Stacy Fan with designer, Melina of By Lolita
I'm here in New York to interview jewelry designer Melina for my Flying Solo designer series. As I walk to the end of the store, I find myself standing in front of the designers stunning statement jewelry. Her brand, By Lolita. Melina is wearing a denim shirt and jeans. An ensemble that is so elevated because of the jewelry she’s wearing, of course pieces she has designed herself. A pair of gold dangly earrings incasing a stunning red stone inside that matches perfectly with her red hair and thoughtfully chosen red lip, as well as a long cross necklace layered with another longer gold embellished necklace. The look is cool, chic, but authentically Melina, making it look effortless at the same time. I can already see her jewelry tells the story of who she is. Her pieces say something, they're bright, colourful and without doubt become the focal point of an outfit.
Within minutes of meeting Melina there’s three things that instantly standout to me about the designer, clearly her deep passion for jewelry, it’s been there her whole life, her love and closeness for her family, her mother and son are both her inspiration and driving force and that she was always meant to be here, designing. By Lolita is the embodiment of Melina.
Born in New York but with roots in the Dominican Republic (both her parents are from the Dominican Republic), Melina started her brand 8 years ago. The designer tells me, “I basically grew up in this world. My mom has been a jeweler for 30 years. She inspired me to start my own brand as well.”
Within minutes of meeting Melina there’s three things that instantly standout to me about the designer, clearly her deep passion for jewelry, it’s been there her whole life, her love and closeness for her family, her mother and son are both her inspiration and driving force and that she was always meant to be here, designing. By Lolita is the embodiment of Melina.
Born in New York but with roots in the Dominican Republic (both her parents are from the Dominican Republic), Melina started her brand 8 years ago. The designer tells me, “I basically grew up in this world. My mom has been a jeweler for 30 years. She inspired me to start my own brand as well.”
Designer Melina wearing, By Lolita
Jewelry was always what Melina wanted to do, but she did try and venture into another career before starting her own brand, “I went to school for Criminal Justice, to John Jay College. Just to make my dad happy”, she laughs, “But deep inside I always knew I wanted to do something with jewelry or fashion, that was really my first love. It was my mom that was really the one who inspired me, her iconic looks back in the 90s and 2000s, she was always the flyest person in the room, she really was. And in my culture it’s really who you are and it tells a story without you even having to speak.”
I couldn’t agree more, I’ve always said fashion is a language of its own, Melina indeed told me so much about herself as soon as we met, even before saying hello.. “Just because of what you’re wearing, people really can relate to that certain piece. I really feel that’s such an important way to connect with an individual. I’ve always just been obsessed with the art of jewelry as well. I have a lot of pieces from my mom, I used to wear her name necklace xoxo, it was such a thing back in the 90s. My dad actually gave it to her and I would wear it all throughout high school. And her name earrings and rings, my dad’s rings as well."
Clearly, Melina has always loved jewellery, ever since she was a young girl. It's in her blood, “The style of the 90s and 2000s actually really inspired me to start my brand because it was everyday pieces, that was my inspiration to start and the things to sell. A lot of chunky rings, a lot of layered necklaces a lot of hoop earrings. Where I grew up that’s what everyone was wearing. And my cousins and my aunts, everybody was just so into jewelry. Even now, but back then everyone was just really into the fashion and that scene. I grew up with my mom selling jewelry in the salons. She would sell jewelry in these types of stores, boutique stores in uptown in Washington Heights. I would go with her to the salons or to the store and I would just watch her. So she was really my teacher in how to do business, how to sell, how to market myself and how to market my brand.”
Her mom really has been integral to Melina, shaped who she is and helped her with the inception of her brand.
I actually dedicated my last collection to her. It’s called, El lagado’ which is, the legacy, in Spanish. It was me giving her flowers, because she did so much. She provided for all four of her kids and it was time. To let her know, ‘Look what you did for us and where your legacy’s taken me’. The seeds that she planted, now she’s able to see that grow.”
Melina with her mother, the muse for her collection El lagado
Melina gets her phone, “Let me show you pictures. It was literally the most liked collection.” Her mother is stunning and the relationship between mother and daughter shines through in the photos. The photos are from the campaign, “My mother was my muse for that collection”. “I feel like these pictures are so timeless. I will be able to keep them forever.” One picture is of her mother placing a necklace on Melina’s neck, “She’s putting the necklace on me, passing down the throne. It really meant a lot.” Melina shows me her mother in the 90s clearly a real point of inspiration for her, both her mother and that time period.
Another chapter in Melina’s life that changed her was becoming a mother “Back then I would just release things randomly but after I became a mom, that changed me so much. I created a structure for myself and after I became a mom I created my first collection which was called, ‘The World s your Oyster’ and I dedicated it to my son, Valentino. My son has changed me, I love him so much, I see myself being a mom in every lifetime for sure.”
“After that I created six other collections and I just feel like every collection I create I’m peeling off a layer of onion, of who I am as a person. I go through so many things in life and situations, when I travel, the people around me. They just inspire me so differently, everything in my life inspired me in a different way. And I just start creating and creating to create a certain collection. It has been life changing after creating collections. Because people are able to identify and relate because people love the story telling of it all. I love creating collections now, it’s really my thing.”
Melina is currently working on two collections, “I’m releasing one this month, ‘The Cherry on Top’. It’s going to be about cherry’s, tapping into your muse, your inner goddess. Feeling your best about yourself. And then my next collection is going to be called, ‘En La Lucha’ Which is everyday pieces that you can wear. In Spanish En la lucha is a Dominican saying, when people ask, ‘How are you doing?’ they respond, ‘en la lucha’, working, hustling, providing, we’re here every single day but we’re going to make it happen.” A sentiment that Melina is clearly living by herself.
"I’m also moving to wedding….brides!” Melina says smiling, "ohhh" I say.. “Everything? Earrings? Bracelets? Headpieces?” Melina replies, “Yes, yes.. I’m thinking about headpieces for brides, right? I’m going to give them everything.” I immediately think as she says this, there isn’t enough standout bridal pieces for brides, “Yes! Especially if it all ties together” I say, Melina replies, “Yes giving them a certain look! I want to release these first two collections first so I can start working on that, because I want to give it my all. I want to do pieces for woman, that’s the important day in their life so I want to make that happen.”
Instantly I can see that her pieces are going to be a unique style for her bridal collection. The pieces in front of me are real standout pieces, beautiful colors and statement pieces, I can imagine a stunning headpiece as a bridal center piece. Would you include color in there? I ask “I want to! Emeralds, ruby’s, colors that mean something to them. The bride is able to identify with them, like a birthstone or something like that. They can use that as an heirloom and pass it down. I’m very excited about that collection.” Melina says smiling.
You truly get the impression when talking to Melina a huge reason she loves to design jewelry is to make women feel the best they possibly can about themselves and making that possible to a wider customer by keeping her price points accessible, starting from $50 and going up to $150 "I want to keep the prices affordable, even though they’re luxe pieces, they are maximalist pieces, you won’t see them anywhere else, I still want people to afford them and wear them. People say, ‘You could sell that piece for $300’ but I always keep people in my neighborhood in mind as well."
The margins are a little bit lower but I feel good that everyone is going to be able to afford it. I curate pieces with the best material to be long lasting. I started 8 years ago and I still have clients coming up to me telling me that they still have pieces from 8 years ago.
Melina continues, "Most of my pieces are statement pieces. But I feel like I started with both maximalist pieces and simple pieces, but now I have pivoted into maximalist pieces. I feel like there isn’t that much maximalist jewelry." Melina says. “There’s a lot less” I agree “And it draws back to your roots, that the center piece of whatever you wore was around the jewelry, that was the starting point of your look.” I add, “Yes! It was everything, I remember in high school I was the girl in high school with a whole bunch of bangles. I was the girl wearing the trendiest jewelry. I look at my pictures I’m like wow, I really was that girl in high school! I remember in college before I even had my business I was already selling jewelry to my classmates, because they were just so obsessed with my pieces, pieces I’d made and pieces from my mom as well” Melina laughs, “I would take her pieces and sell them to my classmates.” Clearly this was a business she was always destined to begin. “That’s what also really pushed me to start my brand, people just asking me constantly, ‘Where can I get this?’ or ‘Can you sell this to me?’ So my friends, and people around me really pushed me. Even when I worked at Zara, I would sell jewelry to my co-workers, so insane..!” We both laugh, "Well they are stunning pieces. Your little babies” I say, “Literally! I feel like, By Lolita was my first baby.” But now I changed it, Valentino first, By Lolita second” Melina gives a loving laugh. Yes, I think, as we wrap up, a mother in this, and every other lifetime.
By Lolita: IG @bylolitajewelry
Available at: bylolita.com
https://flyingsolo.nyc
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