Niya Melodie

Tuesday, 03 November 2009 16:01

FASHION DESIGNER

Where are you from?

I am born and raised in toronto, Ontario.

What is your business about?

My business is about making your statement. 100% handcrafted one-of-a-kind wearable art for the body. I never repeat an item more than 3 times and even that is rare. Since inception, I have not duplicated any item unless its for retail, where they would still only get 3 pieces tops.

How long have you been business?

I started out with Ladies pieces back in 2004 using various mediums such as glass, pearls, sterling silver, gold-filled & vermeil wire, Swarovski crystals and anything else interesting I can get my hands on. In May 2009 I started The Bloke Society the male equivalent to my female designs. It offers clean, sleek and stylish accessories focusing on bracelets using leather, metals and wood and introduces the Belt Loop Piece, an accessory specific to forward-thinking men who appreciate fashion.

What inspired your business?

I would have to say individuality and a basic need for money to pay off bills. HAHAHA!

I've made my own clothes and accessories since I was about 10, then studies Fashion Design at George Brown College after graduating high-school early. I was always complimented on the way I co-ordinated my outfits and found although still very time consuming, accessories were a product that i could produce a lot faster than garments. So i started a side hustle at the office I was working at. I did a little "market research" if you will, and started selling to people at work. There were 16 floors...you do the math.

What would be complete success for you?

A complete success for me would be to run a mail order accessories service and provide conceptual costume pieces for movies, photoshoots, and theatre where Im able to show my most creative pieces, without being in the limelight.

Care to name any of the accomplishments you’ve been a part of?

Sure! I often donate to charity such as Kids of Tomorrow and Oxfam Canada. I have been featured on a number of Fashion Blogs such as HeyDoYou.com and BaghatVinyl. My work has appeared in Urbanology magazine several times, as well as magazines that focus on the Asian population. I also am very proud of my involvement with Exodus Movements where we did a cross promo. I created a small limited edition collection of earrings to go with t-shirts they had printed that read: "I Am Not A Minority" using wood, leather, denim and a Dymo! Any outlet for me to express my creativity and raise awareness is an accomplishment for me.

Any final thoughts?

Lets see.. final thoughts... Dont be afraid to try new things, support local artists and buy from community owned businesses. The economic and social injustice we face is a lot closer to home than you think.

Comments (1) add comment

a guest said:

www.missniya.com
www.myspace.com/niyamelodie

November 04, 2009

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