Assembling the Brand: An Interview with Lunya

Assembled Brands is thrilled to announce a new partnership with luxury sleep and loungewear brand Lunya. We sat down with CEO Blair Lawson and discussed the vision behind the brand, and how the business is revolutionizing rest and well-being through its clothing.

Can you tell us a little bit more about the story behind Lunya?

Entrepreneur (and insomniac) Ashley Merrill saw a huge white space in business, culture, and her own life when she founded Lunya in 2014: the need to take sleep and rest more seriously. That’s why our brand exists to Elevate Rest. The last several years have seen a great wellness awakening: people are no longer willing to sacrifice quite so much of themselves to the hustle culture, and have begun to recognize the importance of self care. And yet many of us still treat our “downtime” without the respect it deserves.

Though sleep and restful activities are proven to improve memory, happiness, marriages, fitness, career tracks, and virtually anything worth pursuing, common behaviors (doom scrolling, binge watching) and attire (activewear) belie the importance of rest. We’re here to change all that -- with Considered Restwear that feels as good in bed as it looks.

What sets Lunya apart from its competitors?

We are obsessed with holistically better rest. That means more than sleep, as even work-from-home hours deserve radical comfort and attention. Our products are not only beautiful -- they are designed to meaningfully impact rest. We hold multiple patents for technical details that lead to better sleep (such as no-twist waistbands), and uphold a level of workmanship and natural fibers not seen amongst our competition. We've also brought together a highly curated selection of rest-bettering products from like-minded brands in adjacent categories in our multi-brand Rest Shop. In other words, Lunya answers a broader set of rest needs with a higher attention to quality.

What pain points do your products address, and which problems do they solve?

Sleep is the secret to better health, productivity, and happiness. We fight the biggest barriers to sleep-- temperature, light, and tossing and turning-- with thermoregulation (hello, thermoregulating Washable Silk), light-blocking (meet our famous sleep mask), and thoughtful ventilation and movement-friendly silhouettes (think our Oprah-lauded Organic Pima pant with a no-twist waistband). We provide content that inspires more mindful rest, such as wind-down routines and in person events (a la sound baths), and stay committed to the belief that even if people can't always rest longer, they can rest better.

How much has Lunya grown over the last 12 months?

We have been very focused on profitability -- building a self-sustaining, profitable, stable business for the long term. We are very proud to have achieved our first profitable quarter in Q4 2023, and we expect 2024 to be our first profitable year.

Now that you have secured financing, how is Lunya going to use the capital? Which areas of the business are you looking to improve?

Although the cornerstone of our business is washable silk pajama sets, we are now seeing strong demand on our non-silk product lines like Organic Pima, Slumberknit™ and Silksweats™. Our financing from Assembled allows us to invest more in our newer and rapidly-growing product lines so that we can meet our customer demand.

What led you to choose Assembled Brands over other lenders? Is there anything that stood out to you?

From our very first call, we could see that the team at Assembled understands our business, our challenges, and our potential. They have been supportive and positive and we know that they want us to be successful. Working with Assembled has felt like a true partnership.

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With a deep understanding of the importance of quality sleep and downtime, Lunya has pioneered a line of thoughtfully crafted products that elevate comfort and enhance restfulness. As Lunya continues to grow and expand its offerings, our partnership provides the necessary support to further innovate and meet the evolving needs of its customers.

With Assembled Brands providing flexible capital and unwavering support, Lunya is determined to continue its trajectory of growth and innovation, ensuring a future where better rest is accessible to all.

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