From High School to Entrepreneurship
At just 17 years old, Marielou Melchiors has accomplished what many only dream of. The Fort Worth high school senior has not only fast-tracked her education—skipping her junior year and applying to top-tier universities like Stanford and Princeton—but also launched her own online apparel business, Marieloulou. Specializing in streetwear, her business began as a passion project over the summer and has rapidly gained traction, with products soon to be available in a Los Angeles mall. Despite her busy schedule, Marielou personally handles every order, often making daily trips to the post office, all while preparing for her high school graduation next spring.
Operating from her bedroom in her family’s Central Meadowbrook home, Marielou Melchiors business has attracted a nationwide customer base, with her biggest markets in California and New York. Social media, particularly TikTok and Instagram, has played a pivotal role in her success, with some of her posts garnering hundreds of thousands of likes. Using hashtags like #comfy and #streetwear, she has marketed her designs, including her popular sherpa-lined Homebody sweatpants and cloud-themed Cloud N9ne pieces, which sell for $85-$88.
Building a Business From Scratch
Marielou’s entrepreneurial journey began when she struggled to find comfortable and stylish streetwear she liked. Armed with a sewing machine and self-taught skills, she created her first designs and sold them to friends. Encouraged by their enthusiasm, she expanded her vision. With her mother, Jie Melchiors, as her initial investor, Marielou Melchiors negotiated manufacturing contracts in China. Fluent in Mandarin, she utilized platforms like Alibaba to connect with factories and finalized her first order of 300 Cloud N9ne pieces. To date, she has sold nearly 200 of those and has taken over 350 preorders for her Homebody sweatpants.
Her approach blends creativity with strategic planning. Using Adobe software to design mockups, she ensured her products met her vision before production. Additionally, her mother’s experience as co-owner of the $100 million-a-year Karat Home furnishings retailer has provided valuable guidance. Despite some challenges, such as balancing school with business demands and facing occasional criticism on social media, Marielou remains focused on growth. She is currently developing a spring collection to diversify her offerings.
Inspiration and Future Aspirations
Marielou Melchiors credits her parents as role models. Her mother’s business acumen and her father’s creative ventures, including developing a Fort Worth office park from shipping containers, have inspired her entrepreneurial spirit. Both parents emphasize the importance of balance, with her father encouraging her to prioritize self-care amid her hectic schedule.
While Marielou’s success has bolstered her confidence, it has also presented tough decisions. She is weighing whether to attend a prestigious business program at universities like Columbia or Penn State or take a gap year to focus solely on Marieloul Melchiors. “I feel it’s really going to blow up,” she says, acknowledging the difficulty of managing both college and her growing business.
Despite her nervousness, Marielou’s poise and determination suggest a bright future. With strong sales, increasing visibility on social media, and expansion plans, she continues to prove that ambition and hard work can turn a teenager’s dream into a thriving enterprise.
