Roller Rabbit

Roller Rabbit

Hand-block prints and playful pajamas, from a New York brand that began with one scrap of fabric in India

Roller Rabbit was founded in 2003 by Roberta Freymann, who started the brand after finding a piece of discarded hand block printed cotton in India. It was printed with the fable of a magical rabbit looking for joy. The label is now headquartered in New York, where its prints are still drawn by hand before being made by family-owned factories in Peru and India. It grew from block-printed kurtas into a cult favorite for its Pima cotton pajamas, in prints like the Georgetown Monkey and Leo the Lion, with a full line of dresses, accessories and home goods. It's a personal favorite of mine.

Collage of campaign looks that capture the Roller Rabbit mood, from pajama sets and a printed sundress to cozy knits in a holiday garden setting

The polo pajamas

Pajamas are the heart of Roller Rabbit. The prints are drawn by hand in New York and made from soft Pima cotton in Peru, and the monkey designs have become the brand's signature. This first group is the classic short sleeve polo set in the prints people collect, from Italy and Spain monkeys to a rainbow disco version and a birthday print.

Long sleeves and matching sets

For cooler nights there are long sleeve polos and two piece sets in softer, seasonal prints. Game Day and Boston Monkey bring the sports mood, while the gingham hearts and garden floral sets lean sweeter. Every one is the same easy Pima cotton, so they work for lounging, sleeping and a lazy morning in.

Dresses, layers and travel pieces

Roller Rabbit's ready to wear carries the same hand drawn print sensibility into daytime. A baroque floral dress, a sun check embroidered dress and a denim blue Keaton dress sit alongside a pink dotted tank, a soft knit cardigan and a gingham fleece jacket. Two printed makeup bags round out the group, easy to pack and easy to give.

Print over everything

What Roller Rabbit gets right is how much joy it packs into ordinary things. The label started with a single scrap of block printed cotton and has kept that sense of play through monkeys, hearts and florals, all drawn by hand and made by the same family owned factories for years. It is a brand for people who like color and would rather wear a pajama set than save it for bedtime. I like to wear a polo set to lounge in, add a fleece for a chilly morning, and carry a printed makeup bag when I travel.