Lunya founder Ashley Merrill didn’t have a lifelong dream to work in fashion. “I got into clothing because I could relate to the customer and the pain points they were experiencing,” she says. Not being able to find comfortable and flattering sleepwear. Before founding the company, Merrill herself slept in her husband’s old t-shirt and rolled up boxer briefs
Realizing that the options out there for women were either sexy lingerie or frumpy traditional pajamas, Merrill set out on a mission to “make women feel confidently comfortable.”
She’s done it with a line of effortless, sexy sleepwear dresses, robes, rompers and more in washable silk, cozy alpaca, and organic Pima cotton. Merrill is passionate that the pieces have thoughtful designs like straps that don’t slip, bottoms that don’t ride up and pockets that lay flat. “It’s all the things that you didn't even know you needed,” says Merrill. “Now you don’t need to abandon you when you walk into the house.”
In addition to looking and feeling fine, Merrill and team have developed fabrics to keep you comfortable and heal the body as you slumber. Their Cool collection uses Pima cotton woven with TransDry and XT2 fibers that dry up to three times faster than regular cotton. And Lunya’s Restore pieces are engineered to use the body’s natural heat and convert it into a form of infrared energy that is then reflected back into the skin and tissues to help recharge your body as you sleep. Merrill says the pajamas should “increase energy, endurance, stamina, and help you recover faster from workouts.”
We caught up with the busy mom and entrepreneur In L.A. to learn more about her conscious approach to life, from her business mantra to her beauty routine. She even shared her secrets for a good night’s sleep.
How do you want women to feel when they wear Lunya?
Intentional, stylish, and confident. That is how I want to feel at home and how I want Lunya women to feel in our sleepwear.
Can you share your A.M. routine?
My morning is filled with emails and kids—not sexy, but real. I usually wake up very early …(just ask my team who's inbox I fill before they wake up). I'm a morning person and those are my most thoughtful and productive hours. I generally read a lot of industry and world news, philosophical articles from Medium and scan Instagram. My kids typically come in when their clocks turn green at 7 AM. (This is the best parent purchase I ever made.) Once my feet hit the ground, I’m making breakfast for the kids (these banana pancakes amped up with this chai spice some vanilla and almond butter are a crowd favorite), getting my small people dressed, and handing them off to my husband so he can take them to school.
For myself, I’ll have figs and almond butter or eggs with avocado and Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel seasoning. I wash up with Arcona Kiwi Face Wash, moisturize—this serum is becoming a new favorite, put on some mascara and Sun Drops, get dressed and pack my workout bag for my lunchtime ClassPass workout.
I leave the house around 7:20 AM and often swing by the new home we’ve been building to check on progress and make a myriad of decisions from plants to window trim color. Then I head off to Lunya.
Do you have any scents that you love to have in your home and bedroom?
Lunya’s +one candle, of course. It’s a spicy, masculine, and warm scent with top notes of vetiver and amber.
Describe your bed...
Big, white, and lots of down pillows. White is the best because it can be bleached. I have the most amazing sheets. When guests come to my house and sleep in our guest room they usually wake up in a euphoric state. They are special sheets I buy directly from an overseas factory. I’ve been thinking about bringing them to the states mainly because I’m tired of having to sell sheets to my friends.
What is your favorite midnight snack? What are you watching or reading?
Rori’s Malt Ball Ice Cream (I basically work out to eat ice cream) and Boom Chicka Pop Popcorn. I’m watching tons of comedy on Netflix...I’m loving the new Elder Millennial and Bill Burr.
What are your secrets for a restful night’s sleep?
Don’t eat too much salt right before bed: I find this wakes me up at weird hours dying for water.
Try to finish your emails before you get horizontal: Put a notebook next to your bed so you can write down things when you don't want to forget them
You can never have enough pillows: I sleep with four. Two pillows for my head so I am supported through nighttime tossing and turning, one between my legs and one for holding.
Try seasonal sleepwear: Our new collection, called Cozy Cotton Silk is a natural, lightweight sweater knit line in open weaves and ribs are perfect for indecisive weather. Soft and breathable cotton is blended with a touch of luxurious and thermo-regulating silk for pieces that have a zero-itch factor, and are perfect worn on their own or layered with other pieces. A freezer sleeve is included with every garment as an innovative way to care for your knits, meaning you can skip the dry cleaner.
Do you have any grounding wellness rituals?
Exercise is my church; I workout almost every day, usually Pilates.
Do you have a mantra or quote that helps guide you, in work, in love or in life?
The one thing I would like to say to every woman in the world is to be the change you want to see in the world. If we all live with purpose and to our full potential there is no telling the ceilings we will shatter.
What is your bigger vision for Lunya? What is your wish for your brand?
Lunya is transforming women by giving them comfort and confidence in a period that is generally overlooked. I would love to bring this to more people and to build a brand that the community celebrates and cheers for. We are a female-led company and proud of it.
What is the mark you'd like to leave on the world?
I hope people will look at me and say I cared and I did my part to pave a better road for the women who follow me.
