In Conversation With: Drift Sleepwear

Drift Sleepwear brings a new perspective to men's sleepwear. Their hand drawn prints call upon inspiration from faraway places and tell stories for individuals with an offbeat aesthetic—those who dare to be different. Built around the ‘Susegad’ philosophy of enjoying life in the slow lane, Drift Sleepwear hope to inspire others to celebrate the rituals of sleep and relaxation. With pyjamas that stand out from a backdrop of sameness, you can embrace your individuality where it matters most—at home.

We speak with Sean about the importance of proper men's pyjamas and where they draw their inspiration from.

Drift was founded in 2020 by Holly and Sean. They wanted to bring a new perspective to men's sleepwear. Making pyjamas that stand out from a backdrop of sameness, celebrating individuality and providing maximum comfort where it matters most—at home.

They each have unique and different heritage, but share similar stories. Born in different corners of the Earth, they are avid travellers and love to celebrate the rituals of sleep.

After noticing that Women have an abundance of sleepwear to choose from, but Men are left with boring old checks and stripes, they decided to create Drift and offer something more unique, for the Men who dare to be different.

The name itself is naturally connected to sleep – everyone loves to ‘drift off’ on the couch every Sunday. But there are also other positive aspects associated with ‘drifting’ that the brand is built on – being in a relaxed state, floating about, going with the currents and travelling for the sake of the journey as opposed to the destination. This is where the wavy lines in the logo came from…. To mimic drifting upon the waves and feeling a sense of relaxation that comes from freedom.

Most Men's Pyjamas are offered by Brands that primarily focus on Women. Drift Sleepwear is different in that we focus purely on Men.

Men have different needs – they sleep hotter than women so lightweight materials and breathability is key.

In addition to the functional aspects, we think individuality is priceless. We exist to celebrate it, search for it, push people to embrace it. We’re not for the masses. We’re here for the individuals. That’s why we put so much time and effort into creating unique prints that tell real stories.

Finally, we are determined to leave the Earth a better place than we found it. Because of that, we have partnered with Just One Tree to plant one tree for every order placed, with the aim of supporting global reforestation, restoring habitats and improving air quality. Meaning, one new pyjamas equals one new tree!

Our favourite print, ‘Cabo De Rama’, was inspired by a peaceful and secluded beach in Goa, Hollys birthplace. Because there's no place like home. This is special place where the ‘Susegad’ philosophy reigns, meaning to live life in a ‘slow’ way.

Calling upon the coconut tree leaves as the primary motif from the towering trees that provide much needed shelter from the sun. Colours include the lush green base from the trees and lighter highlights as found in the blue and green hues of the water. It's impossible not to relax in such a pleasant setting.

In our endless pursuit of creativity, we collaborate with contemporary artists from all corners of the globe to create special limited editions, something we believe adds diversity to our collections and work.

Our exclusive prints, each hand drawn, are specifically commissioned for us, and can take up to six months to create and finalise before being crafted by our partners. No off-the-rack designs here.

We typically find a source of inspiration first, normally as a result of travel. We then look to find artists that we love; ones that resonate with our brand an values in particular. Once a theme is co-created we like to let the artists take over. They are free to express themselves and let their talents shine.

The Drift Sleepwear team love serving a real functional need whilst also providing a creative platform for artistic expression. It’s a really nice balance - both the ying and yang.

We call upon inspiration from faraway places and cultures. All of our prints are different from each other, both in terms of design as well as inspiration. There isn’t too much process to it - which means it can often take a long time, but it’s always fun and exciting seeing where it takes you.

Drift Sleepwear depends on people—we see everyone involved in making our products as an extension of our community, and we’ve made a commitment towards them. We love working with like minded people from design through to production.
And of course, most importantly, it’s about our community of customers, the ‘Drifters’. We want them to be involved in the process of building out the range and so we often ask them directly what types of products they want to see from us.

In the short term we will continue to offer new prints and expand into other sleepwear products. Eventually we would love to include a childrens range and introduce products for Women also.

FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK. SEAN ACTUALLY HAS A VERY STRUCTURED SLEEP RITUAL… INCLUDING THE BELOW:

• Taking a hot shower followed by quick burst of cold (to cool the body temp down)
• Throwing on a fresh pair of PJs (Drift of course!)
• Avoiding blue light after 10pm
• Taking Magnesium and Zinc supplements, plus some CBD oil if the day has been particularly hectic
  Reading a book for 10-15mins
• Setting an alarm using the sleep cycle app that tracks sleep phases and wakes you up within a time window when most appropriate!