With a degree from the Naba and Domus Academy in 2014, followed by a postgraduate ‘Shoemaker & Design’ course at the Ars Sutoria School, the long-cherished dream of creating her very own brand of footwear came true with the founding of the Melvolente footwear brand. The story of Melissa Sierra, Columbian/American designer and founder of the brand, is also tied into a long-time tradition of footwear manufacturing that can be traced back to the company run by her family in Columbia, with a solid reputation and well-established presence on the domestic market. Raised in Miami, but with strong ties to the land of her origins, with Melvolente, Melissa’s intention was that of merging the ethnic motifs typical of Latin American cultures with her very own passion for futurism, an art movement she instantly fell in love with while studying abroad in Milan.

Her first collection entitled ‘Optical Roots’ debuted with success at Micam in September, with chromatic dualism played off white and black and lit up by flashes of orange, as a symbol of energy and activism. The production, which is entirely Made in Italy, is characterised by a use of first-rate leathers matched with superlight soles and outsoles, for an all-around sophisticated product. Among the iconic pieces present in the collection, in particular we find a boot with stylized graphic motifs creating the name of the brand: “Melvolente is an acronym of the initials in my name and the Latin phrase Deo Volente, which means ‘God willing’”, confirms the designer. “Melvolente is accordingly tied into the meaning of Divine Will: what better name than this for a new brand!”