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About EI-YO

The fastest way back to a memory is a smell you recognize.

EI·YO was built from that truth.

The brand is rooted in Martinsville, Virginia — a place tied closely to family, routine, and the small moments that shape how home feels. The scents are inspired by real places, seasons, and memories from that town, each connected to a personal history.

At the center of it all is my grandfather. His presence was always there. That's its own kind of love. After he passed, scent became a way to revisit moments I didn’t want to lose — familiar streets, quiet afternoons, the feeling of being grounded and safe.

EI·YO is a collection of those memories, translated into objects meant to live with you, and help cultivate your own everyday memories to return to.

the tributee

Meet Earlie Owens

EI·YO is a playful twist on E.O., which stands for Earlie Owens, my beloved grandpa. Hailing from the countryside, his name was affectionately pronounced as "ee-yo" by my grandma (and eventually everyone else). He was a coin collector, photographer, caretaker, food canner, gardner, handyman, prankster, and always knew what you liked and bought you 12 versions of it.

Being able to honor him and his legacy through this brand is one of my greatest accomplishments, and is the underlying mission across the board.

OUR STORY

EI·YO was created with the belief that the objects we live with every day shape how we feel. Home is not just a place it’s a collection of routines, memories, and quiet moments that deserve intention.

the founder

Meet Kaila

Raised in Georgia, Kaila Mignon spent her summers in Martinsville, Virginia, where her grandparents lived. Those visits shaped her in ways she didn't fully understand until later: the smell of fresh-cut grass, the creak of the porch rocking chairs, her grandma's cooking filling every room. When she grew up and started building a home of her own, she kept reaching for that feeling.

EI·YO is how she holds onto it.

This is a tangible love letter to her grandfather, to Martinsville, and to anyone who's ever walked into a room and been transported by a smell they couldn't name but felt in their bones.

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