Carlotta + Gee
Sydney-based designers Georgina Cavanagh and Carlotta Casals are friends and business partners, their Australian bedding business, Carlotta + Gee, was pioneered upon their passion for the highest quality linen.
Words: Georgie Ward I Photography: Rachael Tagg, Alana Landsberry & Sevak Babakhani
‘Our business began when we both lived in Paddington. Like many small business start-ups, our home became our warehouse,’ says Georgina Cavanagh from Carlotta + Gee. Photo: Rachael Tagg
‘Wherever the inspiration comes from, our vision is that the bed must look and feel as cosy as ever to ensure the best nights sleep,’ says Georgina Cavanagh from Carlotta + Gee. Photo: Alana Landsberry
‘Working for ourselves is so creative, we can be as bold as we like and push boundaries,’ says Georgina Cavanagh from Carlotta + Gee. Photo: Alana Landsberry
Based in Sydney, Carlotta + Gee is an all-natural, sustainable Australian brand offering 100% French linen bedding and homeware products in a wide range of warm, earthy tones.
Founders, Carlotta Casals and Georgina Cavanagh, met in 2018 in a boutique hotel holiday in Byron Bay, where they both fell in love with the feeling of sleeping in pure linen. ‘We started talking about why we only have ideal sleep on holidays, when really it should be every night,’ says Georgina (Gee). From here, the two came together to create their own bedding business for beauty sleep, all year round.
With Carlotta’s family in the textile business back in Europe, they had close ties with flax farmers in France, where they designed their own threads for production, ‘Everything about Carlotta + Gee has happened very organically, as we are passionate and believe wholeheartedly in the product and business,’ says Gee.
Given their brand is Australian with a touch of European influence, Carlotta + Gee draws inspiration from both regions. In particular, summer days lounging on the beaches of Byron Bay heavily influenced their dainty stripes collection.
‘Those who get why sleeping in pure linen is the best, are hooked for life. The benefits relate to sustainability, health, quality and aesthetics,’ says Gee. Carlotta + Gee’s range is made from 100% flax which is grown in the fields of Normandy, France where no pesticides or chemicals are sprayed.
‘Even before we had a website, we had over 100 pre-orders from friends and family - this definitely helped when we were properly getting started,’ says Georgina Cavanagh from Carlotta + Gee. Photo: Rachael Tagg
Carlotta + Gee’s new collection of bed linen includes earthy tones and striking patterns. Photo: Alana Landsberry
“Growing our own brand from scratch is extremely rewarding and exciting. Being able to have freedom and flexibility is what we love most about working for ourselves”
‘Carlotta and I strongly believe that you should invest your health and well-being and this includes sleep. When thinking of materials that best help sleep, we liked linen fibre as it’s so breathable,’ says Georgina Cavanagh from Carlotta + Gee. Photo: Alana Landsberry
Carlotta + Gee’s collection includes earthy tones in colours including Tumeric, Storm and Pink Clay. Photo: Alana Landsberry
The Carlotta + Gee range extends from bedding and sleepwear to linen to dress your table. Photo: Alana Landsberry
‘After about 14 months we outgrew our terrace and had to move into a warehouse. Our first major order, I remember seeing the truck arrive with hundreds of boxes, I simply couldn’t believe it was all ours - last time we only had 10 boxes,’ says Georgina Cavanagh from Carlotta + Gee. Photo: Rachael Tagg
The Carlotta + Gee range extends from bedding and sleepwear to linen to dress your table. Photo: Alana Landsberry
‘Our linen pyjamas continue to be very popular and we can’t wait to share other colours with you soon,’ says Georgina Cavanagh from Carlotta + Gee. Photo: Sevak Babakhani
Carlotta + Gee’s products are known to be super-soft, as they are pre-washed in volcanic stones, meaning the more they are washed, the softer they’ll become. Their products are all linen, which has a very low environmental footprint, and is great for those with allergies or sensitive skin. Marrying the slow fashion movement, their linen designs match their 100% compostable, zero-waste packaging.
The Carlotta + Gee colour palette inspiration comes from the Australian bushland, with a warm range of natural and earthy tones. Carlotta + Gee will also release two new limited colour editions every season, such as Rosewood and Ochre.
Contrasting the muted tones, some bold colours add a nice addition such as Musk, Apricot and Lake Blue. Mix and matching colours is a must - all the tones complement one another!
The pair also have some exciting news to share: they have recently launched their new quilts, made from flax linen and organic cotton, as well as the release of new sizes and shades of tableware and bedding such as French Navy, Nature Grid and Black Grid.
In the months to come, the girls plan to tweak their colour palette, with some new and exciting shades, as well as a new napery collection collaborating with a very influential designer.
There’s also an exciting experience in the making where they’lll be offering the opportunity to try products in an incredible location - make sure to follow Carlotta + Gee on Instagram for updates… we can hardly wait!
