It’s often the music that inspires her creations.
Bold, dramatic classical pieces evoke images of patterns, colors and flowing shapes in Melanie Caballero’s designs. The Grovetown resident has created dresses that have been seen on runways in New York City, Orlando and at fashion weeks in other parts of the country for more than a decade.
“I don’t like to use commercial music,” she said. “I like classical music. I like drama.”
The music along with the clothing she designs should spark emotion and inspire audiences as they watch the shows.
“On the runway, I like my dresses heavy. You need to pay attention,” she said.
In typical years, she’s producing shows in New York in February and September, but this year, she’s taking the February show off. She’s working on a local show for Black History Month at 6 p.m. Feb. 22, at International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local No. 1579, 1250 Reynolds St. Tickets are $25.
Caballero doesn’t create pieces that will be mass produced. She’s more of an artist whose medium is fabric.
A gift from her father sparked Caballero’s interest in design when she was only about 5 or 6 years old.
It was a beautiful porcelain doll, she said, but it wasn’t the doll that intrigued her. Rather, it was the clothes it wore.
“I took the dress out. I took it apart,” she said.
She wanted to know all about how it was stitched together and see the individual pieces of fabric. When she was 9, her grandmother enrolled her in sewing classes. The family moved from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico when she was in high school, where she studied fashion under Carlota Alfaro, who is known as Puerto Rico’s grand dame of fashion.
Caballero’s style is dramatic and bold. Over her career, she’s owned boutiques in Puerto Rico and Orlando. And she has a soft spot for bridal gowns.
“I made Lady Diana’s dress 20 times in Puerto Rico,” she said. “I made it out of satin, silk and whatever they could afford,” she said.
Music doesn’t always influence her themes. Sometimes, the design ideas come first, followed by the music. Caballero plans to do her September fashion week show inspired by some famous bridal gowns.
“I want to do their history, starting with Queen Victoria. She was the first one to wear a white dress,” she said.
She’s also considering looks from the Golden Age of the early 1900s, as well as the 1920s, 1930s Hollywood glam and the Princess Diana dress she’s recreated several times.
Another recent theme featured dresses inspired by artist Freda Kahlo.
Next month’s show isn’t the first Caballero has done locally. She showcased some of suffragette designs in August 2024 for Women’s Equality Day, and she’d love to do more in the realm of fashion here.
“I want to see an Augusta fashion week,” she said. “Augusta needs to have one.”
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for more than 35 years and is a Georgia Press Association award winner. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.
Miss Melanie Caballero is an extremely talented Haute Coutour Designer! I have modeles for her for 6 or 7 years. Every creation is better than the last! She is an all inclusive Designer who designs for all shapes, sizes, ages and genders. She has always treated me like family! I love her so much!