About
MERZE is for the woman who carries so much for so many that she forgets herself. Through the table, the home and honest conversation, it helps her make room to choose herself again.
The Story Behind MERZE
Meet the Founder
I'm Mary Madore-Hickey, the founder of MERZE.
For most of my life, I was drawn to beauty, creativity, and a way of living that felt like my own. But other things came first. So I climbed. I spent nearly forty years in corporate America consulting alongside CEOs and senior leadership teams. I worked hard, and I thrived. And when I reached the top, I found what many women find: it was not what I had imagined. I knew I wanted something more. I had another dream, one I had put off for a very long time.
That dream was MERZE.
Why Merze
My daughter gave MERZE its name, based on her three childhood imaginary friends. To her, they were simply playmates. To me, they came to represent creativity, love, and the way children see the world without constraint.
I was raised in a family that celebrated its Breton roots through language, food, and gathering. When I first walked through Provence, I felt something recognized rather than discovered. A Provence-inspired tablescape I designed was later voted Most Beautiful Table among thirty-six professional designers at the Connecticut Valley Garden Club. It was the moment I understood what MERZE was meant to become.
Read the full story behind MERZE Lifestyle →
Who Merze Is For
For women in every chapter — still climbing, at a threshold, or building something entirely their own. She does so much for so many that she forgets herself. MERZE is where she returns.
À bientôt, Mary