California Apparel News

When Melody Ehsani turned from law to fashion, she wanted to capture a niche within the market for hip hop–inspired jewelry, which soon caught the eyes of musicians such as Rihanna, Erykah Badu and Alicia Keys, who were spotted wearing Ehsani’s pieces, such as her “Love” rings and her barbed-wire choker necklaces.

Next came footwear, accessories, bags and a three-style sneaker capsule collection with Reebok; a collection of nail wraps with beauty company NCLA; a pocket knife for girls with Victorinox Swiss Army; and, in 2013, a Melody Ehsani retail store on Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles.

Her latest brand extension is an apparel collection, which debuted in the store and online about a month ago.

“I’ve never had a fashion background, but I had a knack for products with form and function,” Ehsani said. “My first ‘job’ was an internship at Creative Recreation at a time when they had no employees—the company was a month old.”

Ehsani credits company co-founder and designer Rich Nand with showing her some of the technical aspects of design, including how to use Illustrator.

For her own collection, Ehsani started with a 12-piece collection of cut-and-sew tees that complement her jewelry, which is inspired by Cleopatra and Nubian motifs, as well as astrological signs and other ethnic influences.

“The impetus behind making the clothing was not because I wanted to create something that didn’t exist before—which is what my intention was with the jewelry and footwear,” Ehsani said. “It was, rather, that I wanted to bring a new voice into fashion. I personally want to wear clothing that is meaningful, made with love [and] intention. I saw a hole in the market and tried to fill it with something that resonated more with me.”

Some of the tees have a sportswear edge to them, such as the short-sleeve polka-dot floral cropped tee that comes in heather gray and the white knit tee with screen-printed sleeves and an “eye heart me” print on the back. There is a loose-fit sublimated tee with a graphic of Elizabeth Taylor from the 1963 film “Cleopatra” and a long-sleeve sports jersey, as well. Also featured is a colorful hieroglyphics T-shirt dress.

All of the products are manufactured in downtown Los Angeles from a variety of fabrics—mainly jerseys, poly blends suitable for sublimation printing and cotton knits, as well as woven fabrications. Retail price points range from $48 to $100. The T-shirt dress is retail priced at $62.

Melody Ehsani apparel is currently sold online and at the retail store. For sales information, contact Dior Winston at dior@melodyehsani.com.