FASHION AND FUNCTION
Calgary company’s sleepwear designed to ease night sweat discomfort
For years, as she worked in the Canadian fashion industry, Lara Smith dreamed of starting her own line of clothing. Something fresh. Something that was missing from the market. Something all women would appreciate. Then her sister was diagnosed with breast cancer. The ensuing treatments gave her night sweats, and Smith wanted to help make it better.
“It has been a fantasy of mine for years, to do my own thing,” she says. “After my sister’s diagnosis, that made it personal and urgent.”
Lusome — a nod to an ancient Scottish word that means “desirable” — was born. The Calgarybased sleepwear company uses fabrics made with an innovative dryLon technology, a proprietary technology that literally pushes excess moisture to the fabric’s surface where it can then evaporate.
More than 80 per cent of women will experience night sweats — literally excessive nighttime perspiration — at some point in their life, whether it’s because of menopause or a sideeffect of cancer or other medical treatments. But sleepwear alternatives are limited, notes Smith.
She wanted something different, fashion- forward, yet practical, too. The result? Menswearinspired PJs, one- piece lace- trimmed gowns, longer sleeveless options, lacy shorts and more.
“We wanted to make them the antithesis of granny jammies,” she says with a laugh.
And how. Women are wearing them not just as sleepwear; they’re using them as poolside coverups and even casual, comfortable outfits for going out and about, Smith says.
“I’m not trying to say, ‘ Women, let’s run around in our pyjamas all day,” she says. “But you could if you wanted to.”
This month, Lusome and the Canadian Cancer Society announced a partnership that will see the establishment of the Lusome Cancer Research Fund; from October to December this year, Lusome will donate 10 per cent of the proceeds from sales of two of its most popular styles, the Erin and the Donna sets, to the fund.
( Erin, incidentally, is named after her sister, and Donna is named after their mother.)
Lusome sleepwear is carried in more than 40 stores across North America, including Shades of Sleep in Calgary, On a Lark in Okotoks and Bodacious Bustlines in Airdrie.
Customers can also order online by visiting lusome. com. Prices range from $ 48-$ 128.
Born and raised in Edmonton, Smith studied economics at the University of Alberta before heading to Toronto to pursue her dreams of working in the fashion industry. There, she spent 15 years working as a womenswear buyer, including time at Eaton’s.
As a buyer, she travelled the world, visiting textile factories and building relationships throughout Asia.
Nine years ago she moved back to Alberta after being recruited as a senior buyer for Mark’s Work Wearhouse.
“It’s all about the technology and innovation there,” she says. “I learned so much.”
But with her sister’s diagnosis, Smith realized it was time to pursue her own dreams.
So far, so good, she notes. With the help of a test group of women, she considered more than 70 fabrics before finding the right blend. The fabric’s performance was then certified by a third- party lab team, to prove its efficiency.
Next, Smith hired American designer Karen Glass — who has worked with top U. S. brands such as Chico’s — to turn Smith’s ideas into reality. ( Smith and Glass became friends after meeting 12 years ago, while working on a project together in Toronto.)
The first pyjamas hit store shelves in March this year, and reaction has been positive, with media coverage and customers calling from across North America — as far away as Mexico.
She’s been overwhelmed with requests for similar menswear, and she’ll be launching products for men in 2015. Down the road, she plans to add bedding, too.
It’s about finding ways to help with common problems, and looking good at the same time, she says.
“When a woman feels amazing and comfortable and stylish and beautiful, the world is a better place.”