Mellina+Co's homepage!

Back in February (right after TGFC) I helped and lent my pieces to the lovely Melanie Guardino from Mellina+Co for a photo-shoot. The pieces (from the CALAFURIA collection) were to be used as a complimentary element to her line of BIJOUX!

We had so much fun shooting together at Rex Café in Florence, and really got some nice shots!
So much so that she is using one of them on her website/web-shop's HOMEPAGE!!!

woot-woot for collaborations! 

THANKS MELANIE for the support!

March-April UPDATE

My wish to make the updates to this blog (and my website) a part of my regular activities is still far from being fulfilled; especially while living in this relentless city. However, I have loads of news for you and I hope you are ready and excited to read about them!

besitos

 xxx

"z"

MARCH was a BIG month for me!

• I had a B-DAY

Torta de Santiago @ TIAPOL!

• Started setting up my temporary studio UPSTATE NY 

working on a knitted swatch with my recycled fiber handspun yarn!

• My collection was launched on MUUSE, and I am now one of their featured designers!
• My clothes were used on photo-shoot for VNB Magazine's April issue!
• I wrote an article for my friends at Quality Control regarding my Competition Experiences!
• Finally began to work on logos for the BRAND!
• My CEMENTATION_dress made it to the homepage of Mellina+Co!
• I received some press opportunities and collaborated with amazing photographers: 

-Photographer Darina Boycheva and Stylist DaMara Hernandez

-loaned my clothes for the recording of the PILOT for A-Style reality show

- Sent my clothes to Italy for a chance to be featured in VOGUE talents 

-Was interviewed by ANORMALMAG. The article will be published online on APRIL 29th.

Backstage w. MUA Rosemarie Bundy and Model Kelana Derow x VNBMagazine

photo x Darina Boycheva. Styling x DaMara Hernandez

NEW collaborations with old friends: zagb in Mellina+Co's Spring '12 lookbook

 Zaida Adriana Goveo Balmaseda featured in Mellina + Co's Spring '12 lookbook! Yes, that is right!

Mellina+Co & Duccio Cambi's Jewels layed out before the shoot!

After The Green Fashion Competition -in Amsterdam- I went back to Florence for one more week.  I was trying to catch up with all my friends, as I knew I wouldn't be seeing them until I went back to Europe.

I had been planning to meet up with my friend Melanie Guardino who I met 08'-09' while we were both studying abroad in Florence, IT through FIT.  Melanie is the CEO/Founder of Mellina + Co, "a bijoux jewelry company that was created to fuse classic sensibility with cutting edge contemporary style. All the pieces are hand-made in Florence, Italy and shipped right here to New York."

After graduating from  The Fashion Institute of Technology (majored in Fashion Merchandising Management) Melanie decided to start her own company... she currently goes back and forth between The Big Apple and Florence, Italy- and whenever we happen to be in Florence at the same time, we try to meet up and reminisce!
Melanie was super supportive during my participation at TGFC, and when she saw the pictures of the collection on the runway she said she had an idea for a collaboration. I got super excited, as I am a firm believer that we young entrepreneurs and creatives need to work together and help each other... PLUS; Melanie is a doll, and I knew this had to be something good!

The lovely Melanie sporting my CEMENTATION_dress (bottom panel worn as SCARF) she was really loving it!

She was planning a photo-shoot for her latest collection of jewels and asked if I'd be up for lending some pieces from my CALAFURIA collection; I immediately said yes!


Mellina + Co is collaborating with Duccio Cambi a Florentine Designer who makes handcrafted, pieces ranging from Bracelets, Earrings,  and Necklaces to Rings. She sent me the "line-sheet" and I immediately fell in LOVE!

Mellina+Co & Duccio Cambi's Jewels I want them ALL!

We were incredibly lucky to find a model (Veronica Bellandi Bulgari), a photographer and a location and plan the shoot right before I returned to NY!

I ended up being the hairstylist for this shoot... just fixing a few things, we wanted it to be as close to PERFECT!

The shoot took place at the famous REX Café, an awesome location with a decor that evokes Barcelona+Gaudí: the central wall, covered with a large mosaic of rich colors, reminiscent of the motion of the ocean, the curved-shaped bar, copper back-lit wall ... just perfect for Mellina's Jewels + my Knits!

Below some pics of the shoot we had with the amazing Riccardo Polcaro. 

Make sure you also check out his blog!

Veronica is wearing the TAFONI_jkt +TAFONI_pants + Bamboo Ring Gold 2 + Dangling Bamboo Gold

Veronica is wearing the TAFONI_jkt +TAFONI_pants + Bamboo Ring Gold 2 + Dangling Bamboo Gold

Veronica is wearing the TAFONI_jkt +TAFONI_pants + Bamboo Ring Gold 2 + Dangling Bamboo Gold

Veronica is wearing the TAFONI_jkt +TAFONI_pants +Rocky Situation + Rock Combo + Pizzo Earrings

Veronica is wearing the TAFONI_jkt +TAFONI_pants +Rocky Situation + Rock Combo + Pizzo Earrings

Veronica is wearing the TAFONI_jkt +TAFONI_pants +Rocky Situation + Rock Combo + Pizzo Earrings

Veronica is wearing the TAFONI_jkt +TAFONI_pants +Rocky Situation + Rock Combo + Pizzo Earrings

Veronica is wearing the TAFONI_cape/skirt+ TAFONI_pants + Mystique Spheres Silver necklace +Glitz Me+ Dazzle My Flow

Veronica is wearing the TAFONI_cape/skirt+ TAFONI_pants + Mystique Spheres Silver necklace +Glitz Me+ Dazzle My Flow

Veronica is wearing the TAFONI_cape/skirt+ TAFONI_pants + Mystique Spheres Silver necklace +Glitz Me+ Dazzle My Flow

Veronica is wearing the CEMENTATION_dress + Neon Flow Circle+ Got Flow Circlebracelets + My Circle Girlearrings

Veronica is wearing the CEMENTATION_dress + Neon Flow Circle+ Got Flow Circlebracelets + My Circle Girlearrings

Veronica is wearing the CEMENTATION_dress + Neon Flow Circle+ Got Flow Circlebracelets + Ms. Argy's Balancenecklace

new chapter + UPDATES!

Returning to New York has been -as always- a bit strange. 

In the past few years I've been spending some time in Europe, and the more time I spend there, the more It becomes a 3rd home (Puerto Rico my first, NYC my second, and Europe-mostly Italy- my third).

It is always bittersweet, as many of the great opportunities I've been given as an emerging designer have come from initiatives happening in the OLD CONTINENT:

Last year Mittelmoda in Italy, and The Ethical Fashion Show in Paris, and this year The Green Fashion Competition during Amsterdam Fashion Week. Not to mention our latest feature on Mellina+Co's spring look-book which we shot in Florence last month.

I have this never-ending argument with myself, as after graduation I didn't imagine myself being here in NY. I was/am relentlessly searching for opportunities abroad... and every time I go, I want to stay; but this time it was very, very different. 

I realized that although the European mindset is one that I appreciate, and that I admire their respect they have for a lot of things  (like arts+crafts/ personal+family time/quality of life/social programs)... it will take me twice as long to get things done there, to promote my in-the-works brand, and to excel. The fastness of this city is both what I love and hate, its what makes me want to be here and what makes me want to run away.

HOWEVER...Now that I've started building my company,  I think will be here for a bit longer and take advantage of the wonderfully supportive design community I'm part of, the endless and accessible resources and the flexible/versatile/varied- yet intense lifestyle you can have here. If I get tired a few months/years down the line I can always run to my other/adoptive homes in Europe or Puerto Rico for a bit (or a while)...

Anyway, following will be a set of blogposts updating you about the articles where my work has been mentioned, what I've been concocting lately and the very-exciting collaborations we've been a part of.  

Hope you enjoy reading:

xo 

zaida adriana

• The Knitwear Accessories I created with/for Auralis which were at MINTfair in Amsterdam and at CAPSULE NYC during their respective FashionWeeks
•  Zaida Adriana Goveo Balmaseda featured in Mellina+Co's Spring '12 lookbook
• My MANIFESTO_of creativemoulding+criticalweathering collection shot by Michael Butterfin + model Mallory Matoush for MUUSE
•  The KNITTING PARTY at Rosa Ng's (from Quality Control)
•  The photoshoot we just had for VNB Magazine's April issue where our clothes will be featured!!!
• The launch of my collection on MUUSE.com on March 7th!