Inspirational Woman: Melissa Morris The founder of Métier on female empowerment

In celebration of this month’s International Women’s Day, we talk to a woman we admire — Melissa Morris, founder of effortlessly elegant handbag label Métier, formerly known as LONB — about female empowerment, the power of knowledge and the advice she lives by.

“My grandma Elinor, without a doubt. She was the most beautiful, stylish, elegant, sophisticated woman who was also incredibly smart and independent. She drove a convertible until the day she died, always was dressed in the most elegant and authentic fashion — and was able to answer every question on Jeopardy before anyone else in the room. As for women I admire in fashion, I love Gabriela Hearst and Cate Holstein from Khaite. In fine arts, I love the work of Anni Albers. Musically, I love Patti Smith and Lou Doillon, and I’m a huge fan of Charlotte Perriand, who I named an entire group in my collection after. I admire each of these women because they’ve developed something beautiful, timeless and authentic to themselves.”

“My designs are for empowered women! It’s for the woman who’s on the go, living life with no time to lose. I created my brand because I constantly felt like my bag was a bottomless pit and I was always in panic searching for my keys, wallet, passport… Life in 2019 is hectic, in the best sense. I wanted to create a collection that allows my clients to move through their lives with effortless elegance and ease.”

“Go with your gut. Allow yourself to question things, but always trust your gut instincts. You’ll be happy that you always chose the path less travelled when you felt it was right.”

“I believe as women we need to support each other. We don’t need to compete, we all have something different to offer and we all can admire each other remaining true to our authenticity. I grew up in a house of women — my mum, sister, grandma and me — so I guess that really cemented this attitude.”

“Without a doubt, it’s education. Knowledge is power, no matter where you’re from or what you’re doing. I try to constantly expose myself to new things and teach myself new things. I listen to the New York Times’ daily podcast every morning while I get dressed — it’s important to stay connected to the macroeconomic dialogue. I do a different type of workout almost every day and rarely cook the same recipe twice. I think as long as I feel I’m evolving and growing and learning, I feel strong, confident and empowered. This was something my mum instilled in me from a very young age. If you put your mind to something, you can achieve anything you want. You just have to work hard and want to learn.”

“Never take no for an answer.”

Melissa Morris will be celebrating Métier’s Asia launch during a special afternoon event at Lane Crawford ifc mall on Thursday March 28, 2019, between 3:00pm - 5:00pm.