Emerging Independent
Sleeper
Two former Ukrainian fashion editors launched Sleeper in Kyiv with $2,000 startup capital and a single seamstress—and were named brand of the month by Vogue Italia's Franca Sozzani within two months. The hook was 'walking sleepwear': feather-trimmed linen pajama sets meant to be worn to dinner, not just to bed. Stocked at Net-a-Porter, Harrods and Bergdorf Goodman, Sleeper became a pandemic-era cult favourite, and founders Kate Zubarieva and Asya Varetsa landed on Forbes Europe's 30-under-30 list in 2019.
Timeline3
2014—2022·8 yrs
- 2014
Sleeper founded in Kyiv
Kate Zubarieva and Asya Varetsa found Sleeper in Kyiv, Ukraine, focused on linen pajamas worn beyond the bedroom.
- 2018
Feather-trim party pajama goes viral
Sleeper's feather-trim party pajama becomes a viral hit, defining a new category of loungewear-as-eveningwear.
- 2022
Operations adapt amid war
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the brand adapts operations and continues production with displaced teams.
