New 'Heroes' Series: Melanie Janisse

Today I'd like to introduce a new series called 'Heroes'. The series will consist of people who are leaders in their fields or are trail blazers breaking new ground. They are courageous, talented and warm hearted people worthy of recognition.  Some are artists or creatives, others are social minded entrepreneurs, bottom-line philanthropists or behind-the-scenes geniuses. Some are modest, others are flambuoyant. The one trait they all share is a deep desire to improve their lives and make the world a little better-even if that's only one person at a time. 

To start all of this off, I'd like to introduce you to Melanie Janisse. Melanie just oozes talent. She is an incredibly talented writer, photographer, painter, accessories designer and entrepreneur. No joke-she does it all. You may know Melanie from her vintage clothing boutique Melanie's Closet, but did you know that she will soon be debuting a new series of amusement park inspired paintings and that she is now represented by Canvas Gallery ? And that she's just about to publish her first book of poetry (!) called 'We Sink We Swim' with Guernica Editions (disclaimer: I edited her book)? Somehow Melanie finds time to create incredible handmade corset belts (she's wearing one in the photo above), necklaces, pins and earrings made from re-purposed leather jackets under the label Clothes Horse (disclaimer: I wear my belt every day). What I admire most about Melanie is her dream to create a vintage clothing store/design studio that would sponsor, house and employ young women struggling with sobriety.  What a superstar. Check out Clothes Horse at Etsy and visit Melanie's Closet at 829 Dundas Street West 416-532-4231