About
We are team Melly! Since 1994, we have been making outdoor clothing. Next time you’re passing through Leadville, stop in. Check out the factory, book an appointment, and say, “what’s up!” We love our customers who adventure outside. Wear it out, wear it out! To everyone who has bought a Melly over the years— T H A N K Y O U.
Shopping
Wait, what? Appointment shopping? No online shopping?
Over the last decade, customers’ shopping experiences went downhill (not in a fun way). The racks were empty, lines wrapped around the building, and almost everyone was left empty-handed.
Appointments are a bummer, but they ensure customers can shop a wide selection of styles, sizes, and colors.
We do not sell online. We’ve been selling in the factory store before Google was founded. We could sell online if we outsourced production, but our priority is the Leadville community and local jobs.
Leadville
The town of Leadville made us what we are today.
Our garments are designed and sewn to be functional, original, and soulful. Functional: a requirement in the High Rockies. Original and Soulful: like Leadville, a mojo that can’t be recreated or matched. Thank you, Leadville. We are grateful and forever dedicated to you!
The Melly Story
1994 – East 7th Street
Yes, our original name was Eggplant!
It all started in 1994 with a young eccentric named Fritz and his childhood buddy Kevco. Fritz wanted to live and do business in a real mountain town, not a resort town – thus the transformative move to Leadville. He sewed up a tipi and squatted in it those first two winters, putting all his money and effort into the slowly evolving business. This is how our values of locally made, simple and affordable gear were born!
1997 – 714 Harrison Ave
We soon changed our name to Melanzana [Italian for Eggplant] due to trademark conflict.
The store moved into a small place on Leadville’s main drag. First one, then two employees, and eventually, regular store hours. We are forever in debt to the support we got in those days from Leadville locals, raft guides, runners, cuties and dirtbags. It was amazing.
1999 – 609 Harrison
A few years later we moved again, into a “huge” 3000 square foot rental.
We saw slow, steady growth. We made and sold our first hoodies, hired new employees – then we stumbled onto our now classic, Micro Grid fabric. We spent nine years in this former hardware store, figuring out the business of manufacturing on a small, local scale.
2008 – 716 Harrison
Acting on a tip, we took a flyer on an amazing corner building and somehow managed to buy it.
At first, 716 was three separate addresses, but over the years we’ve slowly taken over the entire 7500 square feet. In 2011 we installed a rooftop solar system, and all of our electric power now comes directly from the sun. Recent years have seen fast and volatile growth, which has forced us to continually evolve. But we remain forever dedicated to cranking out unique products on a small and local scale!
