PORTFOLIO
fashion design
Mé lanie Jacobin
EDUCAT ION Raoul George Nicolo High school, Baillif, Guadeloupe (2012 - 2015) • TSD2A Baccalaureate, Specialty History of the Arts Accademia Italiana, Florence, Italy (2015 - 2016) ESMOD, Paris, France (2016 - 2017) IFA Paris, France (2017 - 2019) • International Bachelor of Fashion Design, and FashionMarketing
EXPERIENCES
CONTACT
PRADA, FENDI, ACNE STUDIO, KENZO, LOUIS VUITTON, CELINE, ISSEY MIYAKE Paris, 2016 - 2019 • Dresser for Fashion Week
+33 7 69 00 19 14 JACOBINMELANIE@GMAIL.COM
MÉLANIE JACOBIN FASHION DESIGNER ∙ STYLIST
MÉLANIE J.
Young Guadeloupean, artist at heart, always attracted to fashion, I crossed the Atlantic Ocean in order to follow a course in fashion design. I started my graduate studies at the prestigious Accademia Italiana school in Florence, Italy, then I joined ESMOD Paris and IFA Paris, where I obtained my Bachelor in Fashion Design, in June 2019.
LANGUES
During my school career I distinguished myself thanks to my f irst collection entitled CARIBBEAN HORROR STORY that I was able to present in Paris and then in Guadeloupe in July 2019.
ENGLISH
I am a woman of commitment and conviction. I want to transmit my values (open-mindedness, respect, eco-citizenship and f reedom) through my works and collections. My goal is to lead everyone towards a reflection on their own evolution and that of the world. I invite you to discover my world, through this portfolio.
FRENCH CREOLE
FASHION SHOWBIZZ EVOLUTION, Guadeloupe, Juillet 2019 • Designer
HERMÈS Sellier, Paris, Mars - Juin 2019 • Client advisor ELIE SAAB, Paris, Juin - Aout 2017 CHANEL, Paris, Mars - Juin 2018 • Showroom assistant
SKILLS ADOBE INDESIGN ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR ADOBE PHOTOSHOP
ITALIAN DESIGN STYLISM MODELISM SEWING ILLUSTRATION PHOTOGRAPHY COMMUNICATION
T A B L E O F C O N T E NT S NATURITAL creative process & accessories
CARIBBEAN HORROR STORY collection events press
COLLABORATIONS partnership photography
This project is inspired by tropical environments. For me, these are prosperous places. The sun shines there all year round, and we constantly live in a summer atmosphere. In these places, everything brings us back to nature, the very essence of creation.
NATURITAL
It is on my native island, Guadeloupe, that I mainly drew my resources to carry out the sketch of this collection. However, many other horizons have made me aware. The Caribbean, Asia and Af rica are at the heart of the concept. It’s not really a coincidence that these places are linked by their histories. The slave trade gave rise to a mixing, which is found today in the essence of Guadeloupe culture, even Caribbean. The resources are innumerable! The «NATURITAL» project is very personal because it calls on the mixing f rom which I come.
This fashion design project leads to questioning. Who am I ? What inspires me? What do my creations f it into? It is inspired by nature. But which one ? The essence, the source, the identif ication?
t r op i c a l exploration simplicity excursion
ÂŤNaturitalÂť is dedicated to tropical women. Those who know what they want and who dare! Those who do not follow trends but who create them! This collection does not highlight the Woman only as a body, but her life, her strength, her tastes, her desires and her multiple facets. The colors are warm, attractive, vibrant. The tropical environment is known for its humid heat and in the declination of my collection, these climatic conditions have not been ignored. It was designed to be made with fabrics such as cotton, linen, bamboo f iber, or even banana f iber.
accessories
All the accessories in the collection are handcrafted. The main material used to make them is coconut leaf, because of its resistant character. In many countries, also in the Caribbean islands, the use of coconut leaves is very common. Especially for the roofs of huts or the making of loincloths. The coconut leaf weaving technique allows the creation of rugs, transport bags or fashion accessories such as hats or handbags.
prototype
Based on the experience of my ancestors, I made a prototype coconut leaf bag.
f inal product - NAT URITAL handbag
Its realization has revealed important points, both on the making and the aging process. Once the leaves begin to age, the bag loses its bright green leaf color, changing f rom a pale green to a very light brown. In addition, it is almost impossible to change anything about the shape of the product as it ages, because the leaves dry out and become brittle. Although the fleeting effect can be very benef icial for environmentally f riendly values, research has found a process called ÂŤstabilizationÂť. It is capable of modifying and
slowing down aging, the main obstacle to the conservation of these objects made f rom coconut leaves. The concept of stabilization consists in taking a real plant, or flower, in nature and replacing the sap with a perfectly ecological substance specif ic to the species treated. It is the result of in-depth research that allows this plant to be preserved for years without maintenance while retaining its original appearance and flexibility.
collection
Caribbean Horror Story is a Spring / Summer 2020 collection designed by Mélanie Jacobin.
p h o t o c r é d i t : Jimmy Pierrot
CARIBBEAN HORROR STORY
This collection is not made up of clothes; it is made up of stories. Here, there is no princess saved by a prince charming. These are wild and mysterious women. Have you ever wanted to be the villain? Well, these women are the «villains» that you would like to be ...
The inspiration for the project has its source in Caribbean stories going back a long time ! These tales travel through the centuries, whispered in the ear of the living by the evil spirits of Voodoo culture. Adults, especially mothers and grandmothers, tell them to children in order to warn them of the danger. In the West Indies, these stories are mainly told at night, under a tree, on the porch of a house or at a funeral. In the 1930s, anthropologist Clews Parsons crossed the entire Caribbean and listed more than 800 stories she collected in Guadeloupe, Martinique, Haiti, Saint Kitts, Trinidad, Cuba and DĂŠsirade.
Caribbean Horror Story is therefore a summary of taboos! Voodoo, spirits, slavery, death ... and women. There is something irrational about this collection. This ÂŤsomethingÂť is feminine! She breaks the codes, breaks the chains and has a lot to say !
«Woman» and «wild» ... When women hear these words, an old, very old memory awakens, the memory of their absolute, indisputable and irrevocable kinship with wild femininity. This bond may have broken down due to our negligence or may have been outlawed by the surrounding culture. But wherever we are, undeniably, the shadow that trots behind us walks on all fours. Clarissa Pinkola Estés
The P O T O M I T A N woman The original word, potomitan, refers to the central pole of the voodoo temple which represents the axis of the world f rom earth to heaven and establishes communication between the world of humans and the spiritual world, around which the followers dance and leave offerings to allow the spirits to take possession of the faithful. This term refers to the individual who is the center of the home, around which everything is organized and supported. Many Caribbean families are single parents and / or rely on a character whose strength guarantees family balance: the mother or the grandmother. The Potomitan woman is the “courageous” mother who supports the foundations of her universe like a pillar in the absence of the f igure of fathers. In the West Indies,
The Caribbean Horror Story collection is therefore dedicated to all Potomitan women around the world ...
this dominant family model is called matrifocal. The mother is described as an exceptional being, forcing everyone’s admiration for her courage and strength in the face of a precarious economic situation. As for the grandmother, her role is favored by the absence of parents (adoptive mother) or in the event of conflict between mother and child. Nourishing and protective, it remedies the faults of the biological mother, ensures family continuity. The more she has resistance to hard knocks and the ability to keep her dignity, the more she is entitled to the flattering title of «potomitan». More broadly, it also refers to the fulf illed, dynamic, active, independent, flawless and courageous West Indian woman.
events IFA Paris
fashion show
beauty
disorder
Maison des Metallos 94 rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, 75011 Paris
EVENT AND COMPET IT ION OF YOUNG FASHION DESIGNERS OF GUADELOUPE
The Fashion Showbizz Evolution is a fashion event bringing together a panel of recognized Caribbean stylists. During this event young stylists are highlighted in a competition. This last point is a springboard for any new creator ready to embark on entrepreneurship. The competition takes place in 3 keyphases: • Selection of the 5 f inalists on f ile • Coaching of the 5 f inalists over 50 days for the clothing and accessories • Presentation of the 5 creations of the f inalists
Awa SANOKO (April 21, 1995, Ivory Coast) - HAUT E COUT URE GODMOT HER OF T HE EVENT is the first black model from Africa to win the big gest modeling competition in the world Miss Model of the World, in Shenzhen, C hina , in 2015.
Invited designers: Denis Devaed - De Vira - August Horth - Glam Etnik Daniel Garriga - Mod’aw Angenel Gonfier - Kuumba Designs - David Pruvost - Mel Design - Patrick Cassin Pam C ré a - C harles-Henry Malespine - Krystel Markos Jules Breter - Hanna C ré ation Design - KNL C ré ation Gytane - Anne-Lise Nipau - Mé lanie Jacobin
showbizzantilles
fashionshowbizzevolution_off
press
Following this event, some Caribbean media coverage was built around the Caribbean Horror Story collection. For the f irst time in my professional career, I was conf ronted with media criticism and judgment. It was a very enriching experience which allowed me to measure the impact of my collection on the Caribbean population. This opportunity allowed me to introduce myself to the Caribbean people, and to make a place for myself in the fashion world, in Guadeloupe.
published on 09/14/2019 in the PAUSE - CAFÉ of MAG de Guadeloupe
interviewed by Cécilia LARNEY
partnership
West Indies Clothing is an eco-responsible Caribbean brand, created by Jeff rey Loubli, a young Guadeloupe entrepreneur. There are many men’s and women’s ready-to-wear items for sale, as well as many accessories. The brand has the concept of highlighting the Creole culture and language through graphic prints.
I had the opportunity to be the face of the brand for their advertising campaign for a period of one year, in 2018, during a paid partnership contract.
partnership
The stories of Sara Turki
charazed_
(1)
Sara Turki is a 23 year old young photographer, born in Warsaw in Poland, and living in Paris. She uses photography as a means of expressing her imagination as well as a tool allowing her to present her own vision of the world. Her photographic style f its into scenarios and locations which translate personalities.
(2)
In order to create content for the photo exhibit titled ÂŤIDYLLÂť, Sara and I collaborated on several stories. The project was organized around femininity, strength and simplicity. I served as a Designer, Stylist and Photo Model during the shooting of three of the visual stories that Sara had previously imagined.
(3)
Directed by Mélanie Jacobin: (1): Styling (outf it + accessory) (2): Outf it designed and sewn entirely for the project «IDYLL» (3): Outf it fully thought out and sewn. The top is a piece f rom the Caribbean Horror Story collection. The jeans were designed for the “IDYLL” project
The IDYLL exhibition: Strada Café (Paris V) from 12/13/2019 to 03/20/2020
spontaneous project: 1 location, 3 outf its
photography
photograph: Romana CABAN-CHASTAS
Gosier, Guadeloupe
blxckdreadshots
In my multidisciplinary activity, I also have the opportunity to be a photo model for multiple photographers, designers, stylists or artists, during projects.
jacobinmelanie @ gmail.com +33 7 69 00 19 14