Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1162046
51 W a t e r c o l o r a r t i s t a n d multimedia d e s i g n e r B r o o k e W r i g h t ' s s u n - f i l l e d 875-square-foot studio on West Vickery is bursting at the seams: Her fall collection of colorful, watercolor- painted ready-to-wear is being packed and prepped to ship to roughly 100 retailers; there are chickens in the backyard; and a Chimy's fajita truck is parked out front. Despite the circus of color, pattern, and clucking surrounding her, Wright is cool and composed. The controlled chaos is a longtime coming. Her business has been percolating for seven years, starting with an invitation she designed for her daughter's first birthday party. Since then, her path has led her to designing custom Christmas cards, textiles of every kind, and eventually clothing — the Jackie skirt and Kimono dress being the first pieces, each printed in her whimsical watercolor imaginings. While Wright still does Christmas cards (only 25 a season) and will design custom wallpaper and fabric by the yard, her focus now is on her clothing line, which is made in Dallas. Her fall collection, Wild America, packs a punch with rich colors and bold motifs, including moths, a funky tweed pattern, and butterflies. On the horizon is a collaboration with Fort Worth artist Nancy Lamb. "I'm basically given free range to take her art and dissect it to make new patterns," Wright says. Brooke Wright Designs, brookewright designs.com. Regan Landreth NOT EVERYONE'S CUT OUT FOR 9 TO 5. SOME CREATIVES BURN BRIGHTER – LIVING AND BREATHING 24/7 THE CREATION OF NEW PRODUCTS AND SERVICES. HERE, EIGHT FORT WORTH WOMEN WHO DID IT THEIR WAY. BROOKE WRIGHT MELISSA BLUE + MELISSA MEHALL W hen University of Texas grads a n d l i f e l o n g friends Melissa Blue and Melissa Mehall founded Meli's Monster Cookies in 2013, little did they know a decades-old family cookie recipe and their memories of childhood baking would result in a foodie empire. It began when Blue's niece was diagnosed with gluten intolerance. In their search for a gluten-free sweet treat, the duo turned to Blue's 50-year-old family recipe that naturally contained zero gluten substitutes — a surprising rarity in the vast gluten-free market. Six years later, Blue and Mehall have propelled their company into the culinary stratosphere. Meli's prebaked and frozen treats are in 3,984 of the 4,000 Walmart stores in the nation. They launched cookie mixes in 2017, and both products are set to hit shelves in Target and Kroger this fall. Oh, and you can also find their cookies at Central Market, H-E-B, Target, Super Target, Whole Foods Market … the list goes on. "We truly weren't trying to jump on the gluten- free bandwagon," says Mehall, who now shies from gluten in her own diet since developing the brand. "I believe in it because it made a difference." Meli's Monster Cookies, meliscookies. com. Regan Landreth GIRLS Melissa Blue Melissa Mehall Brooke Wright