An Interview with Olivia Wein, Founder of Isla Lune Sleepwear

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Heywood Academies is a Victoria business, and one of the parts of that I've come to really value is the local founder community. I've gotten to know a lot of people building things here, and I've done a few events alongside Olivia Wein, the founder of Isla Lune, a Victoria-based sleepwear brand making 100% cotton pajamas designed and sampled right here in the city. Her first collection sold out in ten days over Black Friday 2025, and she's since won UVic's Gustavson Business Start-Up Competition and raised close to $62,000 in non-dilutive funding.

I sent Olivia a set of questions by email about how she started Isla Lune, and she gave genuinely thoughtful, detailed answers. Here's the full conversation.

How do you start a clothing brand from scratch?

"Every piece starts as one of my drawings. I draw them all myself here in Victoria, and a designer helped me turn them into tech packs, the detailed documents a manufacturer works from. Finding the right partners took a while. Between the pajamas and the packaging, I sampled more than ten manufacturers before landing on the ones I work with now, and I'm really glad I took my time. We went through four rounds of samples, and every detail, from the cut to the finish, was measured and tested by me. Everything is made in small batches in 100% cotton."

What small business grants in Canada helped you get started?

"Honestly, more than most people think is out there. My first was the Gustavson Business Start-Up Competition at UVic's Gustavson School of Business. Every venture in the entrepreneurship specialization pitched as part of our coursework, six of us went through to the final, and I was the only one who presented solo. I won first place and $10,000, and that grant is what let me bring the first product to life. Isla Lune was still called Clair de Lune back then. I also received the Graeme Jackson Award from Gustavson, and once I was incorporated, I got a $45,000 Mitacs Accelerate Entrepreneur grant through UVic. All in, I've raised about $62,000 in non-dilutive funding, which means I didn't give up any ownership of Isla Lune for it. On top of that, programs like Google for Startups give free cloud credits. Most of this isn't advertised, so you have to go find it, which is why I put every program I've used into my guide."

Your first collection sold out in ten days with fewer than 500 followers over Black Friday 2025. What resonated so quickly?

"Honestly, a few things came together at once. It was Q4, so people were already shopping for gifts. The pajamas are really high quality, and I think people could feel that. I also got a little lucky and ended up in front of the right people and the right customer. The biggest thing, though, was the 100% cotton. There just aren't many 100% cotton pajamas out there right now. People will spend hundreds of dollars on their skincare, but they don't always think the same way about what they wear to bed. When I launched, I realized how much fabric quality mattered to people. They want to know exactly what they're sleeping in."

Modal vs cotton: why did you choose 100% cotton for your pajamas?

"It actually started at the Bay at Mayfair Mall. I walked in one day and touched maybe a hundred different fabrics, and I fell in love with a modal. I sent it to my manufacturer and said, this is what I want. They didn't have modal, but they had a 100% cotton match, and I was like, no way, that's even better. For me it's all about the feeling, and then making sure the quality is high enough. Our first drop was a white floral print, so it was really important to me that the fabric was thick. I went for the thickest cotton I could get that was still breathable."

Why sell tops and pants as separates instead of matched sets?

"There are a few reasons. The first is price. Our sets are really giftable, and most people shopping for a Christmas present want to stay under $100, so selling the pants on their own at $68 gives people an easier way in. The second is sizing. A lot of people aren't the same size on top and bottom, so they can mix and match to get the right fit. As I add new styles, I want to use the same fabric so everything can be mixed and matched. If you're building your first set, I'd start with your usual size, and the Love Letter floral is the one everyone reaches for first."

Where can people find Isla Lune, and where would you love to be next?

"Right now you can find us at The Modern Mercantile in Victoria, on Etsy and at islalune.ca, and I'm working on getting onto Amazon. I've also been doubling down on markets, because they've been such a great place for people to discover the brand. You can always see where to find us in person."

How do you deal with imposter syndrome as a small business owner?

"To be honest, I haven't entirely figured it out myself yet. What I've learned is that imposter syndrome usually means you're pushing the boundaries of your identity. If you're pushing those boundaries, you're learning and changing, and I don't see change as a bad thing. It just means you're getting out of your comfort zone. I once heard a founder talk about 'Cringe Mountain,' the idea that everything is cringe until it's good. I think that stage is really important, because you learn so much about who you are.

Something I've noticed, as weird as it sounds, is that a lot of our identity comes from how other people see us. It takes a while for the people around you to adjust, because they have a certain version of you in their head. But if you keep showing up, eventually they start to know you as that person, and that gives you a lot of confidence."

How do you use Claude Code to run a small business?

"I think right now you can optimize most of your life with Claude Code, which is a dangerous game, obviously. Something I heard on a podcast really stuck with me, and I think she's right. It's like training. If you haven't mastered a skill and done it yourself, you can't expect Claude to master it either, because you won't be able to explain what it needs to do. So the best place to start is a repeatable skill you've already mastered that's taking up a lot of time in your business. That's the ideal thing to hand over."

What does a typical day look like for you running Isla Lune?

"Honestly, there isn't really a typical day. It changes so much depending on where I'm at with the brand. Some days I'm learning a new skill, and other days I'm sorting out a logistics problem or talking to my manufacturer. One day I might be signing up for a market or packing orders, and the next I'm talking to a wholesaler or working out retail prices. It fluctuates a lot, and that's part of what I love about it."

What's a partnership you've loved so far, and what would your dream collaboration look like?

"My favourite so far was our photoshoot at the Prestige Hotel. It was an incredible shoot, and so many amazing people were involved. Ann Makosinski planned the shoot, Kaitie Zeilstra of KZ Photography took the photos, and Katarina Wein filmed all the video. Robyn Lastiwka, the designer behind FAIE, helped on the day. Our models were Emily Walton, Hilary Bulled, Julianna Ramsay, Emily Rain and Sofia Rodriguez. Amy Nunn at Prestige Hotels & Resorts made the venue happen, and Coastal Tides Day Spa, The Modern Mercantile and Violette Boutique all took part as well. It was the first time I saw the sets styled exactly the way I'd imagined them, and I couldn't have done it without that team.

My dream collab would be Rhode or Summer Fridays. People might wonder why a skincare brand would fit with pajamas, but I think they fit really naturally with the Isla Lune world. Isla Lune is part of the wind-down routine, and so is skincare. I'd love for people to think of Isla Lune the same way they think about a really good nighttime skincare routine.

I've gifted a lot of sets to creators, and I've reached out to more people than I can count, including celebrities. Honestly, I think entrepreneurship is a bit like rejection therapy. People say that about sales, but I think they're kind of the same thing. You shoot your shot at as many opportunities as you can until somebody says yes. If you don't give yourself that chance, it won't happen. Getting used to hearing no all the time is good, because when something really good does happen, you feel like you worked that much harder for it."

How do you start a business in BC?

"There are so many resources here, and most people have absolutely no idea they exist. I wish I'd had a guide like that when I was starting out, so I made one. Go look at my article!"

Read Olivia's Guide to Starting a Business in Victoria, BC

Thanks to Olivia

Thanks to Olivia for taking the time to answer all of this. If you're in Victoria and looking for a genuinely well-made, thoughtfully built local brand, Isla Lune is worth a look, and if you're a student here thinking about starting something of your own, her guide to starting a business in Victoria is a great place to start.

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