{Wonder Woman #12} Meli - Baccurelli Designer Extraordinaire!

Hello dolls...I'd like to introduce to you the amazing and out of this world awesome Meli!! You'll remember her amazing creations from this awesome post -  well she agreed to let me invade her brain and share a little bit more about what makes her tick! These are some of the most awesome answers ever & I believe she embodies what a 'Wonder Woman' is all about & what I wanted to accomplish here with this series...I hope you enjoy dolls, have a super day!

Loves & Loves

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Baccurelli: Website / Etsy / Facebook / Instagram

When did you think to yourself, ‘Yes, I want to create things. I want people to walk around in my designs, how did it all come around for you?

Ever since I can remember I’ve been designing clothing or accessories for others to wear. Around the age of 6 I used to take socks and cut them up to make new dresses for my Barbies. I loved my dolls but the second I got home I’d immediately strip them down naked and make new outfits for them. Growing up, things around me usually seemed boring - not colorful enough, not edgy enough, not different enough. Even as a little girl that bugged the hell out of me. So I sketched and made what I wanted to see in the world, and then eventually sold it! My first sale was around 12 when I bought a super wide roll of white grosgrain ribbon and dip-dyed it to make huge hair bows to sell to my friends at school. I took them in a lunchbox and sold out that same day. I realized then that what I thought was cool and sorely needed in the world, was shared by certain funky creatures around me as well. Later on in my early twenties I used to take used denim jackets and shirts and paint murals on the back. Those sold out quickly too! 

Then I bought into the mass belief that growing up meant taking a corporate job and working to help others achieve their dreams. Fast-forward to 2010 when in a stroke of creativity and passion (the night my son was conceived!), that fire re-awoke. I sketched and sketched like crazy, creating a fashion line for women with curves like me. Back then (we have greater options today - thank you ASOS!) I was super dissatisfied with the options out there for me and carved my own path. But I still didn’t have the courage to pursue it. Then I purchased a fabulous and loud acrylic brooch that melted my inhibitions and fears. The brooch was such a conversation starter, that I had no choice but to open up completely to the world around me, and to myself! I re-connected with my bold, large, over-the-top spirit that had been dormant for so long, and I couldn’t get enough of it. Immediately my mind was bombarded with my own jewelry designs, my own aesthetic (an extension of the clothing collection I made a few years before). The thought of other women (or men!) experiencing the truly powerful transformational effects of a funky accessory made me excited beyond words. I then set forth to learn how to work with acrylic and create jewelry and accessories that turn us inside out, without fear and with our arms open wide to the world. Fortunately those funky creatures are still out there!  

{Above is a new bunny choker Meli has made & I'm super in love with it}

What kinds of things can we expect to see from your shop in the future, where would you like it to go?

Good question! Well on the horizon is the most complex piece I’ve created to date, with an huge variety of colors: a sugar skull. Its detailing is inspired by traditional Goajiro art (indian people of Venezuela, my home country) and has a slight 60’s flair (think Alexander Girard). We have so many other things in the works too! Apart from statement jewelry there’s also charms, keychains, children’s accessories, hats, wall art, prints and textiles. Some jewelry pieces coming up are a rooster, giraffe, cat, giant strawberry, swan, unicorn (the taxidermy version!) and a Western capsule collection. Our children’s accessories line will sometimes be literally mini versions of the giant adult pieces, and other times will be unique to little fashionista’s style. Our 4 yr old son has worn a few pieces to school and I’m just waiting for Miss Glitter (our 10 month old baby girl) to be old enough to express her style as well! The home decor line includes large wall art versions of the jewelry pieces, as well as prints of some of the most popular designs. There’s also some pieces that I’ve transformed into hats, mainly fascinators and headbands. Those are still in R&D since I’m not a trained hat-maker and have a TON to still learn about that exquisite art. And perhaps in the near future I might branch into regular and plus-size clothing. Baccurelli will transform the world into a more funky, colorful, unique and SEXY place! 

Can you tell me some women that have inspired you through the years? Either in your work or in life in general.

OMG first and foremost my Mom! I used to raid her costume jewelry drawers and relish in wearing her groovy sixties lucite pieces. Those gems literally single-handedly started my love for all-things plastic. My Mom is as innocent and she is wise, and as strong as she is vulnerable - and was the grounding and creative force behind my Dad. That taught me the complexity of the many facets of being a woman, and I admire her for being so raw and candid with her children always. Second of one of my biggest muses is Elsa Schiaparelli, patron saint of Baccurelli, in fact Baccurelli is partly named after her. The first time I saw her Shoe Hat I almost passed out. Her boldness, irreverence, massive creativity and ability to take the mundane and transform into sublime, is unparalleled in our herstory. Zaha Hadid is also a huge inspiration for me, the first woman to receive the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize. Her futuristic, almost alien-like structures and objects are almost anthropomorphized to the point that you want to make love to them. Truly breathtaking. Other divas I worship are Diana Vreeland, Vivienne Westwood, Isabella Blow, Dovima, Anna Karina, RuPaul, Katherine Hepburn, Debbie Harry, Stevie Nicks, Beth Ditto and many more. 

I must say that someone that forever changed the course of my life is Elsa Klensch with her fashion show Style on CNN in the 90’s. I lived for that show and have been influenced by her elegance and poise ever since. An additional modern day goddess I admire is Sophia Amoruso, both as an entrepreneur and as an all-round bad-ass. Oh! And my favorite fictional character is Auntie Mame, from the 1958 movie of that same name, played by Rosalind Russell - favorite quote from it: “Life's a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!”

You‘re a working woman, running her own business at the same time as being a mother, do you find you ever find a negative response towards that, being both working and a mother? 

Yes, I struggle daily with that tension of wanting to be with my babies every waking moment, putting food on the table and expressing my passions. I wish I had a switch that could make me feel totally guilty-free when I’m doing any of those activities, but I don’t. Having children was a goal of mine ever since I can remember, and it took us a lot of work to bring them into the world since I suffered multiple miscarriages. But, crazy on the flip side, ever since they were born all I want to do is express my passions so that they know their mom fully, and serve as an example for them to follow their inner fire and heart. For me that comes with a side of guilt and I don’t really know how to resolve it. 

On the positive side, I love that they will know a Mom that has fully realized herself, a Mom that has no regrets and didn't put her life on hold in order to take care of the babies. No kid wants that for their parents. I truly believe that our greatest responsibility in this life is to follow our passions, they are the guide posts to the path and life that we are meant to live. To deny your passions and not follow your heart is the greatest pain we can inflict upon ourselves. I know this first hand. I do miss my babies every second I'm away from them. I wish I could clone myself! But my greatest joy is when I can do both - taking them on trips to buy acrylic or pick out findings for the jewellery pieces. They enjoy it immensely and have fun seeing their Mommy in her highest joy. That's invaluable I think.

If you could pick 5 artists from any time period, who would you love to work with?

1. Charles and Ray Eames

2. Coco Chanel

3. Halston

4. Andy Warhol

5. Erte!!!!

As a champion for self-love, confidence and positive thinking, what advice would you give to someone - younger or older trying to find these in themselves?

I recommend to connect with the little girl version of you - before you bought into a myriad of absurd social beliefs - and were happy as a peacock in your own skin. We didn’t come into this world with complexes, insecurities, fears and all that ugly stuff that keeps us from shining like the cosmic supernovas that we are. I really believe that we still have that innocence and supreme confidence in us. I remember being little and loving my body and experiencing life in it. Along the way I acquired the usual fears that we’re all exposed to. Its truly is not easy being a woman. The hardest part is opening your heart again, and letting go of the fear of being hurt - opening that heart with courage and trusting that you are safe. With your heart open, with vulnerability, you will be stronger than you ever imagined. I have been through so much struggle in my life. Not fitting in with the norm from a very very early age - to a degree that pissed off the norm and made them retaliate and bully me to no end. As I grew older, I let that fear of being hurt attract the wrong partners and put me in situations that made me want to go deeper and deeper into my shell. The twenties were the hardest because I was keenly aware of those fears and the pain I’d endured. But I really believe that our lives go through stages and as women we begin to look more within starting in our 30’s, and begin a new set of chapters in our lives where we embrace our pain and open ourselves up to the world regardless. 

Thats what living fearlessly really means. You have to go within, walk through and understand the deepest, darkest parts of yourself, and then decide to embrace new beliefs and position yourself to define your life on your terms, not what others think or expect you to do. So, to me, the root of self-love is first inviting and embracing (as hard as you can!) your inner litter girl who’s dying to feel your love and acceptance, telling her you love her and that she’s safe. Then its going into those nasty feelings, and asking yourself: what would I have to believe in order to buy into what I’m feeling? For example, I sometimes feel hideous because I weigh well over 200 lbs. - well, I would have to believe that being overweight is ugly in order to feel bad about myself. The truth is I don’t. I don’t really believe that larger is uglier at all. But once I face my own truth, and realize that I was just absorbing the collective beliefs, I can let it go - and the feeling of looking hideous goes with it. We need to question where these negative feelings of self-worth come from, go there, its not easy - it takes courage, but you will quickly realize that they are not coming from you and your own beliefs will set you free. 

Your creations fit perfectly into any style of dressing, but are there any fashion trends or fashion ways/rules you see these days that make you think, nooooo!  

Any time I hear a woman say “I love that but I could never wear it” I want to yell off the top of my lungs: YOU CAN! So many of us hold back for so many absurd reasons, mainly traced back to fear, and that reflects in all aspects of our lives. Fashion is an expression of who we are and who we are becoming. If you don’t fully express yourself life is very insipid and unsatisfying. And we often do it to please others. I really believe that deep down “others” just want us to be happy and our full selves. Fashion is sex to me. Wearing an outfit you love can be as seductive as a fiery lover. You literally feel turned on, turned on to life, turned on to your full self, turned on to fully being the person you are. There’s nothing more powerful and magical. Fashion is our voice in the universe and shields us or opens us to the world. I CRINGE every time I see a sexy woman in boring clothes because she’s afraid of busting out. We all need to drop those shackles. Trust me, the world won’t through you rotten tomatoes when you walk out the door. They might look at your strange, but deep down inside be inspired by your boldness and creativity. I’m not really aware of trends, and have never followed them. I only wish we all dismissed any so-called “rules” and dressed however the hell we want every second of every day, just for yourself.

What is a Baccurelli girl to you?

Goddess Baccurellians are women that are fearless in their lives, that fill themselves with beauty and art, that stop the car on the side of the road to admire a stunning sunset. The Baccurelli woman is mature in her knowledge of herself and her place in the world. She’s playful and irreverent and loves challenging the status quo, not for the sake of argument, but for the sake of pushing people a little bit beyond their comfort zones, so they can discover more beauty about themselves. All Baccurellians are brightening up the world with their exuberance and laid-back attitude towards life. Baccurellian women love good food, good sex and enjoying every ounce of juiciness that life has to offer them. She’s also a lover of fashion, at its core, from Balenciaga to Zac Posen and everything in between. She’s both a bad-ass and an elegant and light-hearted soul that everyone loves to hang out with. 

Lastly, what 5 things would you give every woman to have for the rest of her life?

1. Mac’s Lady Danger lipstick

2. The Beauty Editor’s Workbook by Felicia Milewicz and Lois Joy Johnson (the beauty bible for my sister and I growing up!)

3. A cotton leopard scarf (instant glam even in your pajamas!)

4. Acrylic mani / pedi in blood red.

5. A magical mirror where they can see how TRULY gorgeous and amazing they really are, exactly how they are at that moment. The mirror also detects when you’re feeling down and plays David Guetta’s Titanium with sing along lyrics so you can sing it at the top of your lungs. ;-)

♥