Toni Power and Brandon Bae: Mello and the Cloud Clip

Millions of women wear claw clips every day. But, average claw clips are notoriously cheaply made and painful to wear. Recently, too, it’s been discovered that they can be very dangerous as well, specifically when worn in the car. In the event of a crash, the hard plastic or metal of a claw clip can block the shock absorption ability of the headrest or, worse, the clip can break and cause injuries to the skull. 

While in their final year of university, at just 22 years old, Toni Power and Brandon Bae took notice of this increasingly discussed issue and wanted to do something about it. They began their research by ordering and disassembling as many claw clips as they could. This investigation lead Power and Bae to the realization that claw clips were largely being made carelessly and used as almost disposable products. They saw a need for claw clips that were comfortable, durable, and safe, and they jumped on the opportunity.

“Most beauty brands lead with aesthetics and treat function as secondary, so we flipped that. Mello is built on the idea that a product should earn its design, meaning the material, the spring mechanism, and the hold. All of it has to perform before it gets to match an outfit,” said Bae in an interview with Medium.

In June of 2025, Power and Bae launched their company, Mello. Their product, the Cloud Clip, is a claw clip made with flexible material. Cloud Clips can be worn all day without uncomfortably tugging on your hair, are made with extremally durable material, and can be safely worn in the car.

Cloud Clips retail for $25. Mello is able to be successful at this price point because they specifically market their product as one with safety considerations and one that will last, unlike traditional clips that need to be repurchased as they break.

Mello has experienced great succus in a very short timeframe. The company has received press coverage, expanded into major retailers like Ulta and Nordstrom and, as of May 2026, reached $6.5 million in revenue.