Melanie has been building up her name on the Vienna scene since 2006, but today her scope is larger. Above and beyond designing and creating for Méla by Meli, she is focused on developing her business – and that needs attention every day. Melanie, in fact, is not just a few collections ahead of the present, but is planning out the future with a mix of passion and pragmatism.

 

She says, “In five years, I would like to think that the Méla by Meli label will start to be stable. It might still be small, but known enough to be presented internationally and marketed enough to have a good basis for financial stability. I am hoping that people in the fashion business, especially in Austria and Germany, will know it."

 

At the moment, Melanie is excited about the launch of her first spring-summer collection, which is available in the high-profile first district of Vienna (if you’re there, head to the White Rabbit Vienna shop on Fischerstiege 1). And with a few autumn-winter collections behind her, she’s already planning out the next autumn-winter collection, which she hopes will create even more buzz.

 

Melanie speaks of her immediate surroundings as her main sources of inspiration, as well as nature, music and photography – but nothing quite tops her passion for raw materials. She warns that she has been known to go “crazy” at fabric and textile fairs, and says, “I love textiles and yarns and fabrics…I love to feel the fabric in my hand, and to know what I can create with yarn and textiles.” If that sounds enthusiastic, you should see the results.

 

 

Melanie believes that the starting point for all YCC participants, no matter the discipline, is to really want to be part of it. The trick, she says, is to “try to think with Chevrolet – and not forget what you’re creating and designing for.” Melanie also stresses the importance of being happy with the work. She says, “It's very important to stand by your work and to have a kind of certainty about your own creativity.”

 

For more about Méla by Meli, visit www.fashionac.de/PHP/mw/mw.php and www.facebook.com/melabymeli 

 

Keep at it, Melanie!