WAS THE NEWSLETTER #54

Everything You Need to Know about the 12/8 Pillow Drop

Maren Loveland
December 06, 2024

#54

I’m Paige Wassel. WAS the Newsletter is your weekly dose of design inspiration, where the temperatures are dropping—and so are the pillows.

It’s the December day you’ve waited all year for—that’s right, the WAS pillow drop is finally upon us. Specifically, the new line launches at 11:00am PT on 12/8. (Only you newsletter subscribers know the time because you’re my sweeties.)

This is our fourth pillow drop… and definitely our best. We loved everything about this—the shoot, the launch, the fabric, THE FRIENDSHIP. What’s cool about this round is that we can ship not only to the US, but also Canada and the UK (working on Germany too.) We’d love to do worldwide—and we’ll get there—just not this time. (But know that it’s in the works.)

Best part is that if you order on the day of the drop, you’ll receive your pillows in time for the holidays. Give them as gifts, keep them for yourself; you make the call.

THE INSPO

The WAS X Studio Leonard pillow collection comes to you from me and my bestie, Kate Leonard. When we were trying to discern our vibe, we were most inspired by the late ‘90s and early ‘00s. We wanted to marry that corporate office aesthetic with a transportation feel. Think bus seats, think subway benches, think office carpeting, but then make it PILLOW.

THE MATERIALS

We sourced all the materials for these pillows in Los Angeles and they were made in DTLA. I’m looooove them all like the children I do not have… but there’s a particular place in my heart for the vintage Italian mohair on one of the mini-pillows.

I was also so inspired by a bolt of silky silvery fabric that we had to make it into a slouchy tote. (We’re calling this style The Goo to honor a very nasty little dog. IYKYK.) When you’re shopping, better grab the tote first, as there aren’t many. Actually, we did more of everything this time, but we still predict it’s all going to go fast.

THE PRODUCTS

We’re offering three square pillows. Right now, I have the brown ones with the creamy dots on my bed. Love.

The ruby squares with the grid and the orangey-tomato piping are a solid choice for your bed or sofa.

The green with the little dots has a fun sheen and almost feels like an outdoor-type fabric, and I mean that in the best possible way. I’ve got this one on my couch right now.

We’ve also got three lumbar pillows. The midnight blue has a shiny iridescent piping that can look orange or green, depending on the light.

We’re offering a black one with a cute maze pattern. A good gift for your tech nerd boyfriend. Good back support for the Fortnite players too.

And then there’s this dotted one that also lives on my bed right now. The fabric is super unique and an unexpected choice. I do have this one on my bed also.

Of course, I live for a long lumbar pillows and this one has the absolute perfect stripe placement, which gave Kate and I the ultimate design high. A long lumbar pillow is a great way to top off your bed when you’re making it if you don’t want to use a million other pillows. (This is going on my bed as soon as I’m sick of the dotted one.)

You want bolsters? We’ve got you covered. Love the mustard piping on this creamy one.

The brown dotted bolster has the best piping, IMO. I’ll often put two of these on a bed, but they also work so well single on a chair.

Last, we’ve got the mini-pillows. The striped one has the red mohair backing—jump on this one, as there aren’t many, as the fabric was in limited supply and it’s real mohair. (We really splurged on this one.)

The other mini is the chartreuse striped front and dotted back. I live for a mini pillow for decor purposes. I’ll put it on my bed, on a chair, heck, I’ll even put it on a shelf. I love a mini pillow as a hostess gift. Also perfect for your dog or even your stylish toddler lol.

Finally, we’ve got two different sets of pillowcases: a warm brown set with a maroon and chartreuse edge, and a two-toned set with blue and yellow stripes on one side, and grey-blue linen on the other. WE KILLED IT.