What started as frustration slowly grew into a mission.

For years, I kept asking myself the same question: why doesn’t sleepwear exist that truly helps the body regulate temperature? Why do so many women simply learn to live with night sweats, hot flashes, and interrupted sleep?

My story began when I was 36, when I underwent chemotherapy, a treatment that changed my life profoundly and disrupted my sleep long before menopause ever did.

I knew I couldn’t be the only one. And I also knew how essential sleep is: for energy, for concentration, for our work, for caring for children, family, and others. Simply for getting through everyday life.

During the COVID period, I subscribed to MasterClass, mainly out of curiosity and a desire to learn something new. The first session I followed was by Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx. In her very down-to-earth way, she asked one question that stayed with me:

“Everyone carries an idea that could make a difference. The question is: what will you do with it?”

That question never really left me.

From idea to validation

What followed was a year of searching, analyzing, and refining. The idea of sleepwear that could help regulate body temperature during the night gradually took shape, and I decided to test whether it could work in reality.

That is when I discovered Startit@KBC, an accelerator program that supports startups with coaching, expertise, and a strong network. Curious to see whether this idea made sense not only in my own mind but also to experienced entrepreneurs and business coaches, I applied.

The idea was received with great enthusiasm and I was selected for the Fall Cohort 2022.

For a full year I received guidance, refined the concept, and slowly gained confidence in the project. My coaches encouraged me to apply for the Innovative Starter Support grant from VLAIO.

As part of that application, the concept was thoroughly evaluated for innovation, scientific grounding, social impact, and its potential contribution to well-being and health.

Sustainability, local partnerships, and a short production chain were never marketing arguments for me. They were core values I wanted to place at the heart of the concept and the story.

At the age of 56, I officially founded Meralune BV, and a few months later the grant was approved.

That’s when the real work began.

The search for the right fabric

With the support of VLAIO, we started an intensive search for the right fabric.

We tested synthetic materials, explored chemical and biotechnological treatments for natural fibers, and experimented with various softening processes. But no matter how thoroughly we searched, nothing truly felt right.

Until we returned to the essence: pure linen, unbleached, undyed, natural, and knitted by a specialized manufacturer in France.

After seven prototypes, each time adjusting the cut and fit, we finally found our manufacturing atelier, located just a short distance from the linen producer. For the first time, everything came together.

We developed SensaLin®, a knitted linen fabric that naturally helps regulate heat and moisture. Combined with a design that allows the body space to move and breathe, we created a nightdress that offers relief without sacrificing femininity or elegance.

But the most important question remained:

Does it actually work?

Testing the concept

To find out, I invited twenty women to join our test panel. These women experienced night sweats due to hormonal changes, medical treatments, or stress.

For several weeks, they wore our prototypes and completed questionnaires, helping us gain concrete insights into the fabric’s performance, comfort, and potential impact on sleep.

The feedback was remarkably positive. Most women experienced noticeable relief and more comfortable nights.

After nearly three years of searching, testing, adjusting, and starting again, we finally reached a real breakthrough.

The first collection

Together with the pattern maker from our manufacturing atelier, we developed our first capsule collection — a small, thoughtful line designed to support women during nights when sleep doesn’t come easily.

Starting mid-March, this collection will be available through our webshop.

More than a product

What began as frustration turned into a journey that ultimately brought answers, for myself, and hopefully for many other women as well.

Because there are nights that exhaust us, and there are nights that restore us.

If Meralune can bring even a little more relief, a little more rest, and a little more softness to those nights, then all those years of searching will have been worth it.