If we're talking about collaborations that just make sense, could you fathom a more fated pairing than Hill House Home — maker (and trademarker) of the Nap Dress — and Netflix's "Bridgerton"?
On Wednesday, the New York-based lifestyle brand founded by Nell Diamond announced a partnership with Meena Harris' Phenomenal and Netflix, tapping into the "Regencycore" phenomenon by reimagining its viral Nap Dresses with a new custom floral chinoiserie print by London-based artist Diane Hill inspired by the show, which was costume designed by Ellen Mirojnick. There are three styles, each retailing for $125, to be sold exclusively on phenomenalwoman.us: a floral pink Ellie, a floral lavender Ellie and a Whistledown Trellis Nesli. There are also two hair pins ($40 a pop).
One of the interesting things over the past 18 months with the Nap Dress becoming so popular amongst our customers has been us thinking: 'Who is the right first partner?'" Diamond says. "This is our first collaboration, and if I had to pick out of a hat, it would really be this collaboration. It's pretty surreal and humbling that it's actually happening."
Phenomenal had already been working with Netflix on "Bridgerton" merch. Harris reached out to Diamond via Instagram earlier this year, to discuss a potential "project," which was later disclosed in a Zoom call. This was right after Hill House had released its English Garden collection in February, which got a lot of "Bridgerton"-related feedback, according to Diamond.
"We got so many comments like, 'Oh my God, this is giving me major 'Bridgerton' vibes. This is so timely.' I remember getting a DM from someone, like, 'Wow, you really turned that around fast.' I was like, 'No, no, you can't make a dress like that,'" she says. "We started designing the English Garden collection a year prior, before 'Bridgerton' came out, but we had so many people tagging us, like, 'I'm living all my 'Bridgerton' dreams wearing the English Garden collection.'"
The Hill House team was immediately on board. Next came bringing on Hill, an artist Diamond found and reached out to also on Instagram. "I DM'd her and said, 'Any interest in talking about a project?' That's the funny thing: Meena had said 'a project,' and I said the same thing, begging Diane to get on a Zoom with me so I could tell her what it actually is," Diamond says. "Diane was amazing to work with. She's been super super busy; she has an incredible business herself and is an entrepreneur herself, so I was so pumped that she was able to do it, especially on the timeline that we were working with."
