Meet Charlotte Hundley

“Charlotte is the co-founder of RUDAS, a line of idlewear designed and produced in NYC. She has a history in art book publishing, a love of textiles, and an obsession with bath houses. Born and raised in North Carolina, plus one formative year in Switzerland, Charlotte now lives in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn.”

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*Jeans, Levi's ; Top & Necklace, Vintage ; Robe, RUDAS*

on her morning routine

We don’t have blinds in our bedroom windows right now and it's so nice to wake up to the sun rising. Usually William (my partner) is somehow already mid-bath, so I make my way to the kitchen to make coffee. I never skip breakfast. Most often it’s plain yogurt with a mix of honey, flax seeds, oats and cinnamon. Or a smoothie. I turn on the news, finish reading a magazine, or mess around on the computer while I finish my coffee. I’d like to get back into the habit of stretching and doing a 10-minute meditation with Headspace. I like a slow routine—I can’t feel like I’ve been thrown into the day.

on the start of her career

I moved to NYC in January 2009 having just graduated and having no clue how to find a job. I loved art and had several art and fashion books that I coveted in college, so I harassed a bookstore until finally one of them hired me—the Taschen bookstore on Greene Street. I got really into it, became the manager of the Phaidon store, and ultimately got into the wholesale side of publishing.

on the logistics of her job

I'm the Business Development Manager for New York, Hamptons and Miami at Phaidon. I manage relationships with buyers from across a diverse list of retail accounts (museums, galleries, bookstores, luxury, gift), and present Phaidon's catalog of new books seasonally. I would say to anyone pursuing a career in publishing (creative art publishing, at least) to intern or have an informational meeting with someone in publishing to understand the very different roles and choose your path. Production, design, sales, publicity, editorial, operations.

on starting a business with her partner

William and I co-founded RUDAS and have a division of labor. It’s great to have a partner in a business, my weaknesses are his strengths and vice versa. I would tell my 20 year old self to go with your gut instead of trying to do what you think people want you to do. And ask lots of questions--that's how you learn things.

on home decor inspiration

When I was 23, I spent a month in Budapest while I was apprenticing with a bespoke shoemaker. The woman I was renting my room from recommended a nearby bathhouse and I it blew my mind. I was swimming in a thermal heated pool outside in the snow, surrounded by this grand neo-baroque style bathhouse and half-naked Hungarians-- I just loved it. Years later, I met William and we discovered our mutual love of baths and our similar Budapest bathhouse experience. We became (and still are) obsessed with the idea of building a bathhouse and designing details, like the robes and linens. Also thinking about a specific kind of leisure that a bathhouse represents. We kept exploring the concept of idleness and leisure, ultimately distilling it into a line of robes.

Jacket, RUDAS ; Top & Pants, Uniqlo U — *Jacket, RUDAS* ; *Top & Pants, Uniqlo U*

on her beauty routine

I wash with mild or natural Nia24 Physical Cleansing Scrub, tone with Witch Hazel Toner, use serum (I like the SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic serum and the Eminence Organic Strawberry Rhubarb Hyaluronic Serum), and then moisturize with SPF for daytime. I use EltaMD UV Lotion Broad-Spectrum. I’m still looking for a miraculous eyebrow-growing product...anyone?

on her haircare and makeup

I recommend R and Co Badlands Dry Shampoo Paste, Oribe Women's Dry Texturizing Spray, RMS Living Luminizer, Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer, Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner, RMS Eye Polish, and Glossier Boy Brow.

on her nightly routine

When I’m winding down at night, I’m usually in my robe, either a vintage Japanese cotton kimono or one of our RUDAS robes. Sometimes I’ll brew hot ginger or mint tea. A really good night is when I take a hot bath with Epsom Salts or Dr. Singha’s Mustard Bath, followed by a speedy cold shower. Wash and moisturize my face. I write down any notes or reminders for the upcoming day, set alarm, and fall asleep usually within seconds. If my mind is racing or if I have negative thoughts before I go to sleep, I visualize my happy place (the Swiss Alps) and imagine a vacuum sucking out all the dark particles and clouds in the air into suitcase that I then kick out of the atmosphere. I know it’s bizarre but it totally works! I’ve been doing some variation of this since I was younger and afraid of nightmares.

I recommend Aesop Mouthwash and Dr. Bronner's Anise All-One Toothpaste.

“I like seeing what’s in Creatures of Comfort, A Detacher, Rachel Comey, Bird, Warm, La Garconne, and Maryam Nassir Zadeh. I love the brands Lemaire and Crista Seya. Though I mostly I buy vintage, second-hand, or at end-of-season sales. I fill in the gaps with basics from Uniqlo and Muji. I’m attracted to minimalist pieces, and I’m particular about quality fabrics. I feel best in roomier clothes. I love robes and vintage nightshirts. Oh, also overalls. I come from a family of overall-wearers. I have some white Carhartt WIP overalls that I wear often.”

— on her style and shopping habits