Carolina Melis

Carolina Melis (born 1975) is an Italian illustrator and art director who has been featured in newspapers, magazines, and books across the United States and Italy. She is currently signed with Snyder, a New York-based artist representation and creative production agency, and runs the Carolina Melis Studio.
Melis is best known for her illustrations for Vanity Fair, MTV, Wall Street Journal, Penguin Books, Conde Nast, and her TV commercials for Prada, Fendi, Sony, and Volkswagen, which won a Brand Identity award at Eurobest. Melis has also gained mainstream popularity for her illustrations for Vanity Fair, MTV, Wall Street Journal, Penguin Books, Conde Nast, and her TV commercials for Prada, Fendi, Sony, and Volkswagen.. Melis is regarded as one of the most prolific illustrators of the 21st century. She has also designed covers for a number of #1 New York Times best-selling books including Witch Please, Gossip Girl, Most Likely, American Royals, and Remember Me to name a few.
==Early life and education==
Melis was born on 21 March 1975 to a Sardinian father and a Danish mother. Melis later relocated to Denmark and then England to pursue higher education. In 1993, Melis completed a diploma from Collegio Del Mondo Unito. She graduated from the Dartington College of Arts with a degree in Theatre Arts in 1999 and then went to Central Saint Martins where she did her master’s in Communication Design in 2004. Melis also holds a diploma from Collegio Del Mondo Unito. 
==Career==
Melis began her career in 2005, when she was signed by Nexus, a production company based in London. She worked there for eight years, during which time she directed music videos, shorts and commercials for the BBC, Fendi, Vodafone, MTV, Animal Planet, Sony, Prada to mention a few. Carolina also worked on the BBC3 re-brand Threeworld, which won a Brand Identity award at Eurobest, and on the Council of Europe’s international campaign against violence to children for which she was nominated for a BTA Craft Award. Other awards include a Clio bronze for the Pashley series of illustrations. 
In 2012, Melis moved to China to work with production company Pixomondo and ad agency M&C Saatchi in Beijing. During her time there she directed the TV, digital and print campaign Think Blue for Volkswagen.
Simultaneously she also runs an interior design project called Mio Karo where she continues to feature her work as a surface designer. Her textiles have been featured by Elle Decor, Rum Magazine, Schöner Wohnen.
Apart from her work as an art director, Melis is also a well-known illustrator. Her work has been commissioned by clients such as IKEA, Elizabeth Arden, Adidas, Microsoft, LeSportSac, Erno Laszlo, Tommy Hilfiger, Clinique. and magazines such as Vogue, Elle, Grazia, Glamour. Her art has been featured in prominent periodicals and displayed in places including London's Victoria & Albert Museum and Paris's Palais de Tokyo.
In the past years, Melis illustrated over 30 covers for books for young adults including the series Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar.
Carolina Melis has been a strong contributor to campaigns on social causes. Her works includes the campaign Chi ama non taglia le ali, spot against violence against woman winner of Best Animation al Festival ARFF, the Council of Europe’s international campaign against violence to children for which she was nominated for a BTA Craft Award and the video in support of Save The Children Go Go Ninja Dinosaur (music by Four Tet).
In 2022, Melis also created Kubikino, an NFT and multi platform design project exploring ideas of chance, identity, composition in surface design. Throughout her career, Melis has won multiple awards for her exceptional approach to designing, including a Clio bronze for the Pashley campaign and the Sardinian Woman of the Year Award.
Passionate about textiles and craft, Carolina Melis is also a renown surface designer and founder of the interior design project Mio Karo. Her textiles have been featured by Elle Decor, Rum Magazine, Shoener Wohnen. In 2013 the Italian institute of Culture and the Craft Council UK exhibited her work in the UK.
Melis is represented in the United States by WeAreSnyder as of 2022, and she collaborates with major global brands and production agencies such as Fallon, Y&R, TBWA, and Saatchi & Saatchi. The Mall of the Emirates in Dubai, Elizabeth Arden in New York, and Fendi Italy are among the most recent clientele.
==Style==
Melis' work is a synthesis of pop culture and modernist art, brilliantly blended to appeal to the younger generation, particularly Gen Z and millennials. Her art has a mesmerising, lyrical, almost poetic drama to it, with aspects of nature and dance like repetition.
==Select artworks==
* Elizabeth Arden
* Hyatt
* Erno Lazlo, New York
* American Royals
===Film & Animation===
* Lila
* Drunk Elephant
* March 8th
* Loving is not Owning
* Mall of the Emirates, Dubai
* Alone Together
* NSPCC
* Debenhams
* Fendi
* Miu Miu
* Le Fiamme di Nule
==Clients==
Melis’ list of clients include BBC, Barclays, Chloé, Clinique, Condè Nast, Council of Europe, Elle, Elizabeth Arden, Erno Laszlo, Drunk Elephant, Fendi, Hyatt, IKEA, J20, Kotex, LeSportSac, MTV, Mall of Emirates, McDonald’s, Microsoft, Miu Miu, Pashley Bikes, Penguin Books, Prada Candy, Robinsons, Silhouette, Sony, Talbots, TimeOut, Tommy Hilfiger, Unilever, Vodafone, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Volkswagen, and Wall Street Journal. 
==Personal life==
Melis is also trained as a professional ballet dancer. She currently resides in the island of Sardinia with her partner and son Iacopo.
==References==
==External links==
* Official Website
* Carolina Melis on Twitter
* Carolina Melis on Instagram
Category:1975 births
Category:Living people
Category:Italian illustrators
Category:Italian art directors
Category:Italian people