Leticia Credidio: Creating a sustainable sleepwear brand that embraces comfort & slowness
This week I’d like to introduce you to Leticia Credidio, a designer merging Italian-Japanese-Brazilian influences currently based in Barcelona. After 16 years in NGOs, she courageously ventured into sleepwear design, championing comfort and mindfulness. Dive into Leticia's world, where each piece reflects not just her design sensibilities but also the bold pursuit of her dream to redefine the concept of relaxation.
This is Leticia’s story in her own words.
A few years ago, after experiencing various issues due to a lack of sleep and work overload, I decided to leave my full-time job to launch a brand with a mission - to unleash the power of sleep. At the time, I was working on a project for Greenpeace and learnt all about the detrimental effects that fast fashion has on our planet. It was through this experience that I decided that my brand would steer away from this type of fashion. I made it my mission to research and find sustainable fabrics and ethical manufacturing practices. At the end of December 2018 I launched LETICIA CREDIDIO in London and items were available in New York retail stores by January 2019. In 2020, when the pandemic hit, people seemed to appreciate lounging and embraced the brand.
Letica’s attention to detail makes her sleepwear exquisite. Photo: Marc Sethi
Before launching my business I was doing a mentorship program with the Aspire Foundation. A day before registering my company at Companies House, my mentor suggested using my name on the brand, as I was the designer. I said I wasn’t going to do it but thanked her for the advice. That evening I was having dinner with friends who were working as retail directors for some well-established French and an Italian fashion houses. They randomly mentioned that my name and surname sounded like a fashion brand. Not sure if the wine helped but back then but the decision to use my name was made. Sometimes I still have reservations if it was a wise decision or not. But then I remember that some people are brilliant at articulating their work and love to express themselves by presenting themselves and and the brand through brand photography. I know I’m definitely not one of these people.
As far as the creative process in concerned, the first collection that we launched, called Winter Birds, was rooted in the idea of creating cosy wintery sleepwear and loungewear that you could also wear outdoors, without them looking like pyjamas. ;-) The concept arose when I found myself wanting to lounge around my home on the weekends in my cosy clothes only to have to continuously change into something more stylish if I had to go to the supermarket or if a guest would drop by. At the time I couldn’t find stylish AND sustainable loungewear that would meet this need. So I created it.
Another factor that guides my creative process is working around stock availability. Sustainable and allergy-free fabrics can be hard to find so I always need to be considering this in my process.The Ocean Collection is a perfect example of the challenges that limited stock availability can create. This collection pays homage to our Oceans. To be true to this sentiment though, I had to wait for Mother Nature to produce enough organic seaweed to start manufacturing the fabric. Then there was the unexpected shortage of colours which led to a change in part of the collection at its launch.
To market our products, we have been set on collaborating with like-minded organisations and partnering with sustainable fashion platforms since the brands early days. In 2022 we started working with a brilliant marketing team that helped us reach amazing clients that are passionate about sustainable fashion.
LETICIA CREDIDIO Photo: Marc Sethi
6 tips on managing and building a brand from ground zero
Master the art of not rushing and stressing. I guess this is my number one piece of advice. I learnt the hard way that most things never go at the pace we want to them to go. We all depend on suppliers, partners, teams, artists, clients and manufacturers to run a business. Putting pressure on them just creates a nasty way of working. Take things slow, plan ahead to avoid delays, and have a back up of people that can help you to get stuff done.
Make your wellbeing & your happiness a priority. Creatives/entrepreneurs/business owners take things home all the time. It’s impossible to separate work from family life when you run a business. Family commitments can be stressful over and above the commitments that the business demands. Always prioritise what brings you joy and allocate time for those things.
Take mini breaks during the day so you can be fully present when it comes to your projects and family. Things can be overwhelming when you juggle so much. Five minutes looking outside or going for a short walk at lunchtime will make you more productive in your day.
Be willing to learn new things and to listen to others. How boring is a person who knows it all?! It’s quite easy to maintain your “tried and tested” techniques or to believe that your experience is enough to get you through. However, youngsters, online courses and a completely new network of people can open your mind to things you didn’t know you didn’t know.
Remember that things come and go. Today we might be facing a difficult behaviour from a toddler, or a client. And tomorrow it’s like nothing ever happened. Problems appear and disappear, usually when least expected. You never know how business partners or suppliers might change from one day to the next. You need to be flexible and be open to change. Don’t take things too seriously, not everything needs to be set in stone.
Always value people and give them your full attention. Despite the fact that they might come and go one day, appreciate that they want to be in your life or want to work with you. Even with your family, remember that your children might be saying something that you think is irrelevant but for them you’re their reference point and a their inspiration.
You can see and read more about Leticia’s journey at the following links:
You can also connect with Leticia on Instagram