Category: The A-List

This post is part of a collaboration with WRIGHT Bedding.

I’ve written a lot about the importance of bedding and sleepwear on a good night’s sleep, but I have yet to cover the most important aspect – the mattress! We spend (or at least should be spending!) a third of our life on our mattress so I think it’s safe to say that it’s the most important piece of furniture in your home.

Over the last few years, several affordable mattress options have come to market but I have hesitated to share any of the companies as I didn’t see myself actually using one of their products for my primary bed… Earlier this year I was introduced to Dan Hauber, the founder of WRIGHT bedding, a design driven company that focuses on making the best possible mattresses, pillows, and bedding right here in America. I’ll admit that I was skeptical that these mattresses would be any different from the other models but after listening to Dan geek out about his products, testing out the mattress at the company’s Soho showroom, and learning all about the process that went into designing the collection, I’m ready and willing to make an official recommendation.

Dan was working in consulting on a project evaluating the mattress industry when he realized the opportunity existed for a well-made, well-designed mattress that was easy to purchase. The mattress industry has been able to capitalize on the fact that people don’t purchase mattresses very frequently and in general is an antiquated system, with layers and layers of middlemen, and the end result is sub-par products sold with extremely high margins. Instead of focusing on creating a low-cost option like many of the other direct-to-consumer mattress brands, Dan focused on creating the best possible mattress. And it’s pretty incredible.

Dan spent two years working with mattress factories to refine the design, equipping experts, friends, and mattress reviewers with Jawbone sleep trackers to track their quality of sleep. 27 prototypes later, the team settled on W1.27, the first mattress specifically engineered to deliver deeper and better sleep. Dan has been insistent on making everything in America because doing so allows the team to be much more involved in the entire design, testing, and development process – resulting in a much better product that everyone feels good about.

In addition to being comfortable and providing a great night of sleep, the mattress has everything you could ask for – four layers of Certi-Pur verified foam (which means that the foam is made without ozone depleters, heavy metals, flame retardants, formeldahyde, is low VOC, etc.), heat-wicking gel (without this, foam mattresses can be unbearably hot!), and naturally fire-retardant fibers as opposed to the traditional, potentially toxic chemical fire retardants typically used in mattresses. The foam mattress is made in Georgia and the fabric comes from North Carolina. This is something that you can feel safe spending a third of your life on.

After all of the comfort and safety details, WRIGHT focused on improving your overall experience, focusing on small details like managing the level of friction under the mattress so that your sheets stay tucked in and offering white-glove delivery so you don’t have to deal with lugging a mattress up your stairs… or getting rid of your old mattress. The brand also encompasses thoughtful additions to your bed – from a down pillow with special chambers so that it won’t separate overnight to a hand-printed duvet cover sewn in the garment district created in partnership with Caroline Z. Hurley. The bedding is made in Ohio and sourced from US farms – everything is 100% traceable. Wright is also in development on fully American made sheets, which are incredibly difficult to find – for other brands, the fabric is woven overseas and then cut and sewn in the US.

Why am I willing to recommend this bed? It’s simple – it’s the only option I’ve come across that I would willingly purchase for my own bedroom, as opposed to my guest bedroom. 4 years ago, before any of the newer mattress brands came to market, we spent hours and hours researching mattresses and ended up with an expensive premium option – foam layers, cooling gel, etc. It was the most expensive thing we’d purchased together at the time but we planned to have it for several years and we felt the price per use was worth it. And it has been. But WRIGHT has created a mattress that is actually better than the one we chose, and far less expensive. The W1.27 is the only mattress I’ve tested thus far that I would buy for myself, which is why it’s the mattress I’ve chosen to recommend to you.

If you are looking for a mattress, use the code “theamericanedit” for 15% off any purchase from WRIGHTBEDDING.COM!

It’s currently NYCxDESIGN and I’m excited to celebrate with WRIGHT next week in New York! I’ll be at the showroom in Soho next Thursday – Saturday and we’ll be recording some fun episodes of Why Do We Have Things? If you are in New York, please stop by, I’d love to meet you!

DISCLOSURE: This post is part of a sponsored Why Do We Have Things? collaboration with WRIGHT BEDDING but reflects my personal views and opinions. WRIGHT is an American made company whose products and initiatives align with the goals of The American Edit . Thank you for supporting the businesses that support TAE! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to EMAIL ME.

Image 1, Image 2 & 3 via Wright Bedding

Jewelry is one of the oldest forms of art and is also fairly trend sensitive, which is why it is so exciting to come across someone who makes me think about it differently. Mary MacGill’s made in New York jewelry collection has done just that. Her beautiful, minimal gold pieces are both timeless and exactly on trend, but when you look further into the collection, you see that the pieces are more than just metal, they are thoughtfully made works of art.

I met with Mary last fall in New York and haven’t been able to stop thinking about our interview or her collection (or her incredible vintage Levis!) ever since. When I saw her hand earrings and bracelet the day we met, I was intrigued… and the next day I couldn’t stop thinking about them. I love jewelry and collect it, but it doesn’t always make me think. Now, whenever I wear the hand cuff that Mary was so kind to make me, I’m re-inspired and motivated by the idea of creativity through constraints.

Read on for more from Mary, a peek into her gorgeous studio, and some of my favorite pieces… and be sure to use code “love” for 10% off all orders through February 14th!

WHERE DO YOU MAKE YOUR COLLECTION?
My workshop is in an art gallery in Tribeca – there are just two of us so we don’t need a lot of room yet. Every summer we move the studio to Block Island, where my family has a home. I participate in markets and host studio visits but this is also where I’m the most inspired, so I’m able to put my blinders on and just work.

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED?
I took a jewelry class at camp when when I was in the eighth grade. I loved it so much but when I came home, I didn’t have the metal smithing tools I’d had at camp available to me so I didn’t know how I could continue to make jewelry. A beloved family friend has always been like a mentor to me, and she told me not to let myself be constrained by my circumstances. I started wire wrapping as a way to make jewelry without soldering and it stuck. Sometimes I consider soldering now, but I always manage to work around it in my designs. I started making jewelry and never really stopped… I had my own contacts in the diamond district when I was 13!

I worked for David Yurman for two years after school – I was on a team that designed one of a kind pieces for our retail stores, often using David’s prized possessions in our designs. I left Yurman and moved to Block Island, where I started making my own jewelry. As I worked on starting my business, I traveled and camped across the US for the better part of a year. I started working on my business full time last year.

WHERE DO YOU FIND YOUR INSPIRATION?
I stay away from looking at other jewelry for inspiration – I look at art. A lot of jewelers look at costume jewelry, but I think there are so many other places to find inspiration.

I’m also really inspired by Block Island, and by nature. I feel a strong connection to that, and I think that comes through in my designs.

TELL ME ABOUT THE DIFFERENT PIECES IN YOUR COLLECTION:
I work with a stone carver on the carved stone cuffs – each cuff is carved out of one single piece of stone!

The 14k Collection is made up of small, classic pieces and is meant to tap into the essence of gold.

The bangle bracelets with stones were some of my first pieces – you can mix and match them and they have a lot of movement, which I love.

The Fringe collection is inspired by one of my favorite artists, Alexander Calder. Calder eschewed soldering and welding and worked simply by wiring and hammering metal. That’s really how jewelry has always been made.

The hand and braided collection are my newest additions, and they allow me to delve into the idea of drawing with wire.

SHOP MARY MACGILL (with 10% off code “love”!)
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It’s funny that I’ve yet to officially feature Hackwith Design House on TAE. Today, Lisa is a close friend, collaborator, and studio mate. However, we only actually met in the fall of 2013, when I profiled her collaboration with Parc Boutique. Since then, our attempts at a feature have gotten side-tracked by opening a studio, collaborating on the HDH for Wilson & Willy’s collection, and Hackwith Design House’s incredible growth, but as the team began to launch their third collection, HDH SWIM, I knew it was time to share a little bit more about Lisa and the incredible business she has built.

What impresses me most about Lisa is her ability to take action. The more I learn as an entrepreneur, the more I realize that while ideas have value, the ability to take action is priceless and what leads to success. Lisa and her incredible team exemplify this every day – they legitimately get shit done so quickly it makes my head spin. And this isn’t shoddy work they are putting out there – there is attention to detail and care evident in every HDH piece, and I’ve watched the team re-work and learn techniques and processes over the last year to ensure that the products you buy are incredibly well made and long-lasting. The focus on quality is even more obvious in the HDH SWIM collection, which Lisa designed to work on most body types. Like most women, I’m never a fan of trying on bathing suits, but seeing this collection on two different, beautiful models helped me to understand what would work for me – and helped me to feel better about the overall process.

Read on for more from Lisa…

WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND?

My background is in studio art. I took a year off after college, and I planned to go back to get my MFA, but during that year, I began sewing and realized I’d found my medium – designing and making clothes.

WHAT IS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND HACKWITH DESIGN HOUSE?

I built the business model for HDH centered around my priorities: staying in the Twin Cities, manufacturing all the clothing in the U.S., and making sure I love everything with my name on it. The limited-edition model of my weekly releases allows me to do all three of those things. HDH has grown a lot since then: I have a business partner and 3 full-time seamstresses. HDH also has two lines in addition to our limited-edition releases: HDH Basics and HDH Swim. All of this growth, however, still centers around what makes HDH work: beautiful, quality clothing made in the U.S.

WHO DO YOU DESIGN FOR?

I design for women who want to feel confident in what they wear so they can focus on the more important aspects of their day: performing well at work, a night out with friends, time spent with family.

WHAT LED YOU TO LAUNCH HDH SWIM?

I always had a hard time finding a swimsuit that was both stylish and flattering. I eventually made myself the swimsuit I couldn’t find. I realized that other women might be having the same problem, and I loved the idea of making their new, favorite swimsuit.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE AMERICAN MADE BRANDS TO PAIR WITH HDH?

I love styling with Sven Clogs and of course any of the makers from our Makers Alongside Hackwith Design House collaborations.

HOW HAS BUILDING HDH CHANGED HOW YOU CONSUME?

I have a much easier time spending more on quality products made by small businesses. While the investment can be more up front, I have learned that it pays off in the long run. And purchasing items from like-minded makers and small business owners both helps the local economy while ensuring I receive a product I can use and enjoy for a long time.

HOW DO YOU LEARN ABOUT NEW AND LIKE-MINDED BRANDS?

I have been lucky to meet some really incredible people through Instagram. For all its faults, social media can be a really positive force and help one meet other people who are working hard to accomplish really cool things. Kate from Na Nin, for instance, has become a really good friend of mine, and we only met because we liked each other’s IG feeds.

WHAT DRIVES YOU?

I really love what I do, so that makes it pretty easy to get up every morning and come in to work. It’s so fun for me to create clothing that I hope women feel confident and beautiful while wearing. I am also driven to maintain a company that is both forward thinking while staying true to our values.

WHAT MAKES YOUR DAY?

I feel so incredibly blessed that I get to spend each day doing what I love. On top of that, I am fortunate to work with our incredibly talented seamstresses and one of my closest friends came on as my business partner.

YOU’VE BUILT AN INCREDIBLE BUSINESS OVER THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF – WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHER MAKERS?

First off, you have to put in the work, research, and training prior to starting a small business. While HDH’s current iteration started in September 2013, I actually spent five years prior to that sewing and designing on a daily basis in addition to thinking about my business plan. Because I had that background, I was able to trust my instincts when it came to starting the new business model. I also was fortunate to get great advice from and surround myself with people smarter than I. I have found that trusting your instincts, taking risks, listening to others smarter than you, and working hard are all key ingredients to building a small business.

Images for HDH by Paul Vincent
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Hackwith Design House is a TAE A-List Brand.
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