Lounge In Luxury with The Silk Robe
We love any excuse to slip into something silky and to feel a bit luxurious, especially this year - we all deserve to lounge in a little bit of luxury and treat ourselves. With our lounge and sleepwear on high rotation during 2020, we were so excited to come across Mimi LaMontagne's brand The Silk Robe. An Australian Label that has been designed with luxury and made for enjoyment. Life moves quickly and the silk robes range of loungewear is here to slow it down. Mimi shares with us the story behind her beautiful brand, why you should be wearing silk and the inspiration behind the silk pieces.
As you know, we love your brand message, style & products, could you please take us back to how it all began. How did The Silk Robe come to be?
The Silk Robe was an idea borne out of practical desire. I have, and probably always will, work quite a lot – I’m passionate about what I do and it’s what drives me. Over the years I’ve learnt how important it is, no matter who you are or how driven you are, to take time for yourself… to really relax and recharge. About four years ago I made a point to integrate that into my life, every week – and I found that in those times of much needed R&R, the only thing I had to put on was an old t-shirt or track pants. Here I was trying to feel good, to treat myself a bit, and the clothes I had available weren’t up to the task. I did a ton of digging online to find loungewear that was luxurious, comfortable and – most importantly, realistic to wear on a regular basis – but I came up with nothing. So I started putting some pen to paper and sketching out my dream loungewear… and those sketches are what you now know at The Silk Robe!
The Silk Robe was an idea borne out of practical desire. I have, and probably always will, work quite a lot – I’m passionate about what I do and it’s what drives me. Over the years I’ve learnt how important it is, no matter who you are or how driven you are, to take time for yourself… to really relax and recharge. About four years ago I made a point to integrate that into my life, every week – and I found that in those times of much needed R&R, the only thing I had to put on was an old t-shirt or track pants. Here I was trying to feel good, to treat myself a bit, and the clothes I had available weren’t up to the task. I did a ton of digging online to find loungewear that was luxurious, comfortable and – most importantly, realistic to wear on a regular basis – but I came up with nothing. So I started putting some pen to paper and sketching out my dream loungewear… and those sketches are what you now know at The Silk Robe!
Could you share with us the benefits of the silk you use for each of your beautiful garments?
Silk is such an incredible material. It’s 100% natural and hypoallergenic, meaning it won’t irritate your skin no matter how long you lounge or how sensitive your skin may be. It’s a natural temperature regulator, meaning it insulates when it’s cold and it is incredibly breathable when it’s warm. It is one of the strongest natural fibres you can find, meaning although it’s thin and luxurious it won’t shred, tear or wear over time. Silk also has the surprising benefit of keeping your skin moisturised and holding moisture close to the skin, which can help with skin complexion. Lastly, silk is a more environmentally conscious fabric choice when produced in the proper ways – 100% natural with a low carbon footprint, extremely durable and a huge rural employer. Summed up… silk is amazing! On top of all of the inherent benefits of silk, we use a special kind of silk at The Silk Robe – sandwashed silk. The sandwashing process not only ensures that your silk garment is machine washable, but it also takes away that high-gloss look and creates a smooth matte look and feel… both elements we think are important for the modern woman to feel relaxed.
Silk is such an incredible material. It’s 100% natural and hypoallergenic, meaning it won’t irritate your skin no matter how long you lounge or how sensitive your skin may be. It’s a natural temperature regulator, meaning it insulates when it’s cold and it is incredibly breathable when it’s warm. It is one of the strongest natural fibres you can find, meaning although it’s thin and luxurious it won’t shred, tear or wear over time. Silk also has the surprising benefit of keeping your skin moisturised and holding moisture close to the skin, which can help with skin complexion. Lastly, silk is a more environmentally conscious fabric choice when produced in the proper ways – 100% natural with a low carbon footprint, extremely durable and a huge rural employer. Summed up… silk is amazing! On top of all of the inherent benefits of silk, we use a special kind of silk at The Silk Robe – sandwashed silk. The sandwashing process not only ensures that your silk garment is machine washable, but it also takes away that high-gloss look and creates a smooth matte look and feel… both elements we think are important for the modern woman to feel relaxed.
It took two years for you to design The Silk Robe range, and like you've said (and we completely agree) good things take time! Where did you draw inspiration from for The Silk Robe? What part of the development process took the longest and why?
I actually was first inspired by my favourite track pants and sweatshirt – so comfortable, a bit sporty (with a stripe) and the ultimate loungewear. But, nonetheless, a track suit. I wanted to create something as comfortable and relaxed as a track suit with the elegance and versatility of silk. My goal was to create pieces that encouraged women to treat themselves… to take that time, to relax and recharge, and to do it in luxury… not just a track suit. The longest part of the development process was finding the right manufacturers, from the silk to the sewing through to the packaging. It’s in The Silk Robe’s DNA to be an environmentally conscious brand and finding the right companies and people to bring all of the elements of production together took time… but, was so rewarding.
I actually was first inspired by my favourite track pants and sweatshirt – so comfortable, a bit sporty (with a stripe) and the ultimate loungewear. But, nonetheless, a track suit. I wanted to create something as comfortable and relaxed as a track suit with the elegance and versatility of silk. My goal was to create pieces that encouraged women to treat themselves… to take that time, to relax and recharge, and to do it in luxury… not just a track suit. The longest part of the development process was finding the right manufacturers, from the silk to the sewing through to the packaging. It’s in The Silk Robe’s DNA to be an environmentally conscious brand and finding the right companies and people to bring all of the elements of production together took time… but, was so rewarding.
Now more than ever, women are in their loungewear at home. What makes The Silk Robe stand out from other loungewear brands?
The Silk Robe is about more than loungewear. With each of our pieces we aim to help create an environment for women to finally let their hair down, to relax and to give themselves the space and luxury to recharge. In today’s world it’s a bit different – rather than running from work to the gym to dinner, we’re at home. But that doesn’t mean we don’t need to give ourselves the space and time to show some self care and self love. We might not be running at light speed, but we’re dealing with a lot both emotionally and physically, and mental health has never been more important. We really try to promote that at The Silk Robe, and we hope that when you pull on your silk pants or your silk dress, you use it as an opportunity to cut yourself some slack and exercise self care.
The Silk Robe is about more than loungewear. With each of our pieces we aim to help create an environment for women to finally let their hair down, to relax and to give themselves the space and luxury to recharge. In today’s world it’s a bit different – rather than running from work to the gym to dinner, we’re at home. But that doesn’t mean we don’t need to give ourselves the space and time to show some self care and self love. We might not be running at light speed, but we’re dealing with a lot both emotionally and physically, and mental health has never been more important. We really try to promote that at The Silk Robe, and we hope that when you pull on your silk pants or your silk dress, you use it as an opportunity to cut yourself some slack and exercise self care.
We love that each colour is named after a drink! It's the first time you'll see us order a Sambuca without getting a hangover. Could you please share the reason behind the names?
It’s pretty simple really… we don’t want to take ourselves too seriously! And we thought the naming conventions behind our unique colourways was a fun way to add a bit of personality and flavour into our first range.
Regardless of whether you’re already a customer of The Silk Robe, or you’re planning on treating yourself to your first silk loungewear set, or we’re just not your style… I hope reading this has inspired you to take a moment for yourself. Life has been a wild ride in 2020 and we all need those moments of peace.
Discover the Silk Robe collection here.
It’s pretty simple really… we don’t want to take ourselves too seriously! And we thought the naming conventions behind our unique colourways was a fun way to add a bit of personality and flavour into our first range.
Regardless of whether you’re already a customer of The Silk Robe, or you’re planning on treating yourself to your first silk loungewear set, or we’re just not your style… I hope reading this has inspired you to take a moment for yourself. Life has been a wild ride in 2020 and we all need those moments of peace.
Discover the Silk Robe collection here.
