PYJAMA PARTY

On her beginnings...

I spotted a gap in the market. In 2010 I was living in Shanghai and working as a trend forecaster. I had an incredible tailor there who made me the most heavenly pair of silk pyjamas to my design. I literally lived in them – I would change into them after nights out partying with friends for G&Ts and afterparties, and even walked the dog in them. They really filled a gap in my wardrobe and when all my friends started queuing up asking me to make them a pair too, I thought perhaps I was onto something. It was the slowest eureka moment, but I eventually realised that there was nothing else like them available at the time. I set up Olivia von Halle and moved back to London in 2011 to launch the brand.

On her inspiration...

This season we are harking back to the golden age of Old Hollywood—from statement dressing, full-length looks, luxurious layering and effortless glamour. We wanted it to feel like a sparkling ode to that era; the roaring 1920s coming with 21st century verve.

On the brand's philosophy...

I hope that Olivia von Halle stands for a sort of empowered glamour. I set out to make the pieces women turn to in their everyday lives and elevate them, absolutely reinvent them, so that when you put on your pyjamas or a tracksuit it makes you feel every bit as elegant as if you’d put on a beautifully-made silk dress. Every decision we make, from the weight of the silk to the traditional screen-printing method we use, reflects our desire to make the products the best they can be.

On the perfect Christmas morning look...

This Christmas I'll be sporting the Lila Zelda printed pyjama. I like our prints to be sophisticated but fun - this particular pyjama is screen-printed with a prancing zebra and has a certain joie de vivre. It’s the sort of print that will make you smile (even if Father Christmas doesn’t bring you what you want on the day).

On her favourite Christmas traditions...

I loved traditions when I was little especially preparing treats for Father Christmas, we would put out carrots, biscuits, mince pies and brandy butter for him and his reindeers before getting tucked up in bed to read The Night Before Christmas as a family. These little traditions always made Christmas Eve seem like the most magical occasion and now I have a four-year-old and a one-year-old, I’ve been loving reliving all these old traditions with them. On Christmas Day we open our stockings in bed in our pyjamas, then sip some champagne and do games – either Charades, or Monopoly. I love to play Monopoly.

On her luxurious fabrics...

Silk! It’s an amazing fabric for the winter, it keeps you warm, and is still luxurious and breathable. I also love velvet and our silk-cashmere for the same reasons. We avoid using all man-made materials as they don’t have these same qualities. Our Missy Tracksuit, for example, is made out of double-faced silk-cashmere; it’s crazy expensive but absolutely beautiful. For me, it is about never compromising on the final product, always wanting it to be the most beautiful it can be. Digital printing for our prints would be easier, quicker, but we do screen printing for the richly detailed result; it’s about striving to make the product the absolute best of the best. We design all these beautiful unusual prints every season for that reason.

On how she would like to enjoy a festive night in...

I would love to get all my girlfriends together for a singalong led by pianist, Carl Joseph. He is incredible and can play anything. He did the OvH Christmas party last year, and it was so much fun. That’s the ultimate night in; Carl, a massive singalong to everything from Christmas carols to Backstreet Boys, with lots of champagne, all lit by Christmas lights and candles.

On her favourite Christmas flick...

Elf— I love watching it wearing my Capability Temptress pyjamas. A perfect high-low mix.

On making bathtime a self-care ritual...

Christmas can be so busy even with all the restrictions that may be in place, even so I will make sure I keep a couple of nights free to slow down, and to have a couple of hours in the bath! I can spend hours and hours and hours in there. I usually add bath oil and Epsom salts and do some hot water/cold water rotations, read my books, and chat to my girlfriends. Sometimes I go upstairs to the bath at 8 p.m. and don't come out again until 11 p.m - and slip into a silk kimono. Heavenly.

HAVE A PYJAMA PARTY

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