Like a lot of us, Flipkip co-founder Nat Buchanan used to be silk-pillow curious. She was keen on the benefits silk promised for hair and skin while sleeping, but not quite as keen on how it looked with her linen bedding.
“This was a lockdown idea after I spent too much time at home. I noticed my silk pillow always looked a bit odd against the other pillows,” Buchanan tells Broadsheet. “One day I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if one side was linen and I could just flip it in the morning and have it blend with our bedding?’”
And so the model and actress dreamed Flipkip into existence with Lincoln Jubb, her partner in business and life. The pair’s label launched last year with a range of pillowcases that are 100 per cent organic mulberry silk on one side and 100 per cent organic linen on the other. Available in a small rainbow of colours – rose, natural white, black and oat, plus the brand’s signature lilac and lime – prices start at $79.99 for one pillowcase, $149.99 for two, and $190 if you want to add a silk eye mask to the bundle.
Jubb says the colourways were carefully thought out before production began. “We really wanted to cater to the neutrals because we’re trying to match it to as many bedrooms as possible,” he says. “At the same time we wanted to have fun with it, which is why we went with [brighter] colours too. There’s space in the bedding industry to be a bit more playful.”
The duo spent a lot of time in the early stages of the business finding the right local design studio, the best quality silk and linen, and manufacturers who knew what they were doing when it came to bedtime textiles. The result, they say, is a pillowcase that’s long-lasting as well as comfortable.
“We went through a rigorous sampling phase to make sure we were happy with the durability of the material. We’ve actually got the [initial] samples on our own pillows still, three years later,” Buchanan says.
Jubb came to Flipkip with plenty of experience from his own business, Hung Supply, where he slings stylish camera bags. His knowledge helped with the early days of prototyping and manufacturing, as well as marketing the products.
“The one thing I learned through my other business is that your community and customers are everything. We throw ourselves into every part of the business, from packing orders to customer service. If you wanted to, you could pick up the phone and talk directly to us,” Jubb says.
For Buchanan, Flipkip is more than a business proposition. It means sleep decor that both she and Jubb can agree on, and an end to bad hair days for her curls.
“About four years ago, I did a big chop and started my natural hair journey,” she says. “I had to research what to do because I had no idea, and that’s when I discovered silk pillowcases and really noticed how the silk helped my hair and skin.”
Beyond silk bedding, Buchanan’s curl education has turned her into something of a champion of the natural hair cause. Her advice for fellow curly-haired types? Do your research, and don’t just throw on products without knowing how to use them.
“I’m still very much figuring out my hair,” she says. “I’d say watch lots of Youtube videos and work out what your porosity is, because it’s really going to impact how hair products absorb. Figure out your curl type, too. It’ll save you heaps of money because you won’t be buying products that aren’t right for you.”