On Friday, Paige DeSorbo, 32, announced her departure from “Summer House,” the Bravo reality show that thrust her into the public eye in 2019. During the pandemic, DeSorbo and Hannah Berner, former “Summer House” star and comedian, launched Giggly Squad, their now massively popular podcast. It went on a 60-city tour in 2024, and DeSorbo and Berner published a book together in April.
As she leaves the world of reality TV, DeSorbo is embarking on the next chapter of her career: entrepreneur and brand founder.
Her new sleep and loungewear brand, Daphne — named after her cat — launched via a direct-to-consumer e-commerce site on Tuesday. The collection is comprised of 12 pieces including three-piece pointelle sets, poplin pants with coordinating tops, unusually long sleep shorts, and what DeSorbo describes as the “best sleep shirt ever.” That one is named the Hannah after her bestie and business partner. Prices range from $58 for a cami to $230 for a set.
“I feel like I’m giving birth tomorrow,” DeSorbo told Glossy on Monday.
DeSorbo said she didn’t want to launch a brand too soon after being cast on “Summer House,” primarily out of fear of not being taken seriously. Through the show, she has become known for her love of staying in bed over going out — to which many millennial women can relate.
“Finally, I was like, ‘Fuck it. I’m gonna lean into it. If you think I’m lazy, then I am the laziest bitch you’ve ever met,'” she told Glossy. Three years ago, after considering categories such as footwear and bedding, she decided to launch pajamas. In the year’s since, she’s worked slowly, giving careful consideration to the products she wanted to bring to market and the best partner to bring the brand to life.
Though DeSorbo had always been interested in a career in fashion, she was well aware of all that she didn’t know. She found a perfect partner in Concept Brands, a Los Angeles-based incubator that also worked with creator and podcaster Khalyla Kuhn to launch Ebb Ocean Club’s reef-safe hair care, among other brands.
“I knew Paige’s popularity was on the rise well beyond reality TV. She has been so intentional and smart about building her personal brand. She’s relatable, ‘chronically online’ —her words! — and always for the girls. While the data surrounding her ticket sales and merch drops clearly signaled strong momentum and cultural tailwinds, what was even more compelling to us was her magnetism,” said Becca Erdman chief of staff and co-founder at Concept Brands. “We’re intentional about aligning with talent who are genuinely committed to building something from the ground up. From day one, Paige made it clear that she wasn’t just here to lend her name — this is truly her vision that we’ve been supporting characters in bringing to life.”
The brand raised money from investors and friends and family, though its representatives declined to share the sum.
“It can be very intimidating as a woman — I’ve had to do a couple of Zooms with investors for them to really get my vibe, and the majority of them were men,” DeSorbo said. “It’s fine, but it is a little bit intense — you’re insecure a lot of the time because all these people went to school for business, they know all the numbers, they know what to do. I knew I didn’t know that, and I needed people around me who did.”
However, what she is sure of is her creative vision for the brand, she said.
“At the end of the day, what I was most concerned about was that this would be my company and always stay my company,” she said, confirming that she is the majority owner.
DeSorbo said she incorporated her own preferences throughout the line. For example, she kept waistbands thin. “I don’t like a super thick waistband, because the pant kind of tells you where it’s going to sit on your waist,” she said. “But with a thinner band, you can manipulate it more, [especially] if you’re having one of those days where you’re like, ‘I’m pulling this over my stomach.'”
Longer shorts were inspired by a pair of Gap pajamas DeSorbo kept for years as a kid. “I’m not sleeping in [booty shorts] that are going to be inside of me in the morning,” she said.
Given the wide audience DeSorbo has accumulated across fans of both “Summer House” and Giggly Squad — she has 1.6 million Instagram followers and over 709,000 TikTok followers — she imagines her customer will range in age.
“I really see the college girls wearing the long boxer short — or the short boxer shorts and doing something cool with them, like pairing them with socks and loafers,” she said. “[Then] there’s the girl [who’s] in her late 20s or early 30s. She’s working, she’s traveling — the poplin set is really for her. She’s waking up at someone’s summer home, and she’s in that outfit. And maybe she’s putting on the crop top for daytime.”
“Loungewear sits at the intersection of comfort, style and personal ritual,” Erdman said. “To us, it felt like the market was either overtly sexy and feathery or heavy on the comfort, with no in-between. We wanted to create something that you don’t want to take off and don’t have to. So many of us are still working from our bedrooms and kitchen tables. … These pieces are not just sleepwear, but also lifestyle staples. We’re reclaiming what it means to ‘stay in your pajamas all day.'”
Erdman said Daphne’s Instagram account has accumulated 111,000 followers since the brand was announced. In addition, there were many waitlist sign-ups which served as “a testament to [DeSorbo’s] enthusiasm about this next chapter,” she said.
“I’m really proud of it,” DeSorbo said. “I’m excited to continue working on it. I will do Daphne forever.”
