Meet Melanie Rayner, the creative mastermind and spirited designer behind Mella Moon, the beloved local slow fashion brand. Melanie has turned her passion of blending sustainability with a flair of style and comfort, for a more conscious living.
The creation of Mella Moon’s signature bamboo garments—are each a testament to her commitment to quality and eco-friendly fashion. Her designs, ranging from buttery soft leggings to breezy palazzo pants, are as whimsical as they are wearable, celebrating the joy of everyday comfort, style and elegance.
A champion of local craftsmanship, Melanie ensures that all Mella Moon materials are sourced, dyed, and finished in Cape Town. Her quirky, yet refined approach to fashion has garnered a devoted following, proving that style, sustainability, and a dash of playfulness can indeed coexist.
This Women's Month, Melanie shares her insights with Glamour, revealing what this special time means to her.
GLAMOUR: What does Women’s Month mean to you?
Melanie Rayner: Wow. Women’s month means so many different things to me. In the full scope of celebrating women - we look at socio-economic independence, to be women who are able to work, earn a salary, receive benefits and be contributing members of society. A physical celebration. On the other end of that spectrum, we celebrate the life force that women bring to the world, as nurturers, mothers and protectors. A spiritual celebration. And in the mix of all that we celebrate women as safe spaces and communities - friends, companions, sisters. An emotional celebration.
For me personally - women’s month is all these things. We honour how far we’ve come as a collective, and we celebrate each other individually, in our passions, progress and community.
GLAMOUR: Why is it important to celebrate the women of South Africa and why do you feel we need a special month to honour women?
MR: Historically, the 9th of August is celebrated to honour the protests of women seeking greater independence in a colonialist apartheid regime. The initial women’s day was a fight for marginalised communities. I believe it is important to honour those same communities and their continued fight for justice and equality.
Over the decades, women’s day has broadened its scope to all women, of all communities, backgrounds and lifestyles - as there is still so much progress to be had in terms of reaching a just and equal society.
Women’s day is still a protest in my eyes. It is not yet a full celebration - we celebrate how far we have come, but we still have so much more fight to give. It takes more than one day a year, more than one month. It should be an ever present awareness. It is an ever present awareness. To us, as women, at least.
GLAMOUR: Who is the most influential woman you know?
MR: This is a tricky one - Especially in a world full of “influencers”, but through my networking, particularly in the fashion industry, I’d have to say stylist Louise Park of Loving The Look Babe. As a woman in the industry, she is always supporting local small businesses - particularly women owned businesses, and watching her grow a community of passionate women, all open and willing to support local, has been inspiring. She is one of the few faces in the industry that I can say has genuine influential power.
Others are willing to take her advice, and her recommendations and to engage in meaningful conversations about fashion and style and mental health and simply being a functioning woman in our tricky to navigate capitalist society.
She is authentic, passionate, hard working and dedicated to the cause. That being uplifting local businesses and supporting a more sustainable and wholesome fashion industry, while maintaining true to oneself. Using style as a healing tool. I am always in awe.
GLAMOUR: What is your ultimate dream for Mella Moon?
MR: When I started in the fashion industry, I had this vision that I’d be the one to bring the manufacturing sector back to life in South Africa. Pre - 1994 South Africa had a rich and industrious textile sector, but unfortunately with the arrival of cheaper, foreign production systems, our industry slowly closed down in the late 90’s. And now, almost 30 years later, (Thanks to COVID), our manufacturing sector is seeing a new wave. Consumers are more interested in supporting local, and so, our once powerful textile mills are breathing new life back into the industry.
While I know I probably can’t overthrow those international forces (right now), my dream for Mella Moon is to grow a local brand that is 100% South African. To have all our textiles manufactured locally, and grow large enough to employ and empower women in the garment and textile sector, supporting real careers and paying livable wages.
I’d like for Mella Moon to become a well known name in the industry, celebrated for authenticity, innovation and upliftment. And obviously, to be well renowned as thee most comfortable leggings on the market.
GLAMOUR: What are some of the biggest challenges that women face today?
MR: I read an article recently about how Sustainable Fashion is a Feminist Issue. Why - because almost 85% of all Fashion CEOs are men - and yet the same percentage of workers on the front lines of the industry, being exploited, are women.
I think the challenges that women face today are both economic and domestic. While we have, somewhat, more power in the workforce, women are still being exploited, both at work, and in the home. Women have more opportunity to bring home them bread, but are also still expected to carry the majority of the domestic labour.
It’s difficult to say what the “biggest” challenge is. We face a million little challenges every single day. And day after day, it does become exhausting. Big changes happen little by little. It’s in the details of our everyday lives, the way we are treated at work, the way we are treated in public and even at home.
GLAMOUR: How do you see the future of fashion evolving in South Africa?
MR: The growth that has come from the lockdown of 2020 has probably been one of the best things to happen to the fashion industry in South africa.
Yes, the economic aftermath has been brutal, for many - and big retailers feel it. But a million small businesses bloomed from that cataclysm. Fashion designers, textile workers, and the garment industry saw a sudden boom in the demand for locally made products. I hope this shift continues in its upward trajectory, and that consumers continue to be mindful and conscious about where and how their garments are made.
I hope for greater innovation to hit our shores - the only reason why we import is because we do not have the technical capabilities as some other foreign countries with more specialised machinery. I hope the opportunity arises to source or develop some of those technical capabilities in South Africa, so we can really watch our industry prosper.
GLAMOUR: What are some important contributions women have made to our world that are important to you?
MR: Historically, women were the textile weavers in communities, so there is much to be grateful for there. Women have always been at the forefront of design innovation and liberation in the fashion industry. The relationship between fashion and social revolution is palpable. Fashion has always been a pioneering force in many feminist revolutions throughout history, and we have the cumulative power of all those designers before us, that paved the way for women’s liberation in fashion and self expression. I am grateful for that every single day.
GLAMOUR: What advice would you give your 18-year-old self about achieving your goals?
MR: When I was 18, I had no idea I would end up here. I worked hard to be where I am, and I still feel like I have so much to do. I think I’d tell 18yr old Mel to be a little more fearless about what she wants out of this world. It took me many years to decide who I wanted to be and what impact I wanted to have. But when I look back to my early childhood, the signs were always there - I was destined to end up in the fashion industry - I’ve always loved textiles. I’d tell my 18 year old self to trust her gut more, and be bold about what she wants from this life. Pursue it regardless of what others think or feel. And pursue it unapologetically.
GLAMOUR: What’s your message to women in business?
MR: A lot of women tend to second guess themselves. We’ve been conditioned by society to question our power, our worth and the value we add. Oftentimes, what we felt or believed in the beginning was always the right way forward, before someone else made us question ourselves. Trust your intuition, be bold with your boundaries and don’t second guess yourself.
