Melke’s Juiciest Collection: “Peaches and Pests”

Melke’s 27-look collection brightened the NYFW line-up with an individualistic, juicy take on ready-to-wear.

You could hear Melke’s runway before you could see it. As the audience crowded into the elevators at Spring Studios and climbed the steps, the sounds of tropical birds escaped the room. Melke’s venue was an immersive experience; while the birds chirped, the room filled with white light. In the center of the square runway, there were beautiful baby breath chandeliers.

The tropical birds transformed into bass and rhythm, as the crowd turned quiet. The first model walked out in peaches. The peach embellishments were scattered all over the deep blue jacket and the purple, orange, and black plaid dress. The dress had slits of black sheer panels.

Melke Fall/Winter 2023, “Peaches and Pests”
Photo Credit: Chad Moon

Melke’s Fall/Winter 2023 collection, titled “Peaches and Pests”, was inspired by the Roald Dahl classic James and the Giant Peach and Tim Burton’s 1996 film adaptation. “I wasn’t planning on doing a runway show until Afterpay confirmed their sponsorship,” Gage said in an interview with Vogue Business. Afterpay, the buy-now-pay-later financial service, partnered with IMG to sponsor eight emerging designers at Spring Studios; Melke was one of the eight designers selected.

The vibrant design choices makes the brand unique but Melke’s sustainability efforts sets the brand apart from many other designers. It is evident that sustainability and transparency are key values for the brand, particularly when examining the details of the “Peaches and Pests” collection: handcrafted peaches made in Brooklyn, embroidered bugs crafted by a Ukrainian artisan, and environmentally conscious Italian wool.

As the first few designs emulate the “Peach” half of the collection, “Pests” started to combine into the designs—this can be seen through bugs and patches, as well as, the word “pests”. The colors of the collection were pink, orange, black, purple, and green. Gage’s 27-look collection was filled with hand knits and naturally-dyed colors.

Melke Fall/Winter 2023, “Peaches and Pests”

Photo Credit: Chad Moon

The makeup added extra spice to the fun collection with the use of lines of blush across the models’ cheeks and vibrantly painted eyebrows. The hair was styled in up-dos of braids and gelled looks.

The collection's use of unusual layers and verdant colors is reminiscent of the whimsical and eccentric style of the Mad Hatter. Sifting through the layers, the ready-to-wear collection has many unique pieces that could be used in daily attire. The collection felt cohesive and eclectic, bringing an individualistic take to the Fall/Winter ready-to-wear category.

The closing model wore a sheer black dress with opaque crossed hands that covered the model’s breasts and torso. The multiple hand silhouettes of light blue and black extended out of the bottom of the gown, flowing as the model walked. Light blue sheer gloves connected the colors of the design. The hair was slicked down into the face of the model creating a wet look.