The Fashioning of Nell Diamond’s Dress Empire

Image Courtesy: The New Yorker

I have followed Nell Diamond and her brand, Hill House Home, on Instagram since I was a senior in high school.  I stumbled upon her personal page by chance one day and remember thinking that she had impeccable style and interesting photos in her feed; after a few minutes of stalking, I also came across the fashion and homeware brand she launched in 2016, Hill House Home. At this point, the now-famous “Nap Dress” hadn’t yet graced the website, and Hill House seemed to cater more towards luxury linen sets. As an 18 year-old who was preparing to decorate a dorm room, the beautiful designs were a bit out of my price range, but I remember coming away from the website thinking about how Nell Diamond was everything I wanted to be when I grew up – a woman entrepreneur who never sacrificed her love for style to try and conform to the industry.

Image Courtesy: Daily Front Row

Image Courtesy: Whitewall Magazine

Hill House Home was founded in 2016 when Diamond was a student at the Yale School of Management with the goal of filling a hole in the market for well-priced luxury home linens, including sheets and towels. The brand later ventured into fashion in August 2019 when the light, comfortable, and effortless Nap Dress made its first debut, soon becoming a viral success as COVID began. In a time when most businesses struggled, Hill House Home experienced unprecedented levels of sales. The Nap Dress, described by the Cut as “a forgivingly stretchy smocked bodice and not a single button, zipper, snap, or fastening,” is as comfortable as loungewear. Nell found success by designing versatile products that appealed to every type of consumer. The beauty of the Nap Dress is that it flows beautifully between daily events. It can be worn to business meetings, a fancy dinner, or playtime at the park. A true trailblazer, Nell identified a significant gap in the women’s clothing market and filled it beautifully.

Image courtesy: BuzzFeed News

Image Courtesy: StyleCaster

Nell Diamond’s business IQ has clearly caught investors’ attention. In September, Hill House Home announced that they raised twenty million dollars to build upon the success of the Nap Dress and expand the company’s portfolio. Recent interviews cite particular investor interest in Nell herself, as she has demonstrated a unique ability to stay true to her brand and create viral growth.

 Hill House Home is an anomaly in the male-dominated business world. An article from TechCrunch reported that in 2021, a mere 2.4% of the total capital invested in venture-backed startups in the United States was attributed to companies founded solely by women, a disheartening statistic that nevertheless demonstrates the meaningful nature of Nell’s success. Nell Diamond and Hill House Home stand as a powerful reminder that women need not sacrifice their identity when it comes to building a successful brand. 

Strike out, 

Elisabeth Olsen

University of Notre Dame

Editors: Jane Miller, Shane Stanton