Story

In 2014, I entered my third act in life, though I didn’t realize it at the time. My marriage had ended, my kids were nearly grown, and I became the victim of a crime that led me on a journey of healing and self-reinvention.

Despite years of caring for my kids holistically, I struggled to apply those skills to myself. Sleepless nights and anxiety plagued me. I felt lost, moving through life in a fog, hopping between hotels and Airbnb stays, with each day blending into the next—like the movie Groundhog Day.

A turning point came when my sister offered me a place to stay. There, I began reconnecting with myself, incorporating small, nutritious meals, walks by the water, and journaling. One night, I watched a scene from Bright Star, where a character embroidered a tree on a silk pillowcase. It triggered a memory of my love for sewing as a child—making shirts, stitching buttons, and personalizing fabrics.

Inspired by the movie, I discovered that silk has beneficial qualities for hair and skin. I decided to invest in a silk pillowcase, but quickly learned that many on the market were synthetic, mass-produced, and dyed with harmful chemicals. Determined to find real silk, I purchased fabric from an upscale store and sewed my first silk pillowcase.

The result was luxurious—soft on my skin and gentle on my hair, keeping it tangle-free. I knew I could never go back to cotton pillowcases. Over the next few years, I delved into the history of silk. I found a sustainable, organic Peace silk, where employees are paid fairly and the silkworms are not killed after producing silk threads. I designed pillowcases with French seams to enhance longevity, honoring the craftsmanship of the past.

Next, I learned about the harmful dyeing practices in the textile industry. I turned to natural botanical dyeing, an ancient method that allowed me to create beautiful, eco-friendly pillowcases by hand. My passion for creating sustainable luxury items grew, and the idea of launching a line of botanical silk pillowcases didn’t seem far-fetched anymore.

By 2021, I introduced a healing product line that included herbal bundles and candles designed to help people slow down and create meaningful rituals. In 2022, I launched Dreamcycle®—my botanically dyed organic silk pillowcases—along with other products from women-owned businesses that aligned with my core values of craftsmanship, sustainability, and storytelling.

My work now revolves around the idea of storytelling through textiles. By using natural pigments, I aim to create unique colors and patterns that evoke specific memories and feelings. Each piece I design is meant to connect the wearer to something deeper, whether it’s a personal story, or a broader cultural narrative.

I draw inspiration from various sources, including nature, art, and personal experiences. The fabrics I choose are carefully selected for their quality and sustainability, ensuring that they not only look beautiful in their natural state, but look more lovely submerged in natural color.

This process allows me to explore themes of nostalgia and renewal, as I blend traditional techniques with modern design. Ultimately, my goal is to create wearable art that resonates with people on multiple levels, inviting them to engage with their own stories, while enjoying the beauty of the pieces. I chose the tagline “The key to a high-vibrational life” for House of Kelleher, because I believe that inner healing transforms the outer world. As we shed what no longer serves us, we raise our vibration and create a more positive impact on those around us.

Kelleher is my middle name and my grandmother’s maiden name, meaning “lover of company.” My mission is to honor my ancestors and bring beauty to the world by creating things that respect the Earth and its inhabitants. Together, we can build a world we all want to live in.

-Molly Dunn, Founder

Earth laughs in flowers
—Ralph Waldo Emerson