Anything is possible with a strong attitude, a focused head on your shoulders and confidence to pull it all off. But I’m not talking about the cocky head strong know it all girl we all like to hate sorta attitude. I’m talking about knowing what you’re good at and working hard to become successful.

Melissa Araujo is paving her way to a successful future. She’s a hands on designer who creates trend setting creations made for a confident, fashion conscious woman. Her clothes aren’t made for a label fanatic, rather they’re for a woman who cares more for exclusivity, quality and one who is out to set a trend and be unique. “Someone like you?” I ask, she laughs and replies “I hope so!”.

Melissa wasn’t at all into fashion growing up. She was the late bloomer tom boy who liked to kick it with the guys. She played lots of sports and did well in school. Growing up she was so sure she was going into Med school. But a trip to Paris and Barcelona for a month turned it all around for her. Her eyes were opened to design, color, movement and fashion!

She’s always been into dance and drawings but never took it seriously until she realized that dance and art was the creative outlet and passion she was missing from her degree in Commerce.

Melissa takes fashion more seriously now. We know she’s got an eye for it, making herself a cutting edge, up and coming designer in Vancouver. She’s constantly day dreaming…. day dreaming of what her next challenge will be, what fabric, what colors  will she use, what her model’s hair and make up and accessories and shoes will look like, how the photo shoot will look and feel. It’s a constant cycle of new ideas which she then turns into functioning pieces made for a fashionable Vancouverite.

That’s her favorite part of her job as a designer: Day Dreaming. Because… as she says

If your not excercising your brain your not growing or being competitive with yourself and others.

And that’s what we love about Melissa Araujo, she’s always thinking of new ways to reinvent her creations and make them functional for a casual walk through Gastown and South Granville.

photo credit: www.trichestadiello.com