Get to know Joan Johnston, the founder of Ava Innes.
Joan used her knowledge of the cashmere industry, hand-in-hand with her own sleep wellness journey, to create an entirely new weighted and temperature regulating natural duvet fill that’s transforming people’s sleep. She is based in Elgin, on the Moray coastline of the Scottish Highlands, where she is imagining a new standard of natural and luxurious bedding in the pure air that surrounds her home.
Why is cashmere so special as a natural fibre?
Joan Johnston: Cashmere is an incredible noble fibre with wonderful natural properties. It is recognised as the most luxurious fibre known to man due to its incredible softness and warmth. Few realise that cashmere comes from the cashmere goat and that the soft curly cashmere is only 30% of the fibre combed from the goat annually. The other 70% is cashmere guard hair, and it's what we use in our unique duvets. I say 'unique' because I hold both the UK & US patent for this invention. We are the only place in the world where you can experience a cashmere guard duvet.
One of the most special things about cashmere, when it comes to sustainability, is the fact it is regenerative. It is in a constant state of renewal. The cashmere goat reproduces its fleece on average 13 times in its lifetime. Cashmere goats live naturally in very dry arid climates, found in Mongolia, China and Afghanistan. Most of the cashmere goats in these locations are looked after by herds people who are small farmholders. Their whole livelihood depends on looking after their goats and the annual fleece that comes from it. Unlike sheep, where the fleece is clipped, cashmere is combed off because the value of the fibre is in every part of the fibre.
Cashmere guard is really super rich in keratin and lanolin which is the science behind the wonderful characteristics of temperature regulation and makes it perfect to use as a filler for bedding. To date, it has been considered a by-product of the cashmere industry and under valued. At Ava Innes we are the first to champion this forgotten luxury fibre.
A forgotten luxury fibre: Joan assesses the quality of a new batch of cashmere guard.
As someone who went on a personal journey to establish Ava Innes, prior to working with incredible luxury brands creating luxury natural fibre products, what was that moment that clicked for you with the cashmere guard?
Joan Johnston: There were a couple of different events that came together before the light bulb moment. After a successful career as a director for luxury textile companies I wanted to create an inherently circular and naturally sustainable luxury product made in the UK. Whereas a lot of people look at recycling at the end of a product's life, I wanted to focus on the excesses within textile manufacturing that are not being used.
We tried all sorts of things at home because this started from my dining room table, classic as often these ideas do... I recall working with Johnnie Boden in his flat in London on his second Boden collection thirty years ago! We all have to start somewhere.
I even bought a leaf blower with the idea of filling a duvet in the same way as one makes a feather duvet. It didn’t work. In fact, I tried a number of things over a period of about 18 months.
People were ever so supportive. I called lots of people and said, "I've got this idea. I'd like to make a new type of duvet. Do you know anyone who can help?" And that's how I came to know my current manufacturer, a family-run mill in Yorkshire who I still work with to this day. They have been an incredible partner.
Finishing touches: each duvet is finished by hand in the UK.
Why do you think people were so supportive?
Joan Johnston: People were interested in what I was trying to do, particularly as it was driven by sustainability. I'd identified that cashmere guard wasn't being used by the industry and that we should be making better use of it. The fibre specialists I spoke to had tried to make fabrics with it unsuccessfully. I knew it needed a different approach.
How did you make the connection between sleep and cashmere guard?
Joan Johnston: I always thought the idea of sleeping under cashmere was the ultimate in luxury. I've been fortunate to have travelled internationally and stayed in wonderful hotels during my career, experiencing some of the best the hospitality world has to offer. But most importantly, in terms of my own personal journey, the luxury of sleep becomes so important to you as you get older, at various stages in life, and particularly as a working woman, juggling caring responsibilities. We all need sleep to be able to function. The difference of having a good night's sleep versus a bad night's sleep can totally change the tone of your day. So for me, producing a quality product that worked around sleep made total sense.
I also wanted to create something that would stand the test of time. Something that my family would be proud of. I guess that, ultimately, I was at that point in my career. I didn't need to prove anything. I just wanted to do the right thing. It's been a long journey, and it's been a whole roller coaster. There's been great days and bad days like any business, but ultimately what we have created here works. It wasn't until the first prototype of the existing format came off the production line, and my husband and I tried it for a couple of nights. We both looked at each other and said, “this is really good”. We knew that the idea of sleeping under cashmere would appeal, but we didn’t know how the duvet would perform. So when we realised this actually works for deep sleep, I was fully committed from then on. I gave the test duvets out to people whose opinion I trusted. The response was so positive, people were telling me "my goodness, this is really good." Most of them bought straight away. And, so, the entrepreneurial journey began…
Helping people to sleep: customers tell Joan the weight and temperature regulation of the duvet is helping them sleep longer, and more soundly.
How did you finesse the details of the duvet?
Joan Johnston: Once we realised we had created a new sleep solution, we then had to develop different weights using various layers of cashmere guard in each Tog level. There was much trial and error as the R&D process continued. I knew right from the beginning that I wanted an organic cotton outer with the ‘S’ signature stitch in our duvet reflective of the mountains, the coastline, and the movement of water which surrounds us here in Moray.
What is the experience of sleeping under cashmere for the first time?
Joan Johnston: The experience is complete anticipation. Climbing under the covers thinking… What's this going to be like?
The first thing you feel is the gentle weight all around you. The comforting weight is very soothing. There are no cold pockets and you can feel the duvet gently laying on you with a natural warmth. Our duvet differs very much from a feather duvet and in fact from other wool duvets by being slightly heavier. It is the comforting weight that makes such a difference, feeling cocooned while you sleep.
What I then realised quite quickly (because I was menopausal at the time) was that the duvet was temperature regulating. I was actually consistently sleeping longer, and getting deeper sleep – which is obviously what we all need. Our customers talk about how they're sleeping longer and more deeply with less disturbances. They tell us we have transformed their lives.
What duvet did you have before that?
Joan Johnston: Like everybody else, we had a feather duvet. I never really thought about how feather duvets were made because they were considered the gold standard. Most people who wanted better quality bedding tended to go for a feather duvet which was introduced to the UK by Sir Terence Conran in the 1970’s. But, how wrong was I! It couldn't be further from optimal for sleep hygiene and wellness.
The ‘S’ stitching of the duvet is a beautiful touch, a nod to the flowing rivers of Scotland as well as a practical piece of the duvet that helps with loft. What were some of your other key considerations when developing the duvet?
Joan Johnston: It was really important to have an organic cotton casing. I wanted one that we could trace back to where it was woven, which we've been able to do and it's woven in Europe traveling less to get to us which keeps our carbon footprint down. But also, it was about the experience of handling the duvet. For me, the design was also very much about using the right natural materials. The duvet is biodegradable at end of life returning nitrogen to the soil.
The ultimate sleep experience: the Ava Innes duvet has been named the best luxury duvet by UK Press such as the FT's How to Spend It, The Evening Standard, IndyBest, and The Telegraph.
How should people be thinking differently about their sleep, sleep budget, and the materials they choose for their homes?
Joan Johnston: When we talk about bedrooms, people immediately think of colours, curtains and texture, and what's on the floor. But actually, what they need to think about is the materials they're choosing rather than the pattern or aesthetic first. Because this is the place where they're resting and breathing. Many people are breathing in harmful microfibres in textiles. Take polyester blended carpets, for example.
When I talk to people about this we always recommend going for natural materials. Think about the mattress that you're lying on, and what it’s made of. Choose natural fibres for all their great breathable qualities. There's mattresses marketed now that will arrive in a box. Often they are foam based which comes from oil and oil is a heat enabler, meaning they heat up but take a long time to cool down. This does not work with your body. It is also going to be around on the planet long after you no longer need it.
If you invest in a better quality mattress, duvet, and pillows that are natural-based then you're investing in your sleep and overall health. It’s then going to give you that natural breathable, moisture wicking, temperature regulating qualities that cashmere and wool are renowned for. Really spend time thinking about that. Start with the ingredients. We spend so much time thinking now about what we eat and what we put into our system. We need to start thinking about what we're living in and how we're living and breathing within our homes.
It is a wonderful moment for Scottish heritage and textiles more broadly right now, with people looking to traditional techniques and the heritage of luxury.
Joan Johnston: And that's wonderful to see because I've worked in the UK's textile industry since I graduated from art school and we have fantastic skills here. We have many talented makers in the UK whom we need to support. Buy less and buy better, reducing the amount of waste and support UK manufacturing. We need to make things that people appreciate and that last.
Rooted in nature: Ava Innes is a sustainable sleep brand inspired by the breathtaking environment across Scotland.
What are some of Ava Innes’ core values, and how do you try to honour them through business practices?
Joan Johnston: The great thing about setting up your own business is you can set your own principles and values and it's your North Star. It's what you work towards. It's what keeps you going on the darker days when dealing with challenges.
Core to Ava Innes is equality, natural luxury, and sustainability. I choose to be sustainable. I choose to work with the right makers who pay fair wages and I only make in the UK. It’s really important that we source from the UK, supporting UK manufacturing to ensure the legacy of skills and quality lives on.
So much of Ava Innes is rooted in nature. I was lucky to appreciate nature from a very young age. I grew up playing outdoors, appreciating the beauty of mountains, rivers and coastline around us. Escaping to the outdoors is nourishing to me.
Staying true to these values, alongside my duvet, helps me sleep at night.
And lastly, how does your life in Elgin affect and inspire your work in this industry?
Joan Johnston: We live in a beautiful part of the country where we can enjoy the natural surroundings. Regularly being outdoors, getting up every morning and having a walk through all seasons, watching the sunrise, and the wild open spaces, along with a cool dip in the sea...
I love my walks on the beach. If I don't get walking on a beach within a week, I get withdrawal symptoms. I need to be there. You really notice the difference in the air up here too, being on the edge of the Highlands and along our bracing coastline.
So much of this natural landscape has been a part of my own sleep journey, seeking better wellness by living more cyclically. And that’s what good sleep is. Natural. It is holistic.
Ava Innes was born here in the pure air of the Highlands, the home of the cashmere guard duvet. I want to share what we have here as much as possible to help people live a much more fulfilled, rejuvenated, and contented life centred around their best ever sleep.
