Pillow Talk with Masini & Chern
By now you’ve probably heard about our new collaboration with Melbourne sleepwear designers Masini & Chern. In developing our limited edition pyjama collection, these talented young guns blended their classic tailoring and cool aesthetic with a favourite Olsen print.
With talent, passion and style (anyone that can pull PJs off during the daytime has to possess certain panache!) Ebonnie Masini-Thomson and Natasha Chernov Homann have proved that sophistication isn’t just for the sunny hours. Get to know the girls and their own fashion favourites in our Q&A.
You’ve been friends since school. When did you have the brainwave to work together?
Working together was something that happened quite organically. It was over Christmas drinks almost four years ago that the two of us started talking about the lack of sophisticated sleepwear in the market. By the end of the evening and after a few G&T’s we had decided to create it ourselves.
It wasn’t very easy though because at the time we were living on separate sides of the world. Ebonnie was in London working as a buyer for a luxury shoe store and Tash was in Melbourne at the ad agency Clemenger. It took us three years and hundreds of Skype calls to adequately research the market and develop the brand before launching.
You’ve said your pyjamas are designed for ‘the perfect Sunday morning’: what does your perfect Sunday morning include?
Australians do Sunday mornings with such style. It’s all about spending time with friends, family and pets. Drinking coffee and eating really good food. We wanted to create a sleepwear line that would compliment the Sunday morning aesthetic. People can laze around in Masini & Chern pyjamas but look ultra chic at the same time.
People can laze around in Masini & Chern pyjamas but look ultra chic at the same time.
You’ve said before you’re continually inspired by art, interior and design rather than fashion trends. Who or what are your biggest influences in these areas on a local scale?
In terms of inspiration on a local scale we’re both really drawn to places and scenery. A recent trip to Satellite Island in Tasmania bought about so many ideas for our next collection. Ebonnie’s parents also live down the coast in a secluded spot on The Great Ocean Road. Every few months we head down to get some sea air and clear our heads. We always come up with our best ideas there.
We’re also constantly inspired by local design. Melbourne has some incredibly talented young designers doing amazing stuff on a world scale. We love Melbourne jewellery designer Lucy Folk, there’s nothing trend driven or cliché about her work. It’s always evolving and always interesting.
How did you interpret John Olsen’s famous frogs into your pieces?
When Art Series first came to us about doing the collaboration we had both immediately envisaged the Jumping Frog print. During the design process we tried various other John Olsen works but kept coming back to this one artwork. The Jumping Frog translates beautifully on the pyjamas and is as much masculine as it is feminine.
This Art Series collection is the first collaborative release for M&C. Why did you decide to go with Art Series Hotel Group, and who are some other brands or groups you’d love to collaborate with?
Art Series Hotel Group has a boutique luxury that was appealing for us. Collaborating was always something we wanted to do and being approached by them at such an early stage of our business is a massive honour for us. We’re also currently working on a collaboration with New Zealand designer Karen Walker which we’re extremely excited about. Masini & Chern for Karen Walker will launch in Karen Walker stores early next year.
What’s something you haven’t done yet and would like M&C to do in the future?
Masini & Chern celebrated its first birthday in November. This past year has been incredible, but we have big plans for year two and beyond. We’ll be adding robes, slippers and bed linen to our collection. Our goal is to be Australia’s leading bedroom brand, taking our sophisticated and fashion forward approach into all things bedroom.
We would like to focus on increasing our international presence particularly in the US and Europe.
We’re also hoping another Art Series collab will be on the cards!
The limited edition collaborative collection from Masini & Chern x The Olsen is now available to purchase on our online store, Artefacts. Take a peek here.
