Meet Kid Designer Melissa Jade Aiello

“Fashion is really important to me because it defines who I am.”

For Melissa Jade Aiello it all started with a sketch of Karl Lagerfeld, which she completed in 15 minutes. Her illustration of the iconic designer caught the attention of everyone who saw it. People didn’t just like it, they wanted to wear it.

Melissa was born in Nottingham, England in 2001. At the age of seven, while the other kids were content with coloring in their coloring books and staying in the lines, she wasn’t interested. Melissa preferred to copy the illustrations instead, her one drawing turned into many.

“Fashion is interesting to me and drawing fashion people is even more interesting.”

After moving to New York in 2010, it was a student-teacher at her school that saw her potential. She provided her with a sketchbook for her to keep track of her drawings. Wanting to follow in the footsteps of her mom (a model booker), Melissa found inspiration in fashion. She drew models from the pages of her mother’s fashion magazines.  

Melissa with her sketch of rapper Wiz Khalifa

By the time she was nine, she created a t-shirt line using her nickname Missy X. At the age of twelve, she has turned her love of drawing into a solid business. She has drawn pictures of people like Vogue’s editor Anna Wintour to designers such as John Galliano and Donatella Versace.

Currently, the T-shirts are only available for purchase by special request. Interested in purchasing a Missy X t-shirt? Contact the TBMX team for more information.