mela x artist edition
Acting Together - Our Artist Editions
Mela is Hindi and means "acting together".
True to this motto, we work with selected artists and offer them a platform for their creative messages. They enrich our collections with their artworks. Discover our limited artist editions from our current and past collections.
spring / summer 2026
mela x atelier mave
Atelier Mave is a Berlin based design studio, founded by Berry Aktuglu with a passion for creating colorful and quirky illustrations, surface patterns and products.
Each design starts with hand-drawn lines; has its own playful characters and color combinations that draw Mave‘s joyful vocabulary. Originally from Istanbul, Berry spent eight years in Milan before moving to Berlin, where she has been living for the past six years. A self-taught artist, her creative journey began under the deep influence of Italy’s rich art and design culture.
For the past 15 years, she has been illustrating and designing patterns, drawing inspiration from mid century illustrators like Miroslav Sasek, the painters like Matisse, Toulouse-Lautrec, Magritte, as well as vintage children’s books, old fashion magazines and spending time in nature. Berry has a fondness for collecting — especially vintage or new children’s books and charming old tin boxes, each with its own little story to tell.
Interview
Which snacks belong in your picnic basket?
What's the story behind the print with the title "secret place to swim"?
The illustration was actually based on a true place in Mykonos where we were hiking and I saw these three people swimming in crystal clear water from the top. it was definitely a hidden gem.
Which motifs recur in your artwork and what do they mean to you?
Food, nature elements and objects are always in my illustrations but what is recurring is a twisted joyful scene.
What are your favorite techniques and materials you work with?
I find it very satisfying to draw with gouache paints and pastels which also allow more room for random playfulness.
Where does the name "Atelier Mave" come from?
In old English "Mave" means joy and it was my starting point back then; to create joy and put a smile on people's faces with my illustrations and designs. Illustrations that bring back a memory or simply are fun and pleasing.
Thank you for letting us visit you in your studio! What does this place mean to you?
Thank you for making me a part of the Mela! My studio is a sacred place where I dive into an unknown world everytime I sit at my desk.
MELA is Hindi and roughly translates to "acting together." True to our motto, we collaborate with select artists who enrich our collections with their artwork, creating limited editions of wearable art. The print is on our Tanika style: the relaxed fit and longer sleeves ensure a laid-back look. The lightweight jersey, made from 100% Fairtrade organic cotton, is soft, breathable, and therefore perfect for summer. You can find more information about our Artist Editions and the artists here: https://melawear.shop/pages/mela-artist-editions
If you like this style, then it's for you. We believe that everyone can wear our clothes, regardless of gender stereotypes.
Pickup available at mela wear GmbH - Headquarter & Logistik
Usually ready in 24 hours
T-Shirt Style Artist Edition Atelier Mave
white / print secret lake / XS
mela wear GmbH - Headquarter & Logistik
Schillerstraße 50-52
34117 Kassel
Germany
MELA
artist editions
Autumn/Winter 2025
mela x Josha Lohrengel
Josha Lohrengel is an interdisciplinary artist from Kassel, Germany, who enjoys translating culinary themes into art and design. He loves simple illustrations, often paired with typography. He likes to complete a work by making it wearable on clothing.
spring / summer 2025
mela x Kaja Meyer
Kaja Meyer's (Danish, lives in Hamburg, Germany) work takes place in the sensations of becoming and passing away. How entities—such as individuals, animals, various components of nature, colors, and forms—change, form, and react to one another in context. Dreams, ideas, and longings converge in intuitive processes in her drawings and paintings. All times are seamless. We live in the gap between the moment of passing and the moment of arising. At the same time, we put down roots and grow them. It is a bodily process, an ongoing process, a movement. The body gathers the fleeting parts around it—impressions and fragments that it weaves together anew. Joy and curiosity are present in Kaja's works, both as a method and as a theme.
fall / winter 2024
mela x Maggie Stephenson
Born in Poland and raised in Germany, artist Maggie lives in Florida, USA. Inspired by human connections and nature, she combines vibrant colors, flowing shapes and diverse textures. Her works depict confident, carefree women in harmony with nature and embody powerful femininity. "I'm lucky to have been surrounded by many wonderful women in my life. In the end, it's the sense of community and positivity that I value so much," says Maggie.
Life is a constant ebb and flow, a continuous movement of changes, of moments that flow into the next. In all these fluid experiences, the power lies in the present moment. The motif conveys the feeling of belonging to this moment.
Spring/summer 2024
MELA x Kruttika
Kruttika Susarla is an illustrator and cartoonist from the South Indian region of Andhra Pradesh . Kruttika's unique style is heavily influenced by her Indian roots and culture.
In her work she addresses social, political and literary topics, from comics to dogs, crows and leeches, to part-time jobs in the gig economy or toolkits for NGOs.
Fall / Winter 2023
MELA x Anjali Mehta
Anjali is a New Delhi-based artist and illustrator who draws scenes from modern day life. Her expressive illustrations are brought to life through the strong use of pigments and patterns. Anjali is inspired by strong women, books and travel.
Anjali: “I want my audience to reflect on their own experiences, connect with my work and finish the story I started.”
spring / summer 2023
MELA x Ilki Kocer
Ilknur Koçer “Ilki” is an artist and illustrator.
Born and raised in a village near Kassel, Ilki discovered her passion for art and stories and developed it further during her studies in visual communication with a focus on comics and illustration.
In her work she writes and draws stories about interference and deals with migration, racism and feminism.
Together with Ilki, Mela successfully designed and produced the first Artist Edition.
The tiger print has a special meaning because for us the tiger stands for power and strength, but also symbolically for resistance and the courage to oppose the status quo.