BedHead begins a journey for a cause

Like all great collaborations at Esperanza our connection with BedHead Pajamas started with a personal relationship. Both companies are creatively driven by progressive intent and are women-powered organizations. Aside from that, what does the production of luxury sleepware for an elite market have to do with our community-based organization?

Renee Claire Bertrand, owner of BedHead Pajamas is a clothing designer who was working as a waitress for many years to support her art of dress and coat design. Manufacturing custom pieces from her own apartment, in 1999 she began to create a line of well-designed pajamas with specially screened cotton prints. Through ingenious marketing and excellent utilization of television product placement and internet sales, BedHead Pajamas has, over the years, become a highly successful Los Angeles-based production house. With a clothing label that boasts “Made in Glamorous Los Angeles,” BedHead Pajamas has developed into a model garment manufacturing company, sharing the good fortune with its factory and marketing employees.

Working together with Esperanza, a community program

A grassroots organization born in the heart of Figueroa Corridor, Esperanza has been developing programs that address this community’s well-being for more than eighteen years. Many of our community members are hard working folks who toil in one or more jobs in the notoriously exploitative garment industry. Ours is a neighborhood where garment sweatshops are more familiar operations than shops selling healthy foods. Although not a natural market for high-end pajamas, through the social relationship between two women, BedHead’s Renee and Esperanza’s Nancy Ibrahim, a unique type of partnering was created.

One of Renee’s most remarkable virtues is her commitment to quality wages for quality work. She also invests in full health benefits for her staff, as a natural part of running a business. Whenever BedHead has a job opening, the position is posted with Esperanza, offering our folks an excellent employment opportunity—superb working conditions, great wages and benefits. But BedHead also shares the wealth in other ways. Starting with a fundraising garden party in 2006 BedHead Pajamas has been donating a percentage of its proceeds to Esperanza Community Housing Corporation.

Purchase a PJ and 20% of the purchase is donated to Esperanza

As the launching of this website, BedHead Pajamas is dedicating a portion of their internet sales on three different pajama designs to support the community-based work of Esperanza.  For every pair of pajamas sold in each of three different designs, a donation representing 20% of the purchase price will be sent to Esperanza Community Housing Corporation. Thank you, Renee and BedHead Pajamas for your generous partnering with Esperanza in support of our Figueroa Corridor community and for your sterling example as a garment manufacturer.

If you are interested in a creative fundraising event to support Esperanza, please contact:
Esperanza Community Housing Corporation (213) 748-7285
http://www.esperanzachc.org/