Story

“The kind of woman I envision wearing one of my dresses is a woman who is
confident in her own skin. When she walks into the room, she owns it. She feels
smart, beautiful, and her strength shines.”

Melina Cortes-Nmili, founder, Lalla Bee

The Vision

International designer Melina Cortes-Nmili’s road to fashion has been anything but conventional. Part entrepreneur and part designer, Melina has never taken the standard path. Frustrated with the frantic, flash-in-a-pan pursuit of the latest fads, Melina had a vision for a new take on a timeless concept - “beauty that transcends the trend.” Said in a simpler way, she believes in a luxurious, classic, yet contemporary design that always looks beautiful, and never goes out of style.

The Goal

Melina’s story is far from typical. While others were pursuing degrees in fashion or fine arts, she pursued her MBA. From the beginning she realized that it would take a solid business foundation to make her dream a reality. Armed with perseverance and tenacity, for two and a half years, she dedicated endless hours to learning the fashion ropes. She met with experts, researched the industry, and sourced fabric samples from across the globe. Finally, after more than 30 months filled with overcoming her fair share of obstacles, Melina launched Lalla Bee and unveiled its first capsule collection in 2016.

Melina has participated in important Fashion Shows including New York Fashion Week and Boston Fashion Week.

The Origin

Born and bred in the vibrant Dominican Republic countryside, Melina embraces the diversity of colors, textures and patterns of her childhood. From her design studio in Boston, lalla bee’s structured silhouettes, colorful palettes, and painstaking attention to detail reflect the values and struggles of her past. Rather than following the latest trends in fashion, Melina’s designs are intentionally timeless. Melina's designs are ethically made from quality fabrics sourced directly from the finest factories across the U.S. and Europe.