ROBIN WILSON

“I enjoy a quote by Mira Nair, which says ‘It is as simple as choosing a path and then pursuing it fully and completely.’” But, sometimes, it’s not particularly easy. Layering in the complexity of one or more family members with pan-allergenic conditions complicates the task to challenging and sometimes frustrating, expensive trial-and-error. 

“I created Clean Home Design influenced by lifetime pan-allergic health issues from pollen to dander to food,” she says. “Our brand covers multiple categories for every room of your home. For example, we have textiles in the bed and bath categories at leading retailers, including Macy’s and Belk, and soon in the UK and Japan as the first Black international, licensed hypoallergenic textile brand. And we are also launching our mattress collection at retail, so we will be able to help consumers from the mattress to the towels, sheets, and pillows.”

HOME, SWEET HOME
Consumer buying habits have shifted dramatically in the last two years, and fortunately, Wilson’s depth of knowledge in her market prepared her company for the changes and challenges. She shares, “We all recognized that the lexicon of home changed for most of us with the advent of the pandemic. An entirely new culture began with a focus on ‘clean’ and ‘design’ for remote learning and virtual video meetings and ‘home,’ which transitioned from a place you popped in and out to where you spent more time.

“One of my design clients told me that they had an old entry foyer table that they rarely paid attention to before the 2020 pandemic lockdowns since they just placed keys and mail on it. As soon as they were home more frequently, they had to replace that table. Customers want to change the energy in their living space and find a way to express their inner-self through design.”

As the global economy navigates the pandemic and its aftermath, Wilson is fielding new business challenges. “Global supply chain issues have caused a significant spike in costs and delays for construction projects, furniture/fixture procurement, and these costs are being passed on to consumers,” explains Wilson. “Recently, I learned that our Amazon-branded store sold out of everything in one week because we were the only store with that type of product at a reasonable price. Now, we are challenged to restock because the wholesale suppliers have gone up four times on their pricing. It is a conundrum that will only be solved by more companies finding a way to manufacture in North America.”

PREMIUM QUALITY
The presence of Wilson’s lifestyle brand in such expansive geography presents the need for a broad range of merchandise. “With regard to our textile line, Clean Design Home® x Martex at Macy’s, we have exposure to 165 markets including Hawaii, Guam, and Puerto Rico. Each consumer in those areas has a different need: some want comforters due to wintry weather; others want pillow protectors to keep pollen out of their hair where year-round pleasant weather is more the norm. And everyone wants a good sleep—so we engineered a bedding and bath collection that is a premium, luxury brand focusing on the hypoallergenic consumer.

As a mother to a pre-teen, an author, and a business leader running a successful and still-growing, international lifestyle brand, Wilson credits music, reading, exercise, and television with helping her slow down the pace to relax. “One of the best inventions is the Smart TV which allows you to save shows that you want to watch, start a program and then come back to it later if you have free time. It has been so challenging to juggle work-life balance as a working mom, and this is one way that I can refill my well when I need to have mindless entertainment or to watch an educational program.

For more information on Robin Wilson and Clean Design Home, visit cleandesignhome.com