“Selling out was so
validating. Before we
launched, I struggled
with self-doubt”C U LT S TAT U S
The founders of three top-shelf start-ups share their secrets with Alley Pascoe
GENEVIEVE ROSEN
Bed ThreadsThree weeks after Genevieve Rosen launched her
linen label Bed Threads, she sold out of stock. It
was August 2017 and Rosen had spent the two
years prior developing the product. “Selling out was
so validating. Before we launched, I struggled with
self-doubt and felt very vulnerable. I’d put my heart
and soul into the brand’s vision and [selling out]
confirmed we were genuinely servicing the market,”
explains Rosen, 29, who had a specific vision – an
honest, accessibly priced, direct-to-consumer,
online, pure linen bedding brand with carbon
-neutral delivery and plastic-free packaging.
Before the brand’s grassroots launch, Rosen
and her business partner/husband Alan built Bed
Threads Instagram following to 2000. In the first
few months, influencers Carmen Hamilton, Jasmine
Dowling and Emilie Ristevski of Hello Emilie all
posted about the brand, building hype among their
combined two million followers. Bed Threads now
has 43,000 Insta followers, and a distinct aesthetic.
“We’re very inspired by art, the modernist period and
artists such as Picasso and Modigliani,” explains
Rosen of her carefully curated grid and “luxurious
but accessible” style.
While a solid social media following certainly
helped, Rosen says her product is at the heart of
the business’ success. “Since launching, I’ve learnt
your product is everything. You can have the best
photography, chicest stylist and the prettiest website,
but if your product doesn’t serve a genuine gap, it
won’t matter,” explains Rosen, who has expanded
her signature bedding line from six colour shades
to 16, including turmeric and lavender pantones.
Year on year, the business has grown by 500 per
cent and Rosen has had an overwhelming response
from her customers, who are mostly millennial
women aged 24 to 35. “We’ve shipped orders
everywhere from Texas to Tel Aviv and Ohio to
Ireland. We’ve had people buy bedding sets in every
single colour, and at Christmas time people have
bought a set for every single person in their family.
It’s really humbling to be entrusted with someone’s
sleep and let into their bedroom,” says Rosen, a sleep
evangelist. “I think good linen is the start of a good
night’s sleep.” And a great night’s sleep is priceless.