Photo credit: Instagram/thebaconmagazine
Two FAMU graduates turn a friendship into a collection
Melissa Mitchell and Jai Lyle built separate fashion brands in Atlanta for years. This week, they finally teamed up. The two Florida A&M University graduates unveiled a new limited edition collection on Wednesday. They debuted it during the HBCU Live panel at the US Open. It marked the first formal collaboration between their brands.
Mitchell founded Abeille Creations in 2014. Lyle launched JAI LYLE MCMLXXXII in 2020. Both brands now sell at Bloomingdale’s. Both designers crossed paths often over the years. However, they never formally worked together until now.
Building the Lady in Bloom collection
Together, Mitchell and Lyle created the Lady in Bloom Tapestry Set. Mitchell reimagined Lyle’s Lady in Bloom character through her own brand’s lens. She designed the outfit the character wears. She also wove in her signature waves.
On top of that, she added subtle nods to FAMU’s orange and green, plus a Rattler pattern running through the piece. Getting the collaboration right meant one thing above all. Her contribution needed to feel unmistakably like Abeille Creations. It also needed to respect the world Lyle had already built around the character.
The collection also draws from the legacy of Dr. Sylvester Hankins and the Orlando park named for him. That connection ties Black heritage, community and sport into one design.
Where to find the collection
The Lady in Bloom collection is out now. A short sleeve tapestry set in salmon costs $333 on JAI LYLE MCMLXXXII’s website. Buyers can choose sizes S through 3XL. The launch caps years of Mitchell and Lyle building their brands on parallel paths. Now, they have finally landed in the same room.
View this post on Instagram
More about Melissa Mitchell
Mitchell is a Miami born, Bahamian raised, self taught artist. She has called Atlanta home for nearly 20 years. Since founding Abeille Creations in 2014, she has produced more than 500 original art pieces. She has also completed 40 large scale murals. Along the way, she grew the brand into a wearable art house spanning apparel, home decor and custom collaborations.
Her client list includes Foot Locker, Spanx, Ford, Hennessy, Peloton, Cadillac, Microsoft, Pepsi, CNN, The Home Depot, MARTA and Jack Daniel’s. She is an inaugural member of Hennessy’s Never Stop, Never Settle Society. She is also an Afropunk and Shopify Black Fashion Accelerator alum, plus a TED Talk speaker. Her signature textile headwraps have reached famous names too. Lupita Nyong’o, Tabitha Brown, Amara La Negra, Yandy Smith, Karen Civil and Rebecca Gross have all worn them. She has also written two books, Views from My Kaleidoscope and Color & Manifest.
Her most recent project pushed her furthest yet. She painted the Trefoil Trail mural on Atlanta’s 17th Street Bridge, a piece that spans nearly 4,000 square feet. More than 100 Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta helped her finish it. The city commissioned the mural ahead of hosting matches in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Mitchell earned her master’s degree in public management from FAMU. She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.
About the Author
