The concept had been brewing in copywriter Peggy’s mind for a while: a photo print of a cardboard box on a soft cotton duvet cover. A luxury product with a message—to raise awareness about homeless youth in the Netherlands and raise funds for better shelters. It was an alternative to a donation jar. The slogan? “Sleep under a cardboard box and help a homeless youth out from under one.” Peggy and her partner Erik—a sports brand rep—decided to bring this vision to life. Together, they created the Le-Clochard duvet cover.

With a sample in hand, Erik and Peggy went to the Dutch Homeless Youth Foundation. They loved the idea, but there was no budget to support it. For a moment, it seemed like the adventure would end there. Erik and Peggy didn’t come from money, but they had always saved up. As it turned out, their savings were just enough to meet the minimum order for the duvet covers. They believed in the idea and thought, "screw it, we’ll fund it ourselves." They made a deal with the foundation: 40% of the proceeds would go toward youth shelters.

Erik and Peggy had 1,000 duvets made and set up a basic webshop. They sent out emails and press releases, ready for things to take off. But no one responded, and not a single duvet cover got sold. When Erik tried showing the duvet cover in stores, he was politely turned away. With no money left and their tiny Amsterdam apartment stuffed full of unsold duvet covers, they started to panic. Was the idea not as great as they thought? They needed a bold move, and fast. So, they camped out on Amsterdam’s Dam Square under their cardboard duvet, next to a shopping cart full of duvet covers. The police showed up... but so did a camera crew.

Le-Clochard ended up on TV, in newspapers, and even got international attention. Soon, the duvets were flying off the shelves. The stock was gone, but Erik and Peggy were just getting started. Le-Clochard was supposed to be a one-off charity project, but new ideas for bedding prints kept bubbling up. That’s when they realized this could become a full-fledged brand. SNURK was born. (As of 2024, they’ve donated €101,900—and counting! You can order the Le-Clochard duvet cover HERE)

SNURK kept growing steadily. Then, in 2013, they launched the first 'Dream Big' collection: kids' bedding with life-sized photo prints of an astronaut and a princess. By then, Erik and Peggy had two kids and noticed something lacking in the children's bedding market. The options were either overly bright and kitschy (which only kids liked) or too subtle and dull (which only adults liked). Their new idea? Create super realistic, stylish bedding that brought children’s dreams to life. This fresh concept marked SNURK’s international breakthrough.

In 2016, SNURK added Horizontal Wear to the mix. With more people enjoying pajama days, working from home and binge-watching Netflix, it was clear that loungewear was evolving. But pajamas were too thin for lounging, and joggers too thick for sleeping. SNURK found the sweet spot, creating a line that was just right. They launched it at Amsterdam Fashion Week where it was a big hit. That same year, they also shifted to sustainable production in Portugal, using only GOTS-certified organic cotton.

Today, hundreds of thousands of people around the world “snurk,” from Amsterdam to the U.S., and from newborns to 100-year-olds. Among their fans are Oprah Winfrey, Gwyneth Paltrow, and John Legend’s children. Even Rolling Stones’ Ron Wood has been spotted in SNURK. Erik and Peggy still work with their 15-person team in Amsterdam, designing creative photo prints on sustainable textiles. So, what will be the next chapter in their remarkable horizontal adventure?