Melissa unveils its newest designer collaboration with downtown – favorited fashion brand, BAJA EAST. The aesthetic belonging to BAJA EAST designers Scott Studenberg and John Targon seamlessly unifies with Melissa, the ever-innovative plastic accessories brand, to produce bold, punchy accessories designed to accompany BAJA EAST’s collection of “loose luxury”: a fashion and lifestyle concept blending the duo’s native laid-back California cool with a city street edge. The collaboration will make its public debut during the fashion house’s New York Fashion Week runway show on September 12th, which will be held in Melissa’s new experiential ‘Galeria’ in SoHo, and will then be available for purchase in store later that afternoon.

The collection consists of 4 footwear styles: a flat slide, a flat sandal, a chunky high-heeled mule, and a closed-toe,
lace-up ankle “Desert” boot, as well as 1 drawstring bucket bag. True to Melissa’s 35+ years of innovation and high design, the MELISSA + BAJA EAST collaboration boasts the brand’s key raw material: recyclable PVC (100% cruelty-
free!). The collection will be offered in metallic gold, powder pink and black, accented by the addition of a plastic python-embossed texture.

The MELISSA + BAJA EAST collaboration brings with it a transformation to Melissa’s new American flagship, an
expanded Broadway space architecturally developed by Muti Randolph and designed to celebrate and connect the city’s young art scene. The store will be converted into a proper NYFW runway for the first time ever with a full,
multimedia set build-out to visually transport the audience into BAJA EAST’s world. The iconic SoHo location at 500
Broadway is a concept store that will function to align Melissa more closely with NYC’s emerging artists, supporting
young, local talent.

“We’re excited to be partnering with Melissa – right away we were awed by the caliber of the brand’s innovation over
several decades,” said BAJA EAST designer, John Targon. “As a company, their approach to design is so complementary to our spirit and how we play with fashion. The whole MELISSA + BAJA EAST collaboration is a
totally fresh way to approach a new category for us, and using Galeria Melissa as our show venue is going to elevate
the NYFW experience dramatically.”

Designer Scott Studenberg adds, “We love the idea of making exotics accessible, and worked with Melissa to create
a super-realistic 100% cruelty-free plastic python that we used throughout the collection. We also incorporated our
PSYCHEDELIC TIGER print and our THRIVING message to edge out the collection.”

“Melissa prides itself on collaborating with the best design talent across the world, and our new partnership with
BAJA EAST perfectly aligns with Melissa’s current brand direction,” adds Raquel Metz Scherer, Marketing Director for
the brand. “There is a great synergy of lifestyle between Melissa collectors and the in-the-know fashion crowd that
follows Scott and John’s growingly-iconic ‘loose lifestyle’ approach to streetwear.”

The re-envisioned Galeria space was born from a futuristic eye, exceptionally innovated with the latest technology to
create a multi-sensory experience that surpasses the typical shopping experience.

Melissa + BAJA EAST collaboration will be available for purchase beginning September 12th at all three Galeria
Melissa locations around the world, including Galeria Melissa NYC (500 Broadway between Spring and Broome
Streets), Galeria Melissa London and Galeria Melissa São Paulo. The shoes will retail between $105 and $150, USD
and the bag for $170 USD. Additionally, all three Galeria Melissa stores will receive art installations to celebrate the
Melissa + BAJA EAST collaboration.