This article is part of our Celebrate Black Makers content series designed to spotlight the stories and perspectives that our Black-owned supplier partners bring to the home industry.
As the first Black-American female founder of a licensed, global textile brand, Robin Wilson is considered an expert and pioneer in the hypoallergenic and allergen-aware niche. Her CLEAN DESIGN HOME® business success is based on authentic experience from her allergic and asthmatic childhood.
Robin grew up in Austin, Texas with severe allergies and asthma at a time when many in the medical community did not fully understand the impact on health and well-being. However, she was fortunate to have a forward thinking pediatrician and parents who wanted a holistic solution. The focus became a lifestyle centered around exercise, healthy eating and a clean home.
In 2000, Robin left her corporate job and pursued her dream to become an entrepreneur as a project manager for high profile and high net worth clients for their interior design and renovation projects around the world. Over time, she had a portfolio of clients including President Clinton’s Harlem office, the White House Fellows office, and private residences in the Fortune 1000 segment. By 2005, the spotlight on her firm by The Oprah Magazine created exponential growth and she started to license her brand by 2008. After rebranding in 2020 to CLEAN DESIGN HOME®, she saw her business skyrocket, along with pandemic sales of her award-winning book, Clean Design: Wellness for your Lifestyle.
With over 60 million Americans suffering from asthma and allergies, Robin recognized that indoor air quality can typically be six to eight times worse than outdoor air. Robin shared, “When I had my daughter, it became important to share what I knew and to ask the question, ‘What is in my home? Are the wheezing and sneezing moments due to something in the air or furnishings? And it became very important to provide consumers with a solution – from the foundation to the furnishings.’”
CLEAN DESIGN HOME® has a focused niche on the allergen-aware consumer – offering an array of luxury products including bedding, bath, kitchenware, home décor, mattresses and more. In fact, the mattresses are handcrafted in the U.S. using coils covered in cotton with foam that has obtained CertiPUR-US® certification.
Reflecting on her journey, Robin not only recognizes the impact that her personal experiences have had on the development of her brand, but also the opportunity that she has created to come full circle with her family history. Shares Robin, “My grandfather was a sharecropper in Texas who picked cotton. And today, my global textile brand is made of Supima cotton. I know that he would be proud and continue to honor my ancestors by striving to be a ‘first’ as a global lifestyle brand. I want to urge everyone to remember that supporting a brand with a diverse or woman founder means you are pushing them toward achieving the American dream. We have to remember that there was once a time when my goal – the global market opportunity and what my company has achieved – was not even possible.”
Shop Robin Wilson’s CLEAN DESIGN HOME® housewares, mattresses and more on Wayfair here.