When designer Liv Koennecke (nee Flanagan) launched Maison Essentiele in 2018, she did so because she loved the glamour of vintage sleepwear. “I love how women used to dress for sleep – the elaborate nighties and gowns,” she told Broadsheet in 2020.

In its infancy, the label sold curve-hugging slip dresses, loose-fitting shorts and boyfriend pyjamas, all made from 100 per cent silk. Now Maison Essentiele’s range includes nightwear in European linen and crisp 100 per cent cotton, as well as its signature grade 6A silk – which has a buttery soft texture that’s helped the brand attract customers across the globe.

David Jones will be stocking the current collection, which includes silky lilac shorts, slip dresses in black and magenta, and button-down pyjama shirts in lilac and champagne. The label’s also created an exclusive style for the department store, a silk asymmetrical cami in magenta.

Koennecke says she opts for the highest grade of silk because it’s breathable and hypo-allergenic, as well as temperature appropriate year-round. It’s also luxurious to feel. “Touch and feel is an integral part of the customer experience and one we’re so excited for our customers to be able to have in person [at] David Jones,” she says.

DJs is the first department store in Australia to stock the slinky sleepwear. At the moment it’s available in two David Jones stores in Sydney – Bondi Junction and Elizabeth Street – as well as online. Other online retailers, including The Iconic and The Undone, already sell Maison Essentiele.

The addition is part of DJs’ wider expansion into 25 new brands, including Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs, Agent Provocateur and Melbourne brand Clea.