Aug 10, 2026

Visiting Miriam Melenchon

We visited Amsterdam-based content creator Miriam Melen, whose world has been shaped by movement, creativity, and life between cultures. From growing up in Tokyo and Barcelona to building a home of her own in Amsterdam, each place has influenced the way she sees herself and the world around her.
Her online universe is rooted in honesty, playfulness, and connection by creating a safe space for girls navigating change and finding their own way.
Beyond content creation, she finds inspiration in music, writing, and everyday rituals. Her lifelong connection to Japan and matcha also led her to co-found @inoriatelier, a matcha tools brand centered around ritual and purpose.

IN HER PRIVATE HOME, AMSTERDAM
ENTREPRENEUR
@MIRIAMMELEN

YOU’VE LIVED IN SO MANY DIFFERENT PLACES THROUGHOUT YOUR LIFE. IS THERE ONE CITY OR CULTURE THAT HAS INFLUENCED YOU THE MOST?

Japan was definitely the place that had the biggest impact on my life. I think because I was around 10-12 years old, being immersed in such a different and incredible culture was a turning point in my life, especially during those crucial years. I remember being shocked by how kind and selfless our Japanese friends were to us. Growing up in Tokyo allowed me to be my playful, girly, and giddy 10-year-old self: when I came back to Barcelona around 12, all the kids in my school were desperately trying to act like grown-ups and "cool kids", which made me feel very out of place... I think I still carry that joy and playfulness inside of me to this day.

HOW HAS LIVING IN AMSTERDAM SHAPED YOUR DAILY LIFE, STYLE, OR MINDSET COMPARED TO OTHER PLACES YOU’VE LIVED?

Even though Japan shaped me at a young age, Amsterdam is definitely the place where all my biggest changes and breakthroughs have happened in my early adulthood. Since moving to Amsterdam, I've gotten to know myself in ways I never expected; I've experienced loneliness, heartbreak, sadness, but also growth, excitement, and above all, contentment. It's the first time I've imagined myself settling somewhere after growing up moving around so much. Amsterdam has allowed me to become more intentional about my relationships, my mindset, and purpose.

WHAT DOES “HOME” MEAN TO YOU AFTER LIVING IN SO MANY DIFFERENT PLACES?

My first thought was "where all my loved ones are", but knowing my parents moved to Shanghai last year and the rest of my family is still in Barcelona, it's not that easy. I'm the biggest family girl, and the worst thing about living abroad is being away from them. Nevertheless, I always say Amsterdam feels even more like home than Barcelona because it's the home I've built for myself, from scratch, by taking a leap of faith. There's something so fulfilling about it: staying home would've been a comfortable choice, but when you move abroad by yourself, adapt to a new culture, and eventually find friends who become family, you manage to build a "home away from home".

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE WORLD YOU’RE TRYING TO CREATE ONLINE?

A safe space. It sounds cliché, but it’s something I’ve said in my videos since the first TikTok I ever posted, showing my university life in Barcelona. I’ve always wanted it to feel like a place that welcomes any girl going through major (or not so major) life changes. My goal has always been to encourage girls to take the leap, whether by leaving their country, a relationship, unhealthy habits... anything that feels scary but that ends up being the best decision of their life. Growing up moving around, I’ve never really fit in; I wasn’t Spanish enough in Spain, but I wasn’t French, Japanese, or Dutch enough in the other countries I’ve lived in. I always compare my life to this limbo or the in-between, and even though I used to struggle a lot with the idea of always being stuck in the middle in my early twenties, I’ve found so much peace in that recently. It’s way more of a blessing than it is a curse, so I hope my account becomes a safe space for those girls stuck in the middle too.

WHEN YOU’RE NOT FILMING, CREATING CONTENT, OR WORKING, WHAT DOES YOUR IDEAL DAY LOOK LIKE?

I can't really think of a day where I'm not filming or creating content, if I can be honest. This summer was the first time in at least five years that I completely disconnected from social media for several days in a row. It made me realize how much I needed that, so I'm trying to be more intentional about it now, especially on Sundays. For the past year, they have been my absolute favorite day of the week: I like to wake up early, journal, make breakfast and matcha, and head to church, where I meet a lot of my closest friends. This keeps me grounded and allows me to close the week and start a new one in the best way possible, reflecting on how I can become a better person on a daily basis. After that, I would have lunch with my friends and their baby Elora, who brings an incredible amount of joy in my life. Since it's summer, the ideal day would obviously include a fun boat evening, swimming, and reading on a dock. I would then have dinner with my boyfriend by the water and talk about life and dreams.

YOU SHARE FASHION, LIFESTYLE, AND EVERYDAY MOMENTS ONLINE. WHICH TYPE OF CONTENT FEELS THE MOST AUTHENTIC TO YOU RIGHT NOW?

The past winter months were hard for me creatively, as I felt quite stuck on what to post and wasn't sure of what people expected from me. Over the past months, I've tried to tell myself that I should never lose the fun in posting, and that at the end of the day, if I stay true to myself and stop trying to hop on every trend possible, things will just flow better. So that's what I'm doing now: I'm enjoying filming more random thoughts, vlogs, or moments of my day speaking to the camera, as it makes me feel way more connected and engaged with my audience.

WHAT’S A LESSON YOU’VE LEARNED FROM SHARING YOUR LIFE ONLINE THAT HAS STAYED WITH YOU OFF-SCREEN AS WELL?

To stop oversharing every detail of my life. I know it sounds ironic, as part of my job is to share my life, but a couple of years ago I was sharing every single big decision I was making online. That added a lot of pressure in my life: whenever something I had announced didn't go according to plan, my mind immediately went to "what are they going to say? how am I going to share this?". I think it's a tricky decision, because even though you want to involve your audience, you truly never know who's watching and who doesn't wish you well, and the same thing goes for off-screen situations. With time, I've learned that no matter what you go through, even if it seems unfair and it hurts in the moment, it's always better to let things unfold and let time put everything into place instead.

HOW DO YOU STAY INSPIRED CREATIVELY WHEN YOUR JOB IS ESSENTIALLY TO CREATE EVERY DAY?

It's almost impossible to always feel inspired. I would say it comes and goes in waves, but some tools help a lot when it comes to creativity. Some of my favorite ones are magazines and fashion coffee table books, or Pinterest and Instagram, of course. Although those are great to get inspiration, it's hard not to compare yourself, so I also love putting my phone away and sitting in my living room playing the piano and singing. Music is what allows me to truly let go. It's like pressing a reset button, and the same goes for writing: I could sit and write for hours. These are the two main creative outlets that have been with me my whole life, so I quickly run back to them anytime I feel overwhelmed, stuck, and need grounding.

YOU HAVE A MATCHA TOOLS BRAND CALLED ‘INORI’. WHAT IS THE MEANING BEHIND THE NAME?

Inori means prayer in Japanese. When we founded the brand, all we ever wished for was building it around the world of rituals and purpose. To me, making my matcha in the morning is like a sacred ritual, especially because I love to journal and pray at the same time; so naturally the name of the brand had to be related to my morning prayers and childhood in Japan.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START ‘INORI’, AND WHY WAS MATCHA SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO BUILD A BRAND AROUND?

I had known for years that I wanted to build something around matcha, but because of the increase in matcha powder brands all over the world, my brother and I wanted to do something that felt different. I personally love trying many matcha brands and using different ones, depending on my mood that day. In one of our early brainstorming sessions, we realized no brand was solely focusing on the accessories to make the matcha ritual more pleasant, exciting, and calming, so that's when it all clicked.

HAS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH MATCHA CHANGED SINCE TURNING IT INTO A BUSINESS?

Matcha already had such a special place in my life, since I started drinking it at such a young age living in Tokyo. But ever since I went back to Japan last year to revisit our friends and some matcha farms, I've gained a new level of appreciation for matcha and the process behind it: a lot goes on behind the scenes to turn some simple green tea leaves into such fine and tasteful powder. I also have a bigger understanding of what Japanese farmers are going through, as the worldwide demand increases exponentially: it reinforced why I want to focus on the ritual and experience around matcha, now more than ever.

LOOKING BACK AT THE VERSION OF YOURSELF FROM FIVE YEARS AGO, WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD SURPRISE HER MOST ABOUT YOUR LIFE TODAY?

Everything. Five years ago, I was just twenty years old, living in Barcelona, studying Journalism and thinking I would work at a newspaper or be a news anchor around the world. I remember feeling so stuck and desperately wanting to move as far away as possible. Deep down, I remember hoping I would find a job that would allow me to travel the world and give me enough freedom to have my own schedule: now I get to live abroad, travel the world with incredible brands, document my life, meet inspiring people, and use my creativity daily. I think what would surprise her the most is how she made it all happen; even the things she dreamed of but thought weren’t possible. Little did she know that trusting that gut feeling would take her exactly there. She would probably pass out if she knew everything she still must go through. She would absolutely want to run away, but I wish I could hug her, tell her that she's happier than ever, and that she just needs to push through because in five years, it gets so good.