Melanie Fraser Hart vigorously studied art and design in high school at the Museum of Fine Arts School in Boston and went on to major in theater at Bennington College.
Graduating early from Bennington, she moved to Los Angeles to work with legendary producer Arnold Kopelson and within three months, became the Vice President of Creative Affairs. When the film business no longer satisfied her creative spirit, Vidal Sassoon stepped in and hired her to write speeches. The speech-writing turned to managing all aspects of his hair empire, side by side with Sassoon at all times. While working for Sassoon, she earned her MBA from the prestigious Anderson School of Business at UCLA.

The story continues with an introduction from Jeffrey Poe, the owner of famed Blum and Poe Gallery in Los Angeles, CA. Melanie Fraser Hart had worked for a few years with Jeff’s brother, a West Coast fashion design icon in his time, to develop and design creative urn and casket options for Hollywood Forever, the publicity darling of the death industry. The overall principal behind “House of Poe” was to design beautiful options for urns that were so outstanding that people would want them in their homes. Hollywood Forever gave them the task of also designing caskets for those who were not comfortable of the option of an urn-as-art.
As life often takes an ironic turn, Gregory Poe passed as their business, which met a sought-after niche, was developing. It was then that Melanie Fraser Hart looked to Jeff Poe for advice, wishing to carry on in the design world but hoping to bring the fashion world something which it lacked; a line which embraced tradition yet enhanced the female figure of all types. The line was to be a sleek, with a nod to mid-century style & glamour, and feminine wardrobe of contemporary silhouettes for the modern woman, a “from desk to dinner” line. The Callula Lillibelle premiere Fall 2010 Collection was formed with the overriding concept of television’s popular Madmen meets 2010.
Melanie is constantly inspired by stars of the past such as Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, Tippi Hedren and Betty Paige. The sexual sirens of the past would be able to find their place in the Callula Lillibelle current line. Melanie feels that women of today, while met with so many fashion trends and choices, should feel empowered enough to dress the womanly body, while still looking appropriate enough to work their wardrobe with class and style; it can be flaunted in to the boardroom or the bedroom. At the end of the day, that is what every woman seeks and yearns for; societal acceptance and admiration with the knowledge that under it all, a little “naughty” is fantastic too!