The Quality Makers: Sarah Szeto of Sunday Edition

What led you to start this space/company?

Working relentless hours was just so physically and mentally draining. Traveling across Europe, especially in the southern part, I noticed how people really enjoyed life. People love drinking a cup of coffee or taking their siesta. They really think about what they eat – everything was done with intention. And Sundays are regarded differently – it’s really a day of rest. I remember being in Germany and everything was closed on Sundays. In North America, everyone is just constantly on the go, so I began looking for a way to incorporate that sense of rest into a daily life ritual. 

Why a candle company? I always dabbled in art and perfumery, so making candles was just a hobby and a passion of mine. I’ve regarded candle making as an art form, because depending on your mood and depending on the way the air flows through your space, a candle will burn differently and the scent will spread with that movement. Every candle I see tells a story. What I love most about candles is that across cultures, they’re used in religious and spiritual ceremonies, for calming, for meditation. There’s something so soothing about lighting a candle, especially in the evening, and I wanted everyone to have access to that.

I want Sunday Edition to inspire people to slow down and live a more meaningful or purposeful life. I want these products to give people a moment to just relax. A lot of people burn candles as a way to symbolize well being. When I was working non-stop, I had no room for creativity because I had no time to relax. And when my time slowed down, that’s when I thought about Sunday Edition.

I read that you're an artisanal aromatherapy brand. What does that mean to you?

What I mean by artisanal is that everything is handmade in small batches. Every time the candles are poured, there’s never more than 24 at once. I formulate everything myself with the help of perfumers and candle makers. I really honed in my craft of candle making before really getting started. That way of thinking comes from my time in Japan, because you really have to know your craft before doing it.

Tell me about the ‘Gaia Collection’.

The Gaia Collection is based on Mother Earth as a being and all the different elements found in nature. We have Dawn ($68), Dusk ($68), Ash ($68), Root ($68) and Nude ($68). Dawn is referring to the sunrise and Dusk meaning the sunset. Ash means the minerals of the earth, and then there's Root which means the ground itself and vegetation. Lastly, we have Nude meaning our body as one. It’s really our whole ecosystem and how together, we all make up Mother Earth as a being. Eventually I'll expand on it because I'm obviously missing elements like the ocean, the sky, etc. There’s so much beauty in the Earth that I want to touch upon, but right now, this is my starting point. 

The way that each scent correlates to different elements, is when you think of Dawn, the sunrise, you think of freshness, citruses and awakening. Dusk, the sunset, is a moodier scent, which allows you to unwind after a long day. This one will remind you of the warm evening sun. Then Ash is more smoky, more earthy, more grounded. Root literally smells like you're walking through a garden, so fresh and so green. And then there’s Nude, which smells like your skin is being wrapped in like a cashmere blanket. I hope my candles will reach those that want to embrace nature.