How former Calvin Klein model Ingrid Bonnor founded Homebodii
The ex-Calvin Klein model spotted a huge gap in the market. Now her sellout brand has been named Australia’s best sleepwear.
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Ingrid Bonnor was a young bride. She met her husband at 20 and was married by 22.
At the time, she was modelling for cult fave brands like Calvin Klein and Bendon Lingerie. And that included a bunch of work for bridal magazines, giving her access to a whole lot of designers and suppliers in the industry.
“I’m sitting there in my husband’s oversized white T-shirt on my wedding day, thinking that we could do this so much better. Back then there was lingerie that you could wear after the wedding, but there wasn’t anything to make you feel beautiful, sexy and confident before the wedding,” she tells news.com.au checkout.
“No lace robes, no silky pyjamas, there was nothing, so that was kind of my aha moment.”
So Ingrid grabbed some lace, visited her local dressmaker to create some robes and roped in her model friends to stage a photo-shoot at home.
It was then in 2012, Homebodii was born.
“I identified a gap in the market and just really threw myself into it”.
Six months into her “passion project”, Ingrid received an email from US fashion giant Urban Outfitters.
“This really changed things for us”, says Ingrid.
Their entry level order sold out completely and Homebodii is still stocked in Urban Outfitters to this day.
You can also find Homebodii at David Jones, where Ingrid shares they have “a higher sell through rate than Skims”.
THE MOST PINNED BRIDAL ROBE ON PINTEREST
The Helena Robe is one of the brand’s bestsellers and has a “special place” in Ingrid’s heart.
Five-star rating Homebodii customers have called it “absolutely stunning”, and has also been worn by the likes of Aussie influencers Rachel Dillon and Anna McEvoy on their wedding mornings.
“Our robes are the most pinned bridal robe on Pinterest, and we’ve been worn by thousands of brides across the globe.”
One of them being me. I got married in September and I was lucky enough to receive the Homebodii Sian Robe and Sian Slip about two weeks before my big day.
When it arrived, I loved it so much that I express ordered the same sets for my bridesmaids in the gorgeous Eggshell Blue colour.
Sian Robe, $89.95 at Homebodii
And I have to say, the photos speak for themselves.
Not only are they incredibly soft and comfortable, but the colour and finish is incredible and they photograph amazing – which is exactly what you want on your wedding day!
These are truly the best bridal robes, and I say that with confidence as I ordered and returned a bunch throughout my bridal journey.
“I LEARNT THE HARD WAY”
Creating a successful Australian fashion brand hasn’t always been smooth sailing for Ingrid, in fact, she describes it as a “real labour of love”.
“It kind of went from zero to 100 quite quickly. I had no design or manufacturing background, so I had to rely on my suppliers and I got ripped off way too much … I learnt the hard way”.
Ingrid was working 14 hour days with her young children - something she calls “challenging but incredibly rewarding”.
“I actually took myself over to China and met with the factories, went with them to the fabric markets, and actually personally sourced the fabric, touched it and felt it to decide on what sort of look I wanted”.
When Homebodii first launched into market, it was the first of its kind. But now 14 years later, more and more competitors are joining the bridalwear space.
“Like any great idea, you get copied. It was disheartening at first, but then I just turned it into motivation.”
Ingrid now has a big focus on sustainability.
“Most people may not know this but 80 per cent off the Homebodii range is sustainable, something that is very hard to do with lace.”
Homebodii creates with high-quality fabrics, including OEKO-TEX ceritified materials and TENCEL.
“So we made a real conscious effort. We can’t compete on quantity, but we can compete on quality, while also maintaining our price point and creating beautiful garments for our customers.”
“MY MOST PROUDEST MOMENT”
Homebodii is part of so many women’s most memorable morning of their life - their wedding day.
And it doesn’t just stop at Aussie talent, global celebrities and royalty are included in the line-up too.
After its success with bridalwear and bridal robes, the Aussie brand eventually evolved into pyjamas, lingerie and loungewear too.
“We’ve always stayed true to making garments that serve a purpose and make women feel beautiful.
“One of my most proudest moments is being called Australia’s best sleepwear brand by Vogue Australia”.
According to Ingrid, Homebodii’s return rate is incredibly low when compared to industry standards.
“Our return rate is about 10 per cent, whereas industry standard is 30 per cent, so that tells us our customers are actually loving our products and keeping them and then buying more. That’s something we’re very proud of.”
MUST-HAVE PICKS FROM HOMEBODII
Ingrid’s personal favourite piece is the Helena Lace Robe we mentioned above.
“It’s timeless, elegant, and embodies everything Homebodii is about.”
But when it comes to best sellers, the Ultimate Luxe Robe takes the cake.
”It’s been a consistent favourite and is known as Australia’s cosiest robe. It’s luxurious yet accessible, making it perfect for both bridal and everyday wear.”
While I’m now obsessed with the bridal range, I’ve had the Petra Tencel Lounge Pyjama Set in my rotation for about a year now and they are the softest and most comfortable pair of pyjamas I own.
But if lingerie is more your thing, Homebodii recently dropped a new collaboration with Snezana Wood and the Homebodii x Snezana Celina Bra is calling my name!
WHAT’S NEXT FOR HOMEBODII
Ingrid shares: “we have a really exciting collaboration coming up with another well known Aussie fashion brand, and that’s coming up right before Christmas.”
“We’re also focusing on our international expansion, we’ve had some meetings in Paris lately so that’s been really exciting”.
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