing your favourite child, we love them all, but probably our Cherry Blossom has given us back a lot of love. We recently had it redrawn by a French illustrator to freshen it up, so we renamed it ‘Cheri Blossom’ to give it a little french flair.
Breaking into Nordstrom, a prestigious American luxury department store, is a significant achievement. Can you walk us through the process of how that partnership came to be and what it means for Papinelle?
First of all step one is knowing who the right customer is. We knew the Nordstrom woman was the Papinelle woman, so when we presented our collection to them if we got a NO (which we didn’t) we knew it was a no for now, and that we would one day be part of their edit. We received an email from the buyer at the time and jumped on a plane to Seattle to show them the collection in person. They loved it and have become such an important part of our brand in the US which is now our biggest market.
You’ve collaborated with some iconic names such as Megan Hess and Karen Walker. How have these collaborations helped elevate Papinelle’s profile and success?
It’s really a similar answer as above, we knew their loyal customer would love Papinelle and vice versa. We know our customer inside out so we know when she will love a collaboration. We are so lucky and grateful to work with both of those incredible women. Individually their unique style and aesthetic has brought something new to our collections.
Your latest collaboration with Karen Walker has garnered a lot of buzz. What inspired this collection, and what makes it unique?
Firstly Karen Walker prints are supremely unique. We have such fun diving into her archives to find the right print that we think will also suit the Papinelle ladies, then we have fun with colour and styling.. With Karen’s bold fun take on fashion, and our fabrics and fit, it really is a match made in heaven.
Who is a business figure you’d love a power lunch with and what would you grill them about?
So lucky to have JUST had a power lunch with Karen Walker, we talk about all things business and share our successes and learnings. We are yet to have lunch with Gwyneth Paltrow… but we are soooo close, good things are coming so watch this space!!
Check out the new Papinelle x Karen Walker Happy Dreamer Experience collection in stores and online NOW