Before the pandemic, I loved putting together outfits—otherworldly prints, head-turning brights, gotta-touch-em textures—making a statement wherever I went. And then came stay-at-home and quarantine orders. I found myself in drab sweats and old swag bag tees. I stopped feeling like myself. My self-care practice was nonexistent. 

Then, the other things took a toll, like the Slack messages from work colleagues at 2 AM and the emails on the weekend. It wasn't until I had nonstop headaches and found things that never bothered me irritating that I realized I was dealing with burnout. That's when I decided to take a career break. As I began to think about re-entering the workplace, I had to understand what led me to burnout and how I could prevent it from happening again. The word that came up again and again was boundaries. I needed to learn how to shut down. I thought about a signal that would signal me when it was time to shut down. Putting on a pair of pajamas would remind me to turn off work. That's when I decided to start Melda Moda.

I would create beautiful, colorful, and comfortable home clothes. The prints would represent cultures that I didn't see in the current market, but more importantly, I wanted women to change into our pieces the way they would change for a date. Instead of going out with someone else, they would be making a date with themselves. To relax, take a warm bath, sip tea, light a candle, diffuse an essential or another activity that would put them at ease.

Melda Moda is more than sleepwear; it catalyzes your nightly self-care practice. When you slip into a Melda Moda slumber suit or relax wrap, let it be the signal to wind down. Let it inspire you to make rest a ritual.