From Lawyer to Fashion Designer: Meet Lamel “Melly” Adkins & his Unique Fashion Line - Where Vulnerability meets Luxury
- Dec 16, 2025
- 2 min read
Imagine spending over 12 years in school to become a lawyer, achieve that goal and then pivot to fashion. That’s exactly what my client, Melly (Lamel Adkins) did.
Lawyer turned innovative fashion designer, “Melly” (Lamel Adkins) is gearing up to launch a one-of-a-kind fashion line, Merci Dema (meaning "Thank You, Tears") this year.
Melly is the mind and heart behind Merci Dema, a New York-based brand rooted in emotional storytelling, intentional design, and vulnerable luxury. Born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Melly’s journey has been anything but linear—and that’s precisely what makes his work so dynamic.
After earning a B.A. in Legal Studies from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Melly went on to receive both a J.D. and an LL.M in Entertainment, Art, and Sports Law from the University of Miami School of Law. He carved out a respected legal career working in media, sports, and entertainment—spaces where culture is shaped and stories are told. But deep down, there was always a quieter narrative asking to be heard.
Merci Dema is Melly’s answer to that calling. It’s a love letter to the little boy inside him—and, he believes, to the younger selves living inside all of us. Fueled by a deep appreciation for people, music, food, sports, travel, and pop culture, Merci Dema folds lived experience into design, exploring what it means to feel, to fall, to remember, and to rise.
“In some ways,” Melly says, “I started designing when I wrote my first poem, the first time I heard 90s Hip Hop and R&B, the first time I fell in love. I just didn’t have the clothes yet.”
Now based in NYC at 35, Melly is fully leaning into his creative aspirations, merging legal precision with emotional expression. Whether through a tear-shaped logo or a hoodie turned tote bag, Merci Dema makes space for truth, style, and storytelling—with designs that don’t just say something, they feel something.
Connect With Melly
Comments