Melly Adkins on his clothing brand “Merci Dema,” emotional vulnerability in fashion, and following his creative calling

Melly Adkins 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. After practicing law, a car ride with his sister helped him start a spiritual journey that led him to starting his fashion brand Merci Dema. 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. 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. In this episode, we talk about starting Merci Dema after years of being an attorney, the one question his sister asked him that made him change his career, his spiritual and emotional journey, believing in himself, how travel inspires him, the intention behind all his pieces, his design process, why his clothing is looser fit, the balance between utility and non-utilitiy in his clothing, what “vulnerable luxury” means, and more.   Follow Merci Dema on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/merci_dema/  Follow Melly on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mel_ice4/  Merci Dema’s website: https://mercidema.com/  Subscribe to Version 1's substack: version1podcast.substack.com/  Follow Version 1 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/version1podcast/ Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/waverlycolville