WAS THE NEWSLETTER #105

I’m Paige Wassel. WAS the Newsletter is your weekly dose of design inspiration, where we are living our dreams of becoming pillow moguls.

THE DROP

Okay, hi. It’s happening, againnnnnnn.

Pillow Drop 5.0 goes live this Sunday, December 7 at 11:00 AM PST exclusively on my www.wasthestore.com. (You're subscribers, so you're in the know.) This is my biggest, most intentional collection yet. We've got 15 styles, all designed by me and made from vintage or deadstock fabrics I’ve sourced across Los Angeles.

I’ve been working on this round since July, tweaking, matching, re-matching, and I honestly feel the most prepared I’ve ever been for a launch. It's...weird, but I'm rolling with it.

So lemme walk you through what’s coming your way.

THE SQUARES

I went classic this round. Don’t worry, there are still some weird little beauties in the mix, but I really wanted a few timeless square pillows anyone could work into their space. (Oh, and did I mention pillows make a great gift?)

So this is what's coming, and in retrospect, I feel like I should have given each of them names. Next time, maybe.

• Navy/Almost-Black Diamond Silky Square

Ultra-silky, ultra-chic. Looks expensive because... it is.

• Beige Stripe Square (aka: “my sofa fabric”)

Yes, same fabric as my living room sofa for the real ones who watch my home updates on YouTube. The back is a green silky fabric with piping. She’s a stunner.

• English Pattern Square

Thicker fabric, beige front and back, trimmed in a leftover textile from a previous launch. If you remember the shower-curtain fabric from the textile drop, she’s back and in piped form. Who doesn’t love a reinvention moment?

• Black Grid and Brown Tweed

THE SMALL LUMBARS

I love a small lumbar because you can toss it anywhere. Put it on a chair, sofa, bench, whatever. These cuties will give whatever they rest on an instant personality.

• Diamond Lumbar with Tiny Green Pinstripe and Neon Piping

Classic Paige, because she’s subtle until she isn’t.

• Beige Silk-ish Lumbar with Beaded Flowers

Listen, I know my design can trend darker and more masculine. But this is a little feminine nod because even I like a floral once in a while. Backed with a really pretty, subtly striped (pricey) silky fabric. I can see this living in your kid's room.

• Yellowy-Purple Stripe Reversible Lumbar

Front and back fabrics were found in totally different places and matched perfectly. They must have been made by the same manufacturer? I don't know how I conjured this magic, but you're welcome.

THE LUMBARS

I didn’t do long lumbars in early drops, but now… obsessed. They’re perfect for beds, especially if you’re like me and don’t want moving 400 pillows involved in your daily routine.

Clean, minimal, so good.

• Beige Mohair Stripe with Silky Grid Back

Warm but still structured. It's a whole vibe.

• Creamy Green Stripe Long Lumbar

Lime and dark green if you look closely. This one has the highest quantity available because I know it’s going to be a bestseller… I think… maybe… we’ll see.

• Gray and Silver Pin Stripe

THE XXL LUMBAR

Yes, the extra-extra long one deserves its own category.

Made from vintage men’s tie fabric, and I swear it might be my favorite pillow I’ve ever designed. The quantity available is tiny because I could barely get any of this fabric, but I wasn’t willing to let it go. Backed with a blue stripe that reminds me of vintage pajamas. Mine currently lives across my bed and looks stupidly good.

This one is going to sell out in minutes. You’ve been warned.

THE MINIS

Minis are less "practical" and more "fun." Dogs love them, kids love them (but do not put them in cribs; I learned this recently). They look adorable on small chairs. We've got two minis this round:

• Black and Gray Mohair Mini

This one's giving soccer ball, which shouldn't work, but it does. Backed in heather gray.

• The Chartreuse-Striped Mini

This one is bright, classic, and it's built to withstand the dogs and kids who are going to fight over it.

THE BOLSTERS

Bolsters are always a wildcard because half the world is like, “Wait…what TF is a bolster?” But these are special. They're hand-stuffed in Los Angeles because the size is custom. Some are feather-down, some are poly-cotton, depending on the style. (The other pillows come empty with inserts.)

• Navy Bolster

• Indigo Bolster

The piping is reversed on each, so if you mix and match, they look incredible together. Editorial but cozy.

I honestly cannot wait to see where all of these styles end up in your homes.

THE FINE PRINT

Drop Date: Sunday, December 7

Time: 11:00 AM PST (set your alarms!)

Where: On the WAS website

International Shipping: Yes. We’re selling internationally this round, woo! We will ship to the following places:

USA, Mexico, Canada, UK, EU, Australia, New Zealand

Quantities: When something sells out…that’s it. Sorry. Most fabrics are vintage/deadstock, so once they’re gone, they’re gone forever.

Vibe Check: This is the most prepared, excited, and confident I’ve ever felt launching a collection. I’ve really dialed in the process this time, and I think it shows. So I want to say thank you for being here, and for being the people who actually read these newsletters. Couldn’t do it without you.

You should probably reward your loyalty with a pillow.

DO / DON’T by Basma Alromaih

xx,
P