Who Is Nell Diamond, Hill House Home’s Girly Girl Founder?

Hill House Home is the originator of the “nap dress,” an elevated nightie that became an overnight sensation during the Covid-19 pandemic. Diamond is Hill House Home’s founder, CEO, and social media hype girl. A scroll through her Instagram feed shows Diamond wearing Hill House ensembles both at home and at work – even skiing!

One thing that’s refreshing about Diamond is her willingness to stand out because of her love of all things feminine and beautiful. There probably aren’t many other CEOs who show up to meetings wearing oversized velvet headbands. Keep reading to find out what you need to know about tastemaker and fashion mogul Nell Diamond – you’re sure to find some style inspiration for yourself!

She’s the Inventor of the “Nap Dress”

As mentioned in the introduction, Hill House went viral (no pun intended) thanks to the pandemic success of the nap dress, which is now available in a plethora of cuts, colors, and fabrics. Hill House Home started in 2016 with a focus on bedding but quickly expanded to apparel, specifically dresses.

Want a midi dress? Try the original Ellie Nap Dress. Prefer something that shows off your legs? Go with the Elizabeth. Want puff sleeves? You’ve got plenty of options, including the Athena. Most Hill House nap dresses will set you back about $125 to $150.

The nap dress got its name because Diamond wanted to make a dress comfy enough to sleep in that didn’t need to be confined to the bedroom. In an age of 24/7 athleisure, wearing a dress just to run errands or meet friends is a standout act. 

“I’ve always been a dress girl,” Diamond told N Magazine in 2022. “I wanted a dress that I could do everything in. A dress that I could wake up at 6:30 with the kids, get them off to school, then head to the office and have a Zoom with investors, and then go meet my friends for drinks with a change of shoes and jewelry.”

Fans of the nap dress say it’s just as comfy as leggings and a t-shirt – but makes you feel so much more put together. Now the nap dress has a cult following, including celebrities like Emmy Rossum, Anya Taylor-Joy, Mindy Kaling, and even Princess Eugenie.

She’s a Mom of Three

Diamond is married to private equity investor Teddy Wasserman, and together they have three children: eldest son Henry and twins Willow and Sebastian. Diamond frequently shares snaps of the kids wearing Hill House apparel on her Instagram. 

Diamond found out that she was pregnant with Henry a week after launching Hill House Home, according to an interview with N Magazine. “I was 27 years old, which in New York, is like being a teen mom,” she said.

Diamond and her family spend most of their time in New York City but try to take the kids to Nantucket, where her family has deep roots, as much as possible. Hill House is named after her family’s summer home on Nantucket, according to The Cut.

“My grandfather’s buried on the island. And I have so many aunts and cousins there. Nantucket is home for me,” she told N Magazine.

Her Wedding Was Featured in Vogue

Diamond and Wasserman tied the knot at the luxury French resort Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc in 2014. The couple had the same wedding planner as Prince William and Kate Middleton, according to The Cut. Vogue even covered their wedding – Diamond was connected to the fashion community long before starting Hill House Home. Her showstopping wedding gown was designed by Olivier Theyskens, and her bridesmaids wore Prabal Gurung (both designers are close friends of Diamond). 

Diamond’s wedding gown had a train more than 10 feet long and 12 feet wide. “The dress had its own room at the Hôtel du Cap,” Diamond told Vogue. “We had to widen the aisle an hour before the ceremony because we realized at the last minute that the dress wasn’t going to fit!”

Throughout the wedding weekend, she wore pieces by Valentino, Dolce & Gabbana, Balmain, and Saint Laurent.

The couple is still going strong – in 2021, Wasserman and Diamond were featured in Insider’s “26 hottest power couples on Wall Street” alongside Pippa Middleton and Nico Jackson, Katie Couric and John Molner, and others.

She’s a Princeton Grad

Diamond has an Ivy League pedigree. She majored in English literature at Princeton University. The Hill House founder has always been drawn to a girly girl aesthetic and was known for wearing fabulous outfits to class when everyone else was in sneakers and sweats. 

Diamond wrote her senior thesis on femininity with “a focus on a single line from Milton’s Paradise Lost about Eve’s wild hair,” according to The New Yorker (one of Diamond’s signature features is her flowing, waist-length hair). Her inspiration for Hill House nap dresses comes from vintage nightgowns as well as pre-Raphaelite paintings like John Everett Millais’s “Ophelia.” In fact, Hill House sells a dress called the Ophelia.

She Grew Up in London and Tokyo 

Diamond’s father is Bob Diamond, the former CEO of British bank Barclays. Although her family is American, she grew up in international finance centers Tokyo and London (but never developed a British accent), The Cut reports.

Nell’s father Bob resigned from the position in 2012 amid an ethics scandal but has since founded new ventures. Diamond was an outspoken defender of her dad, causing the British press to turn on her as well.

“The experience of hearing people say the worst thing they could ever possibly say about you is, in many ways, a freeing experience. I can only be who I am,” she told The Cut in 2022. “Because people, you know, they’re gonna think what they think no matter what.”

If You’re a Fan of the Prep Aesthetic, Nell’s Your Girl

If you lean preppy, then a scroll through Diamond’s Instagram is sure to give you a year’s worth of inspiration. Diamond is constantly rotating through Hill House’s newest looks and always styles them in an interesting way – adding a Celine belt, a ruffled lace blouse, or a big hairbow.

It seems doubtful that the Hill House CEO subscribes to Coco Chanel’s advice to take at least one accessory off before you leave the house. More is more seems to be Diamond’s approach. She lives in colorful ruffled dresses, statement gold jewelry, and dramatic platform heels. Her love of Nantucket and English garden parties shines through in her fashion – dainty floral prints and blue-and-white chinoiserie patterns abound. So if, like Diamond, you would describe your fashion sense as “pre-Raphaelite-core,” be sure to keep an eye on Hill House Home and its inventive founder.

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