Melissa Odabash

Melissa Odabash is a an American fashion designer based in London. Melissa began her career modelling in Italy before designing her own swimwear line. A key-piece from her first collection, a zebra-print bikini became the best-selling item in the Victoria's Secret catalogue, while another piece became the most popular swimsuit in America after it appeared on the cover of US Glamour. Her collections have been featured in editorial features in just about every fashion magazine around the world, and her swimsuits were described by Vogue as the 'Ferrari's of the bikini world.' Her designs are also loved by a plethora of celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow, Sarah Jessica Parker, Beyonce and good friend Elle Macpherson.

Melissa has also collaborated with a number of high profile brands, who come to her for her vast swimwear knowledge and ability to inject glamour into the simplest of pieces. In 2003, Odabash was chosen by Speedo to design a collection to celebrate Speedo's 75th Anniversary. For this project, she collaborated with musician and photographer Bryan Adams. The fashion shoot for the project included artists and celebrities, such as dancer Joaquin Cortes and models Ines Sastre and Jerry Hall. In 2005, Odabash was also chosen among various designers to create the sailing team uniform for the Spanish team Desafio Espanol competing in 2007's America's Cup in Valencia, Spain. Her most notable collaboration to date is that of her Odabash-Macdonald line, in which Melissa teamed up with designer and close friend Julian Macdonald to create a collection of swimwear and ready to wear pieces. They collaborated again at the beginning of 2011, with the collection debuting at Miami Swim Week at the W Hotel to great acclaim. Melissa creates an affordable diffusion line for department store Debenhams called 'Beach by Melissa Odabash'

Melissa is also a sought after television personality - having set a swimwear task on Britain's Next Top Model, taken a young girl under her wing by becoming a mentor on BBC3 programme 'Working Girls' and reporting live for French television from Buckingham Palace during 2011's Royal Wedding celebrations.

Melissa works out of her Mayfair based atelier and has two London-based boutiques - the flagship Notting Hill store, which opened in 2007, and the other in affluent Chelsea which opened in spring 2011. Both offer a unique experience, designed to be a 'one-stop-shop' for all your holiday needs & with specialist assistants offering advice on finding the perfect bikini. Both stock the full swimwear collections as well as beachwear, ready to wear, accessories and Melissa's signature hats - the Panama, as loved by Cameron Diaz and the cowboy hat, worn by Elle Macpherson, Beyonce Knowles & Cheryl Cole to name but a few.

See also

• List of swimwear brands

References

• Miss Celeb Bikini, Sunday Mirror
• Melissa Odabash and singer Bryan Adams team up for fashion shoot with the stars, The Times
• Pamela Anderson My L.A. Favourites, Blender
• Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, Sports Illustrated

External links

• Melissa Odabash Fashion House

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Name	Odabash, Melissa
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