Article: VOL. 06 — October 2026 This Month in Marieloulou

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VOL. 06 — October 2026 This Month in Marieloulou

What a month.

October was all about movement. Literally. Between driving 4,500 miles across the country with my little brother, experimenting with new designs, growing the Marieloulou team, and ending the month on the other side of the world, I feel like I've barely stopped moving.

And somewhere in between all that, I've been watching this little brand of mine grow into something bigger than I ever imagined.

Let's get into it.

4,500 Miles, 9 States, and a Lot of Homebody

My little brother and I finally did it.

We'd been talking about taking a road trip across the country forever, and this month we actually made it happen. Nine states. 4,500 miles. Just the two of us.

It also turned into a low-key Marieloulou campaign because we basically lived in our Homebody sets the entire time.

By the time we made it to Montana and Wyoming, it was nearly snowing, so the cozy layers seriously came in clutch. Nothing like being thousands of miles from home in freezing weather to really put your own designs to the test.

But my favorite part of the trip wasn't the scenery or even the content we created. It was getting to spend that much uninterrupted time with my brother.

Life gets busy, and it's easy to forget how special it is to have that kind of time together. I'm really grateful we got to do this while we're young and make memories we'll probably be talking about forever.

My second favorite part? Sharing Marieloulou with people who stopped us along the way.

There's something so cool about meeting people in completely different places and getting to tell them about something I've built. It reminds me that the brand is becoming more than just clothes. It's a way to connect with people, even thousands of miles from home.

On the Table: The Patched Fringe Set

This month's favorite design experiment started with a piece I already loved.

I took my Cozy Cowboy fringed set and started sewing patches onto it.

I genuinely thought that set couldn't get any cooler, but apparently I was wrong. Again.

I've been collecting patches for a while, and I picked up a few more during our road trip. I started adding them to the set, and suddenly it became something completely different.

Every patch has its own story. Some remind me of places I've been, and others are just little things I've collected along the way.

That's what I love most about this project. Instead of making something new from scratch, I took a piece that already existed and gave it another layer of personality.

Now it's not just a fringed set. It's basically a wearable collection of memories.

I've always loved the idea that clothes can tell stories. Sometimes through the way they're designed, sometimes through how you style them, and sometimes through the things you add to them over time.

This one feels especially personal.

Coming Up: Something New

Okay, I've been keeping a little secret.

Two limited-edition colorways are dropping the first week of November, and I am SO excited about them.

I've been obsessed with these colors, and keeping them to myself has been harder than expected.

I'm not giving away too much just yet, but trust me, they're worth keeping an eye out for.

Watch your inbox. That's all I'm saying.

The Team Is Growing

One of the biggest things that happened this month wasn't a product launch or a photoshoot.

It was a video.

I posted about wanting to expand the Marieloulou team, and the response genuinely shocked me.

I woke up to so many DMs from creatives wanting to work with me. Designers, artists, and people with completely different talents and perspectives, all interested in being part of what we're building.

It was honestly a little overwhelming in the best way.

Through those conversations, I've connected with some incredible people who I think can help take Marieloulou to the next level. And two of them are officially joining the team in November.

That feels like a pretty big milestone.

For so long, so much of this brand has lived inside my head. The ideas, the designs, the plans, the things I want to make happen.

Getting to bring more creative people into that world is really exciting. I'm realizing that building a brand isn't about doing every single thing yourself. It's about finding people who believe in what you're creating and can help make it even better.

I'm so excited to see what we make together.

Real Talk: Growing Into Something Bigger

It's actually crazy to look back at where Marieloulou was at the beginning of this year compared to where we are now.

We upgraded the warehouse. Built new processes. Figured out systems that didn't exist before. Made mistakes, fixed them, learned things the hard way, and somehow kept moving forward.

There have been more learning curves than I can count.

And for the first time, it really feels like we're growing into something substantial.

Not just because we're getting bigger, but because things are becoming more intentional. The way we design, the way we operate, and the way we're building a team around the brand.

But the part that means the most to me is the community.

The people who have followed along, supported the drops, sent messages, shared our pieces, and genuinely cared about this little world we're creating.

It's far beyond anything I imagined when I started.

I never want to lose sight of that.

At the end of the day, all I want to do is keep making things that feel special and serve the people who believe in what I'm building.

And that's you.

So thank you. Seriously.

Deloulou: Our Little Community Keeps Growing

Meanwhile, our coffee shop side quest is still going strong.

Deloulou, the café I started with my friends over the summer, continues to grow, and one of my favorite parts has been seeing the community form around it.

What started as a fun, slightly delusional idea has become a space where people actually connect.

I've met some pretty special people through this adventure, and it's made me want to get more involved in what everyone else is creating, too.

I spend so much of my time focused on my own projects that it's easy to forget how much inspiration comes from simply being around other creative people.

Deloulou has reminded me of that.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is show up, have a conversation, and see what someone else is working on.

You never know where it might lead.

Signing Off From Hong Kong

And somehow, October ends in Hong Kong.

I'm here with my mom for three weeks, experimenting with my hair, enjoying fall in Asia, and taking in a completely different environment.

I love being somewhere unfamiliar. There's so much to notice when you're outside your normal routine. The way people dress, the colors, the architecture, the little details you wouldn't necessarily think about at home.

I'm trying to go into this trip with a completely open mind.

No pressure to turn every experience into something productive. Just paying attention, soaking up inspiration, and letting new ideas happen naturally.

Of course, I already know I'll be bringing some of that inspiration home and turning it into a random design experiment. That's usually how these things go.

Three weeks sounds like a long time, but I already know it's going to fly by.

I'm just really grateful to be here, especially getting to experience it with my mom.

What October Taught Me

I think this month reminded me that growth doesn't always look the way you expect it to.

Sometimes it looks like a bigger team or a new warehouse.

Sometimes it's 4,500 miles in a car with your brother.

Sometimes it's meeting someone who believes in your ideas.

Sometimes it's sewing patches onto a piece of clothing just because you think it would look cool.

And sometimes it's getting on a plane, going somewhere completely different, and letting yourself be inspired.

I've spent a lot of this year trying to build something bigger, but October reminded me that the experiences and people along the way are just as important as the work itself.

I'm proud of how far Marieloulou has come, but I'm even more excited about how much there still is to learn, make, and experience.

On Repeat

Hong Kong by the Weekend

November is already looking exciting, and I have a feeling the rest of this year is going to be pretty special.

See you in November.

Conformity Kills.

Lou

Written by Marielou Melchiors