For Spring/Summer meli melo brings you luxury with flourescent tones for Spring/Summer 2013. Contrasting textures fuse with eye catching shapes to envelope you in an exciting, excotic world.
Discover Meli Melo
Meli Melo established in London in April 2005.
Today it continues to be run by its founder and designer Melissa Del Bono
Read more about Meli Melo, its craftmanship and about Melissa below
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Handbag designer Melissa Del Bono could be described as somewhat of a bag devotee. Since she can remember she has always been an avid fan of the versatile accessory.
Recalling her time living in the beautiful Aeolian Islands, Melissa describes her love affair with the bag that began the obsession, ‘it was a huge wicker basket and I took it everywhere! We were inseparable! I would find any excuse to take it out with me. I just wanted something pretty to carry on my arm like the ladies in the villages would do.’
A passion for vintage pieces means that Melissa is continually looking backwards for her inspiration, ‘the past is a great source of inspiration for me. Take the wicker basket bags for example in the past they were used as feeding bowls for horses to eat from while they were on the move.’
This among others is a prime example of how Melissa has ceased the beauty in the functional objects and transformed them through her talent into beautiful fashionable pieces.
Her best selling design, the Thela, is influenced by how a women carries her bag. ‘I wanted to design a bag for the women that is not only practical and stylish but makes the wearer look and feel elegant by the way in which they carry it.’ The loop handles that are meant to be worn along the arm are the perfect feature for girls on the go.
‘For me, the way in which a woman carries her bag is a very important feature, it can make or break an outfit.’
Melissa Del Bono begins her creative process about nine months prior to the debut of the new collection. Her designs are the result of her love and interest for travel, culture and her fashion forward ideas. Melissa begins to draw her collection during her travels or in her showroom and pairs together the softest Italian leathers to bring them to life. Melissa spends an inordinate amount of time researching ideas and themes to create the ultimate accessories collection, on a cycle of once every six months. The collections are either Spring / Summer or Autumn / Winter. The design process requires determination to see an initial idea blossom, from just a sketched drawing into a fully fledged prototype, which is right for the meli melo customer. Sketches are formalized on the computer using Computer Aided Design Technology and sent to the Spanish manufacturer and designs are then realized in the form of the first sample.
Great attention to detail is given to the design of the handbags. Melissa likes to add specific cultural detailing to her handbags, drawing from travel inspirations, quirky additions ensure each bag has character, culture, heritage and uniqueness. The “Buenos Aires” collection was born from a trip of Melissa’s to Argentina, where the hot polo players, wild horses and polo culture became the source of her inspiration. Current designs carry clever features such as patented inverted handles, allowing the customer to hold the bag comfortably along the forearm, demonstrating effortless chic, supported by versatile design shapes and carefully selected leather materials, allowing the customer to feel luxurious with their bag, rather than carried by their bag.
The company goes to great lengths, to continuously source the best Italian leather and high-end tanneries in search of the best vibrant colours, suitable textures and soft tones of leather, as it will determine the whole look of the whole final collection, it is the leather that speaks a lot to the bag and not the flashy label. Once the leathers have been chosen, the manufacturing process can begin. Meli melo strongly believes in using only the highest quality materials, as Melissa experimented with environmentally friendly non leather products on occasion. In 2008, meli melo designed a “Green Bon Bon Bag”, which was manufactured out of ecological man made material plastic, retaining the fine detail of leather.
The first prototypes from the manufacturer need Melissa’s approval and she continuously innovates and improves them to her high standards of perfection. The samples are constantly edited and improved upon and once they are finally confirmed, production commences.The artisans craft the bags with love and attention and begin to make the orders of our loyal customers as well as our meli melo boutiques.
Your meli melo designs are brought to life by hand to the highest quality finish, cutting only the best part of the leather skins, and carefully stitching each bag to withstand the daily rigors of its fashion life. Bags are checked and tested, before being carefully packed away and folded for shipment. Meli melo’s factory is now in its second generation; the father has passed the skills of leather artisans onto his son, who now after years of training is well placed to manufacture your timeless and coveted meli melo accessory.
Meli melo strongly believes in using only the highest quality materials
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contact us
E: info@melimelo.co.uk
T: +44 (0)207 835 1363
T: +44 (0)207 835 1363
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