Moonlit's In Bed With... Series is a collection of intimate interviews with tastemakers, core-shakers, and the people we love. We explore what keeps them up at night, in addition to their sleep secrets.
This week, we're so excited to feature Suzanne Brosnan, Founder of ZANNI, a technical dress line designed to marry the toughest workout apparel with beautiful basics so women could live life in action without sacrificing style. The dresses take you from post-morning workout, to meeting marathon, to evening bike ride, to dinner, or whatever your agenda entails. 💁🏻♀️❤️
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Hey Suzanne! First of all, we love your dresses. 💃🏻From biking down the beach, to dressing them up with heels in the office, they help us seamlessly transition through the day.
Q: What was your inspiration for ZANNI?
Suzanne: The main trigger for me was I was unhappy with my wardrobe. When I first started thinking about ZANNI and dresses made from technical performance fabrics I was freelancing as a UX/UI designer. My work consisted of auditing and improving the experience and design of digital products like websites, apps, software etc and with that mindset I also started to take note of the flaws of tangible things in my life, like my clothing.
My clothes weren’t lasting long because they were poor quality, cheap, or just generally worn out and I had to cycle through a different outfit for each activity of my day. The pieces I wasn’t concerned about though were my yoga/running clothes and once I really started thinking about that, that’s when the lightbulb went off. 💡
At first I just thought I had found the solution - I’ll wear all athleisure apparel and all the stores will have exactly what I was looking for. But they didn't. They just had leggings, crop tops, a few tops and a lot of it was still branded to be sporty. I really wanted pieces, especially a dress, that I could wear all day for whatever was on my agenda and I just thought if no one else was going to do it I was going to do it!
Q: As the one year mark approaches for both Moonlit and ZANNI, we were wondering what have been some of the highlights and lessons learned from your first year in business?
Suzanne: There are so many highlights! It was really cool to get my first polished and wearable sample back from my factory in Los Angeles. I was like “I did it!” Then when I set up my online shop and my friends started buying the dresses...that was another unreal feeling.
Seeing people you know and don’t know wear something you created and then tell you that they’ve needed this dress in their life is amazing.
Watching an idea you really believe in come to life is so satisfying and terrifying at the same time. It’s a roller coaster that you don’t really regret getting on...I think!
The three main things I’ve learned are:
- Ask questions and write down the answers so you can learn and improve
- You can’t do it all yourself. Hire people to help in the areas you consider to be your weak areas. For me that’s things like accounting.
- Have a plan but go with the flow. There will be errors, rejection, mix-ups, and missteps and your best defense is learn from it and bounce back quickly with a new strategy.
Q: What’s coming up for you in 2018?
Suzanne: So many things! Events, pop ups, a few new styles….stay tuned to our website and Instagram!
Q: What's your nighttime ritual?
Suzanne: I got lasik last year so my routine has really been cut in half! I wash my face with water and massage in my face oil with a jade roller. If I think of it I’ll turn on my Vitruvi diffuser and listen to an energy podcast like Abraham Hicks or The True You if I need help winding down. And lastly, sometimes I sport a scrunchie to make sure my hair doesn’t get tangled and my husband makes fun of me. I should probably look into a Moonlit silk pillowcase, huh?!
Q: What keeps you energized during the day?
Q: Most important sleep advice you can give?
Q: I get the best sleep when…
Q: Fun fact?
🔥QUICKFIRE 🔥
My ideal # of hours of sleep is: 8
But in reality, I actually get: 6-7
Sleep season for me is: All year round
How many pillows: Just one!
AM or PM?: AM
Nightcap?: Hot water with lemon or Four Sigmatic Reishi
Bad sleep habit: Scrolling through Instagram before bed and leaving my phone on my nightstand.
Good sleep habit: Plugging my phone in another room and turning on Airplane Mode.
Can't sleep with: The TV on
Side/back/stomach sleeper: Side
Mantra: Lately it’s been “I am clear” (to declutter my brain and prioritize) and “I am whole” (to give myself confidence to crush the day).
IG Beauty Community crushes: @lifestyle_engineered, @shopgoodco, @violette_fr