Computer science is about as far as you can get from the business of luxury thread counts, but for Bemboka co-owner Petr Houf, the move from hardware to ‘software’ was far less of a stretch than one might think. Arriving in Australia from the Czech Republic just over 20 years ago, it was in his first week onshore when he came across the Bemboka brand through a business partner.
“In 2003 Bemboka was in its early stages and I could see the opportunity so I started to talk to designers, working out which colours to put together to expand on the first collection of blankets in angora and wool.”
At Uluru Longitude 131, the stunning bedlinen and blankets from Bemboka elevate the bedroom to the next level. All Bemboka linen and cotton sheets are certified under STeP by OEKO-TEX®; Sustainable Textile Production.
This first collection designed by Houf, was so popular that what had initially seemed a fun business concept to play with, quickly became a brand that doubled in popularity year by year. Since that first range of blankets, Bemboka has branched out into premium linen sheets, cotton towels and bath mats and recently, bathrobes and scarves. But the success of the first blanket collection is a testament to Houf’s attention to detail, and some 20 years later, the core colours are still selling like hotcakes.
The Global Organic Textile Standard trademark and Organic Content Standard trademarks can be found on all cotton and bamboo Bemboka products. The GOTS label grade 'organic' means it contains 95-100% certified organic fibres. Design credit: Lawless & Meyerson.
Highest possible quality manufacturing standards
While the brand has gained a huge following for its high-end aesthetic, Houf says the biggest reason for its continued and escalating popularity is the relentlessly uncompromising standard Bemboka upholds in manufacturing its products.
“We don't cut corners anywhere. We don't manufacture any products cheaper if there is a chance it could decrease quality, and if we can increase quality and customer satisfaction that's what we do,” shares Houf. “I know sometimes our products are a little more expensive than others but it’s because we are leading the world in the highest quality materials and manufacturing processes.”
For example, Bemboka’s full-size king and queen wool blankets are knitted in New Zealand on a specialised three-and-a-half metre-wide knitting machine that creates each blanket in a single piece, making it machine washable and tumble dryable (ideal for the high-end hotel market). For both its blankets and throws, instead of using cheaper processes like piece dyeing or yarn dyeing, the wool fibres are sourced locally in New Zealand and fibre-dyed in four different colours before being spun into yarn. Due to this meticulous production process, Houf says the blankets lasts over 20 years without any signs of pilling.
“It's the most beautiful finishing process you can do; we could make our brand cheaper if we went for a cheaper manufacturing process, but quality is what sets us apart.”
As such, Bemboka’s linen sheets are both dyed (with organic dyes) and manufactured in Portugal where the production chain is easy to monitor and certifies the highest quality product.
In their commitment to luxury, the Spicers' Lodges use Bemboka linen, towels and blankets to give their guests a superior experience. Here, at Spicer's Peak Lodge a guest enjoys a Bemboka wool throw.
15 years ago, Houf was warned the saturated towel market didn’t need another player, but the quick popularity of Bemboka’s organic finish towel range meant customers were more than willing to pay a premium price.
“We went through quite a few manufacturers and testing processes – it was not easy – but we found the most amazing manufacturer in Turkey and took a couple of years to develop the product, which uses the highest quality organic cotton yarns.”
Bemboka doesn’t use silicon in the finishing process of their towels, which is a common trick that some manufacturers use to create the soft feel “then you wash them and the towels become hard.”
When it comes to cashmere, Bemboka is again, ahead of the game. Their luxury cashmere blankets start at $700 and get up to $3000, but the price point is justified given they use the highest quality A grade, certified cashmere that will last a lifetime.
Silky Oaks Lodge features Bemboka towels which come in a range of neutral hues and are manufactured using organic dyes. They're certified under STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®, a globally standardised, independent mark of quality for raw, semi-finished and finished textile products.
The future of premium bedlinen, towels & blankets
Designers for commercial and residential projects are specifying the premium brand for boutique and big-name hotel brands alike, as their customers can be assured that the blankets, sheets, towels and bathrobes will look and feel as good years later as they did on day one.
Bemboka has embraced the latest trends for biophilic green tones with their olive and forest green colourways in the bedlinen range, but Houf says Bemboka’s customer tends towards a classic neutral palette, given the longevity of the product.
“Over the last 20 years, our customer’s taste went from the warm colours, mochas and chocolates, into varying greys, and what is happening over the last two or three years is the trend is going back into the more classic chocolates again. Overall, our customers have classic taste, and neutral colours, such as wheat, mocha, chocolate, dove and oyster are eternally popular.”
So what’s next for the luxury linen brand? Houf says the goal is to maintain the reputation for quality when so many other big-name brands are compromising on it.
“We don't care about the next sale, all we care about is brand quality because we know that our customers love the products; they never have issues, they never return them, and more and more people are loving the brand and the exceptional products.”
