Melissa Simon-Hartman owns the luxury handcrafted statement pieces brand in London. Her label, Simon-Hartman, was initiated in 2009. Melissa was not only passionate about fashion and creating her own clothing line. She was also academically qualified from the prestigious London College of Fashion, where she earned her degree in Theatrical Costume Fashion.
Driven by her passion and having studied costume fashion with expert designers, Melissa decided to launch her accessories and footwear. What distinguished the Simon-Hartman brand from others was Melissa’s unique vision of creating ‘wearable art.’ It was her objective to create astounding pieces that were unique, astounding and elevated the personal style of the wearer.
Melissa launched her first footwear line in 2013 during Mercedes Benz Fashion week, which was held in Berlin. The footwear line received a positive response from the audience, and many were impressed by the bespoke pieces designed by Melissa. After the immense success in Berlin, she launched her clothing line.
Her outfits are hand-crafted, and a lot of attention is given to tiny details to spruce up the piece. Simon-Hartman’s label began to grow and attract the attention of production houses and theatres. She designed costumes for stage, theatre & TV performances in Shanghai, Beijing, Italy, Martinique, Beijing, and the UK on X-Factor.
But, the most significant break of her career was designing black chess pieces outfits for Beyoncé for her song, Mood 4 Eva, in Black is King.
It all began when Melissa was approached by Zerina Akers on Instagram. She asked Melissa if she was interested in working on a project with her. Zerina was a renowned stylist for Beyoncé for many years, so she agreed instantly. That marked a significant point in her career.
Melissa was commissioned to create 7 looks for the project in 2 weeks. All 7 of her creations made it to the final cut. Moreover, Beyoncé wore a complete look that was conceptualised and created by Melissa. This attracted a lot of attraction and followers to Melissa’s Instagram handle.
In an interview with Monkmusic.co, Melissa was asked about her emotions about her costumes worn in Mood 4 Eva, and this is what she said:
“I was elated. The biggest emotion, I would say, was a relief. Relief and excitement. Relief because I wasn’t entirely sure if my designs were used or how much of it was used. I was given an indication that it would be, but I wasn’t certain…It was an electric feeling to see all that hard work I put into my designs was being appreciated for what can be described as a historical project.”
After this project, there was no stopping for Melissa; her brand was approached by many renowned artists and celebrities. She created mind-blowing costumes for Doja Cat for her music video Woman. Besides, her work was featured in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, The Cut, and GQ Magazine. She also got an opportunity to provide carnival costumes and featured in the campaign by Samsung UK who were the official partner of Notting Hill Carnival in 2019.
Her biggest project in 2022 was working as a designer for the Royal Shakespeare Company for their production Much Ado About Nothing premiered at Royal Shakespeare Theater, which resulted in an invite to Buckingham Palace to meet King Charles who is a patron of the RSC. Later in 2022, Melissa’s work was featured on Beyoncé once again. This time for her Renaissance Album release.
Melissa’s unique and uber-luxury statement pieces can be found on her website. Melissa also shares snippets of her personal and professional life on her social media handles. You can follow her to stay updated about her latest projects, designs, and collaborations with famous celebrities and brands.
Instagram: @MelissaSimonHartman
Facebook: @Simon.Hartman.London
Behance: @MelissaSimon-Hartman
Website: https://www.simon-hartman.com/
