The Brazilian powerhouses join forces to create a line that fuses the best of both house codes – colour, carabiners, statement flair and irreverence.
Brazilian designer Alexandre Pavão is a master of reinvention. After taking his home country by storm with his tech- and gorp-core–infused designs, colour-blocking, carabiners and sparkles adorning the handbags of every São Paulo cool girl, it was time to break through his South American borders and step onto the international stage. And who better than fellow motherland-born Melissa to support the ride? The Brazilian powerhouses have teamed up to create a collection that brings together their signatures at their best – saturated hues and bold designs, reimagined through Melissa’s iconic material, across two bag styles and one sandal.
On the heels of the release, Wonderland links up with Pavão to discuss signature DNAs, Brazilian creativity reaching boiling point on a global scale, and what makes a great open-toe shoe. Keep reading…
Hi Alexandre, thanks so much for chatting with us today. Can you tell us a bit about the collaboration with Melissa – and how this pairing came about?
Melissa has always been part of my visual and emotional memory growing up in Brazil. What’s curious is that back in 2015 I even applied to work as a designer at Melissa and didn’t get in. Ten years later, to be signing a collaboration with them feels very special. It’s almost like a full-circle moment that proves how much this partnership means to me.
What was your starting point when designing the collection?
I started from the codes of my brand, the carabiner, the organic shapes, the unexpected materials, and translated them into Melissa’s plastic universe. It was about creating a new language that still felt true to both of us.
How did you approach blending your signature aesthetic with Melissa’s for this collaboration?
My work is often about transformation, taking an everyday element and giving it new meaning. Melissa shares that spirit, so it became about merging textures, adding playful functionality, and finding beauty in contrasts.
Do you have any favourite pieces – and who would you love to see wearing them?
The sandal with the carabiner detail is my favorite , it’s pure Alexandre Pavão DNA meeting Melissa’s boldness. But the Olga Handbag means a lot to me too. I’d love to see it on people who embrace individuality, from young kids, fashionistas to icons like Rosalía or Bella Hadid.
There’s so much attention on Brazilian designers right now. What does it mean to you to be collaborating with a Brazilian brand with such international appeal?
It’s very powerful. Brazilian creativity is finally being recognized on a global scale, and collaborating with Melissa ( a brand that already has this international reach ) feels like a way of amplifying my voice since they used to collab with many other big brands and iconic designers. For me it’s also symbolic, since Alexandre Pavão had a strong presence in New York, selling in three stores from 2020 to 2023. This collaboration feels like a continuation of that path, but now with another Brazilian brand by my side.
How do ALPV and Melissa complement each other? Where do you think the strongest synergy between the brands lies?
Both brands believe in the future, Melissa with its sustainable, innovative material and Alexandre Pavão with a disruptive design language. The synergy lies in this forward-thinking spirit and in the idea of turning functional design into desire.
Everyone’s talking about feet this summer. What did you enjoy most about creating footwear for the collab – and what, for you, makes a great open-toe shoe?
Curiously, I studied industrial design and even took a technical course in footwear, where I learned every step of the process, sewing, modeling, cutting, assembling and later worked in several factories as a designer. But the complexity of shoe production eventually pushed me towards bags, where I could create fewer pieces without the challenges of sizing and fitting. Still, this collaboration makes me very happy because it allowed me to put all that knowledge back into practice. For me, a great open-toe shoe should feel bold, free, and carry that touch of unexpectedness.
Words – Sofia Ferreira
