The Glossy 50 celebrates individual changemakers. They include executives who took their companies into new, competitive categories, industry newcomers who disrupted age-old processes, dealmakers who led groundbreaking partnerships and creatives whose work managed to cut through the noise. More from the series →
The New Class: It was a breakout year for these founders, designers and TikTokers.
NYC-based brand Melitta Baumeister won this year’s 2023 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund award in October. As such, the brand’s Parsons-trained German namesake designer will receive a $300,000 prize and mentorship to help guide her brand through its next phase of growth. Former winners of the award, which focuses on finding exemplary student talent capable of leading change in the global fashion ecosystem, include Phillip Lim and Telfar Clemens.
Melitta Baumeister, known for its voluminous garments, kicked off in 2014 via the digital platform VFiles, which, at the time, supported young brands and hosted group fashion shows. Rihanna’s stylist Mel Ottenburg attended the brand’s first show and pulled a jacket that was eventually worn by the singer. Soon after, the brand was picked up by the retailer Dover Street Market. Today, it also sells through Farfetch.
In the last year alone, the brand has been worn by celebrities Aurora James, Emma Roberts, Gigi Hadid and Bretman Rock in editorial covers.
“Over the last 10 years, we’ve been slowly and steadily growing the brand, working with more boutiques and building a community in New York,” said Baumeister. “And last season, we started doing events with the CFDA.”
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For New York Fashion Week Spring 2024, Melitta Baumeister hosted a presentation, which was captured in a TikTok-style Reels short film that has received over 12,000 views.
“Doing the CFDA program was an opportunity for so much learning,” said Baumeister. “[For example,] we were pushed to do more video work through an Instagram class. That was something I hadn’t done before, and it was [instrumental], in terms of the success of our spring show.”
Baumeister is now focused on learning more through the CFDA Fund. In addition to NYFW shows, the brand plans to host more physical activations, including pop-ups.
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Click here to see all 2023 Glossy 50 honorees.
