Ava Innes: What is it?
Nested on the edge of the Scottish Highlands, Ava Innes is a sustainable sleep brand redefining what it means to rest well. Founded by Joan Johnston, who spent more than 20 years working with luxury brands including Burberry, Ralph Lauren, and Dunhill, Ava Innes was born from a lifelong passion for natural fibres, thoughtful design, and UK craftsmanship.
After decades working with fine textiles such as English jacquard silk, Scottish cashmere, and Irish linen, Joan recognised a missed opportunity: cashmere guard hair, a long, strong outer fibre traditionally treated as a by-product or diverted into low-value industrial uses. Yet this remarkable natural resource has exceptional properties, especially for sleep.
At the age of 50, Joan decided to change that. She created the world’s first luxury duvets made from cashmere guard hair and British wool, a unique blend that is naturally weighted, temperature-regulating, and beautifully breathable. The results speak for themselves: 93% of customers say they sleep better under an Ava Innes duvet, experiencing deeper rest, improved temperature control, and fewer disturbances. One customer even gains an extra two hours of sleep every night. Joan explains: “Few people realise the quality of sleep is impacted by the materials around you – natural and breathable is so important to allow your body to settle into the rhythm of sleep.”
Every Ava Innes duvet is crafted in the UK using natural fibres from trusted British partners. Their Scottish Cheviot wool travels fewer than 200 miles from farms in the Borders to the family-owned Yorkshire mill where each duvet is hand-layered using traditional techniques, then encased in certified organic cotton. This forms part of their Made in the UK promise: while many brands source British wool but manufacture abroad, Ava Innes keeps the entire process here, ensuring full traceability and supporting local craftsmanship.
Ava Innes also holds the patent for cashmere guard hair duvets, making them the first in the world to transform this exceptional by-product into a deeply restorative sleep experience. Their duvet has been voted Best Winter Duvet for two years running by The Telegraph and Best Non-Feather Premium Duvet 2025 by The English Home. The business is also proudly part of Buy Women Built, highlighting exceptional female-founded brands across the UK.
Ava Innes best-sellers:
Luxury Cashmere & Wool Duvet
£346
Luxury Wool & Organic Cotton Bed Pillow
£85
The Cosy Cashmere Gift Box
£52
Ava Innes: How Sustainable is it?
Ava Innes was founded with sustainability at its core, from the fibres used to the people who make them. Its pioneering use of cashmere guard hair, a long-overlooked by-product of the luxury industry, transforms an underused natural material into a regenerative, circular resource with real environmental value.
Each duvet and pillow is filled with a blend of British Wool (Traceable Certified by British Wool) and cashmere guard hair, encased in certified organic cotton. All fibres are 100% natural and fully biodegradable, meaning every Ava Innes product can safely return to the earth at the end of its life without releasing microplastics or pollutants.
Manufacturing takes place entirely within the UK, through a trusted network of long-established partners. Ava Innes also collaborates with two local seamstresses within a mile of its Elgin HQ, ensuring short supply chains and a deeply personal connection to each product made.
The business recycles all packaging, uses compostable or recyclable materials wherever possible, and transports goods by road to reduce emissions.
Ava Innes partners with One Tree Planted, planting a tree with every order to support global reforestation and community projects. They are British Wool certified and a Scottish EDGE Award Winner.
Ava Innes: where can I buy it?
Shop online at: avainnes.com
