I'm Melissa Mele, a versatile apparel and graphic designer with experience shaping brand identities, building business, and launching new product categories. I am currently working as a freelance designer focusing on apparel and graphic design, marketing, as well as event planning. I crafting cohesive brand systems across social media, print, and apparel, starting with logos, color palettes, and website elements. Previously I led American Eagle Outfitters design team on women’s fleece tops and knit bottoms and collaborated on major collaborations (Tailgate NFL & NCAA, AE x Disney, Netflix's Outer Banks, Mean Girls, and The Summer I Turned Pretty, to name a few). I love building teams, refining processes, and delivering results that boost engagement and sales.…

Melissa L Mele

I'm Melissa Mele, a versatile apparel and graphic designer with experience shaping brand identities, building business, and launching new product categories. I am currently working as a freelance designer focusing on apparel and graphic design, marketing, as well as event planning. I crafting cohesive brand systems across social media, print, and apparel, starting with logos, color palettes, and website elements. Previously I led American Eagle Outfitters design team on women’s fleece tops and knit bottoms and collaborated on major collaborations (Tailgate NFL & NCAA, AE x Disney, Netflix's Outer Banks, Mean Girls, and The Summer I Turned Pretty, to name a few). I love building teams, refining processes, and delivering results that boost engagement and sales.…

Available to hire

I’m Melissa Mele, a versatile apparel and graphic designer with experience shaping brand identities, building business, and launching new product categories. I am currently working as a freelance designer focusing on apparel and graphic design, marketing, as well as event planning. I crafting cohesive brand systems across social media, print, and apparel, starting with logos, color palettes, and website elements.

Previously I led American Eagle Outfitters design team on women’s fleece tops and knit bottoms and collaborated on major collaborations (Tailgate NFL & NCAA, AE x Disney, Netflix’s Outer Banks, Mean Girls, and The Summer I Turned Pretty, to name a few). I love building teams, refining processes, and delivering results that boost engagement and sales.

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Language

English
Fluent
Swedish
Intermediate

Work Experience

Graphic, Logo & Web Design | Marketing & Event Planning at Freelance
January 19, 2024 - Present
Freelance graphic, logo, and web designer focusing on cohesive brand identities across social media, print, and apparel. Responsibilities include logo development, supplemental graphics, color palette creation, and website design; building brand recognition through branded merchandise, social media content, signage, and printed marketing materials; advising on opportunities to increase engagement, including event planning and content calendar management.
Senior Designer, Women’s Fleece & Knit Bottoms at American Eagle Outfitters
September 1, 2020 - January 18, 2024
Led design for fleece and knit bottoms; collaborated with production and fabric sourcing teams; worked directly with factories and trim suppliers to elevate and innovate product while improving margin; led a team of designers to improve design process, product quality, and line assortment; managed and designed apparel and accessories for multiple special projects and collaborations including Tailgate NFL & NCAA, AE X Disney, Netflix’s Outer Banks, Paramount’s Mean Girls movie, and Amazon’s The Summer I Turned Pretty.
Designer, Women’s Soft Accessories, Leggings & Sleepwear at American Eagle Outfitters
June 18, 2012 - September 1, 2020
Designed product including sleepwear, leggings, cold weather accessories, socks, hosiery, hats, exclusive third party products, licensed accessories, holiday gift items, hair accessories, jewelry, bedding, and home accessories. Grew solid and printed legging business to record highs; launched sleepwear as a new business; managed fabric development, print design, and packaging design; introduced licensed and novelty yarn socks, proving socks as an year-round business.
Designer, Women’s Swimwear & Resort-wear at Crystal Jin Swimwear
August 14, 2009 - May 9, 2012
Designed designer-level swimwear and knit resort-wear; designed and developed garments, custom prints, and trims sourced domestically and overseas; managed website, social media accounts, garment fittings, and production; coordinated coverage with PR agency, runway show production, and market week planning for Miami Swim Week and Curve Vegas.

Education

BFA Fashion Design at Parsons School of Design
August 30, 2004 - May 14, 2008

Qualifications

Add your qualifications or awards here.

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment, Retail, Software & Internet
    Multiple Year Experience Designing Women’s Fleece for American Eagle Outfitters
    I worked as a senior designer for 4 years designing women’s fleece tops and bottoms. Work included multiple licensed collaborations including, but not limited to: Disney, Paramount, Amazon, Peanuts.…
    Multiple Years Experience Designing Women’s Pajamas for American Eagle Outfitters
    I worked to launch the first assortment of women’s pj sets and separates. I worked to source affordable materials, collaborated with licensors and assets, designed prints, packaging, and fit.…
    8 Years Experience Designing Women’s Soft Accessories for American Eagle Outfitters
    I have 8 years of experience designing soft accessories including women’s cold weather scarves and hats, socks, hosiery, leggings, pjs, fashion hats, bedding/dorm, hair accessories, and gift items. I also introduced licensed accessories to the business including collaborations with, but not limited to: Disney, Peanuts, Budweiser, Coca-Cola, and more.…
    Physical Therapy & Wellness Logo & Brand Design
    Client wanted a refreshed look while expanding into further wellness categories and planning for the future. Incorporated script with clean lines and color. Included two main versions of logo for multiple needs.…
    Junior Casual Knits Project
    Designed a small capsule of three garments including color and graphic direction for the junior women’s market. This included an off-shoulder fleece sweatshirt, square neck tank with binding, and wide leg sweatpants.…
    Wellness Brand Logo Design & Branding
    Created a new logo for an existing business that had been operating without one! Brought in the client’s previous experience in calligraphy, juxtaposing script with a clean modern font. Multiple versions were designed for multiple uses.…
    Two-sided Brochure
    Two-sided brochure designed for client using brand kit and colors.…
    Casual Knit Junior Apparel Project
    Designed a small capsule of three garments including colorways, print, and graphic direction for the junior women’s market. This included an oversized tshirt, classic off-shoulder tee, and baggy jogger sweatpants.…
    Event Calendar Re-Design Social Media Post Template
    Re-designed client’s template to use on social media to showcase events including dates, times, locations, and fun imagery. Template was designed for all 12 months using brand kit and colors, bringing a cleaner and more modern look to the calendar.…
    Event Template for Social Media Post
    Designed a clear, but fun event template for client to use for posting new events on social media.…
    Juniors Loungewear Project

    Designed a small capsule of three garments including colorways, print, and graphic direction for the junior women’s market. This included an oversized hooded sweatshirt, high neck ruched side seam fashion tank, and flare pants with a fold-over waistband.