COVER "MAN" EDITION - MAY ISSUE - GLOBAL
PHOTOS: Carlos Cajueiro - @ccajueiro
MODEL: Laellyo Mesquita - @laellyomesquita
LOOK: @laellyomesquitastore
MARKETING AND COVER DESIGN DIRECTION: @mathlopes and @directorhooks
TEXT: Nubia
Laélio Benedito Mesquita Rocha is a senior fashion designer at LM Store. He is originally from Picos, Piauí, and is a man who dreams and accomplishes. Talking about Laéllyo Mesquita is talking about authenticity. He says that his biggest inspiration for creating LM Store came from his own family, especially his mother. In addition to being an exceptional seamstress, she always encouraged him to pursue his goals. Today, he feels proud to reap the rewards of all the dedication he has put into his dream. In his mother's studio, he grew up seeing many fabrics, patterns, and threads, and thus Laéllyo became interested in and created material that could offer comfort, style, and beauty. This is how LM Store was born, a brand that has already dressed personalities such as Xuxa, Joelma, Neymar, Marcus Magela, Anitta, Solange Almeida, among others. The entrepreneur shares some news: he and his team are preparing a big surprise for their admirers. The LM Store physical store will be inaugurated in the first semester of 2023.
In an interview, he reveals that LM Store was created and developed based on his own dissatisfaction with clothes and all the support he received from his mother. Customers who choose LM Store clothing are looking for comfort, style, and quality, which brings him joy and motivation. With his style, he expresses his personality. His looks serve as inspiration for many people.
He emphasizes that feeling comfortable with clothing is of great importance. In addition to good taste, he values quality in his pieces. He makes it clear that, at LM Store, the public will easily choose the most beautiful pieces of clothing, as well as accessories. We had the opportunity to learn more about this authentic man and LM Store, which is already a success. Come with us!
01 - If someone were to describe you, what do you think they would say about you?
"Laéllyo is a hardworking man who believes deeply in his dreams and has always had a lot of faith in God. He strives every day to achieve his goals and bring some happiness to the lives of others. He is someone who fulfills his life purpose and enjoys sharing his story to help/inspire many people."
02 - From your Instagram, it's clear that you're very focused on fashion. Was it your interest in fashion that led you to create your brand, LM Store? Tell us more about this business.
"My mother is an exceptional seamstress, so I believe my love for sewing came even while I was in her womb. I grew up witnessing my mother sewing in her atelier, watching her develop and create clothes, and I fell in love and became enchanted with it all. Thus, I had the best inspiration I could have, and the love for fashion was born. Through my designs, I seek to convey important elements such as self-esteem, confidence, and personality."
03 - Did you always have this desire to have your own brand? What were your inspirations?
"It's an old desire. I realized that, to buy my own clothes, I would go to stores and never find something that I truly liked or that was my size. It was hard to find pieces for someone who weighed 150 kg. So, when I went to buy clothes, there simply weren't any, or there were very generic pieces and nothing stylish. Then, I noticed an excellent opportunity since my mother had the atelier. I decided to develop clothes that I like, stylish clothes, and since then the pieces have enchanted the public even more, who has good taste and values quality. And I am happy to say that the store will feature exclusive clothes and accessories, with the quality that everyone already knows."
04 - Laellyo, you are very stylish. How does it feel to know that you are a style reference?
"I feel very happy. Knowing that I am a reference for many Brazilians is rewarding, it gives me the happiness to work every day and want to do my best so that my style and brand reach more and more people. Today, thank God, the fashion world understands that we are plural people and offers a diversity of clothes for people of all body types, but it wasn't always like this in the past."
05 - Did you ever dream that you could go so far?
"I always aspired to be recognized and noticed for my work. So, I can say that I have already achieved that dream and I feel very blessed. Being able to see my brand being used by so many people and celebrities is the realization of a dream!! There was always a lot of work and love involved. Opening the physical store is the realization of a dream and also a desire of many followers and admirers of my work. They saw the creations on artists and asked me when the pieces would be available for sale. So, I entered a phase of analyzing the market, studying more about branding, marketing, and management to create not only a product, not only a store, but THE store, and I succeeded."
06 - In your journey, what are you most proud of?
"I have dressed great names from the media and feel a lot of gratitude for each artist who is impressed with my art, who compliments me, who not only wears but also orders pieces for others. For me, it is a sign that I am on the right path and will always continue moving forward, validating the gift I received from God. I am also proud to be a guy from the interior of Piauí and to have achieved so many accomplishments and recognition not only in Brazil but also around the world with my t-shirts, my art."
07 - Regarding LM Store, what plans/projects/ambitions could you reveal to us?
"This year the store's opening will take place, still in the first semester of 2023. I can already guarantee that everything, absolutely everything, is amazing!! Through clothing, you can express each person's identity, that is, personality can be expressed. I can also reveal that there will be perfume launches and several other products to add even more value to the brand. Everything was planned with a lot of dedication and love so that customers can feel more authentic and joyful."
08 - Last question, but not least important: If you could display a message on a billboard, what would it be?
"Thank you! I am only grateful to God, family, and friends. I am grateful to all who believed and also to those who did not believe in me, because it strengthened me so that I never thought about giving up on my dreams."
