There are moments in life that change everything in an instant. For me, that moment was losing my mother. A loss that settles into places I never knew existed. Of course, in my heart, but also in the little things of everyday life. The handwritten notes she left when she went out, her always perfectly red-painted lips, and her voice saying: “Darling, always be yourself, because you are beautiful.”
Sometimes something beautiful begins at a moment that feels anything but beautiful.
After my mother passed away, I found comfort in creating something soft. Something that could truly help women. Because when you struggle with discomfort, like so many women with vulvar skin conditions do, you don’t want underwear that is only beautiful to look at. You want underwear that doesn’t pinch, doesn’t rub, doesn’t irritate, and doesn’t leak. You want peace, confidence, and a little softness. Preferably wrapped in something that also makes you feel beautiful.
I didn’t start Pavone because of ambition. I started it because of longing. A longing for something gentle during a time that felt raw. Something beautiful. Something that could make women feel good, even on the days when everything feels difficult.
The name Pavone means peacock, a bird that proudly wears its feathers. My mother had that same quality. Whether she was wearing jeans or her Sunday dress, she carried herself with confidence. She had a natural elegance and a feminine strength that inspired me. That is what I wanted to honour.
Pavone is my tribute to her and to all women with sensitive skin or intimate conditions that are often not talked about, not even at a birthday party. (Unless, like me, you have made it your mission. Then somehow you find yourself talking about vulvas while everyone else is enjoying their snacks.)
Why bamboo? Because it is breathable, naturally antibacterial, incredibly soft, and because I know my mother would have loved it. She would have said: “It feels like you are wearing nothing, but with exactly the right amount of softness.” And that is exactly what I wish for every woman. No compromise between comfort and femininity. Simply underwear you put on with love. Even on your hardest days.
With Mother’s Day approaching, I want to honour my mother. But not only her. I want to celebrate all women who are mothers, or who carry a mother’s love within them. Women who nurture, protect, and care for others, even if they never received that title. I think of stepmothers, adoptive mothers, and all women who have offered love, a safe place, support, and tenderness when it mattered most. I think of aunts who secretly slipped you some pocket money. Neighbours who make the best food. Grandmothers with endless patience (and always biscuits nearby). Friends who catch you when your own mother is no longer there. My sister, who held my hand whenever I was afraid. And my daughter, whose passwords include “mumisthebest.”
I also think of my mother-in-law, whom I only had the privilege of knowing for a short time. From the very beginning, she embraced my children as if they were her own grandchildren. She is no longer here, taken from us in a tragic car accident, but the love she gave us during that short time is something my children and I carry with us every single day.
Mother’s Day can be a day filled with flowers, but it can also be a day filled with silence, memories that hurt and memories that heal. Whatever you feel on this day, know that you are not alone. Your body, with everything it carries, endures, and experiences, deserves softness.
So this Mother’s Day, wear a Pavone set that makes you feel beautiful. Whether you are having brunch with family, crying while looking at that one special photograph, or simply sitting quietly with a cup of tea. Because being a woman is already complicated enough.
For everyone who is missing someone. For everyone who doesn’t feel like a mother. For everyone who deeply wishes to become one. I see you.
Pavone is for you. Not perfect, but real. Just like my mum Petra, whom I miss more than words can express.
