A woman so severely bullied at school, she used to feign illness to avoid attending, now boasts hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram and has just launched her own pyjama brand.
Mel Reeves, 30, shot to fame as a DJ and regular feature on the reality television circuit, but said the birth of her daughter, Vienna, completely changed her life and outlook on her career. The single mum, from West Derby, quit her life as a DJ and "panicked" about how she was going to support herself and her baby.
After seeing Vienna, now two, "completely light up", when the pair sported matching outfits, Mel went on the hunt for more matching clothes but found it "difficult". Spotting a gap in the market, she launched her own brand, Mommys & Minis, which features matching pyjamas for adults and children.
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Speaking to the ECHO, Mel said: "Not long after I got pregnant, I realised I'd be completely alone - the dad wasn't interested. She was a lockdown baby so that was really hard because I was pregnant and alone, so after I did have her, I was living off my savings.
"Obviously, when I had the baby, I thought, 'what do I do now?' because I can't go to clubs [and DJ] and I can't leave her. It has been difficult because it's completely new for me - I've never been into running my own business before, I've always been able to travel and do what I want and not really have any responsibilities, but when you have a baby that all changes, you've got someone who's reliant on you and you need to get your s*** together.
"I was stepping into a whole new world and she was my entire world, so I wanted to do something focused on her. When you have a baby, [especially on your own] you panic and you need to make sure you're always okay and you can support yourself and her, and I always want to be able to support us both."
When Mel started putting her and Vienna in "cute matching outfits", she quickly realised how happy it made her daughter. She continued: "I was struggling to find any matching outfits, I couldn't find many sites that specifically did matching things, I had to really do my research. Seeing how happy it made my little girl when we wore matching outfits, it made me think it would make other children happy, too.
"I put us in matching pyjamas and she was absolutely made up - her face would light up. It's a good opportunity to take pictures together too, so it's good for making memories - because I was on my own, it was always me just taking photos of her on her own but it makes you want to take pictures together when you have the outfit on and then you're capturing those fun, special moments."
Mel ordered samples and began compiling her product line, before fully launching the website last month. With Christmas just around the corner, many shoppers are on the hunt for matching festive clothing, and Mel is hopeful her business will continue to thrive after the big day has passed.
Mel said: "It's been quite good [reception so far] considering it's a new business. I've launched around Christmas when people are keen to buy matching stuff and I've worked with a few influencers and friends who've done favours, too. It's going really well - it's a massive relief because I'm all she's got."
It's been an added relief for Mel because she "didn't do well" at school, due to repeated absences to avoid bullies. She explained: "I had a horrible time in school and I was bullied. I would fake sickness to stay off, so I didn't do well. I didn't fit in and I was picked on a lot so I absolutely hated school.
"I kind of floated through life and then that's why I went into DJ'ing and reality TV. I managed to get by, but everything changes when you have a baby. She's my entire life; my whole world, so to involve her in something that I'm doing makes it more enjoyable for me to do - and it also supports her."
She continued: "Anyone who's not a mum probably thinks it's quite corny, but we love it. [Vienna] is becoming a right little poser because we're always taking pictures in our matching outfits."
Mel hopes to expand the brand to include hoodies and swimwear in the future. She added: "I've got a little office in my house but my house is covered in boxes. I'm looking to get a [proper office space] in the new year and keep it growing, and hopefully expand the products. I find it so cute, all the little pictures of us together. I just want to keep growing and supporting us both."
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