‘Crazy growth’: How one product created a multi-million dollar brand

Nell Diamond, CEO of Hill House, shares how her small business skyrocketed to global success with a simple, singular product.

At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Hill House Home’s Nap Dress became more than just a piece of clothing – it was a symbol of comfort and versatility for a world in flux. What started as a direct-to-consumer bedding and home business in 2016 had grown into a fashion movement, reflecting how a single dress could adapt to your body over the years and transform depending on the demands of the day.
The company introduced the Nap Dress in 2019, a design that leaned into the idea of smocked fabric from the 1950s and reimagined it with modern, universal appeal. It didn’t take long for the dress – now with over 50 designs – to go viral on social media and become common in many closets around the world.
“Our crazy growth happened from 2019 to 2020 – right in the middle of quarantine and while I was pregnant with twins,” CEO Nell Diamond tells the BBC. “I could obviously see how much the business was changing internally from the sales volume, but one really pivotal moment for me was working from home, sitting in my bedroom in New York City, and looking out the window to see someone walking down the street wearing one of our dresses.