Born in England, Melanie grow up on a small farm on the outskirts of Coventry in the county of Warwickshire. 

She attended and completed a two-year art course at Nuneaton art school and then went on to complete a 3year course in fashion design at Loughbourgh College of art and design. 

After leaving college Melanie went on to design underwear for large department stores. 

Then went on to working for 4years as head of costume at Central school of speech and drama in London. 

 She moved to Sweden in 1984 where she was costume designer and stage manager for the English theatre company, Regina theatre, Stockholm. 

Since 2008 Melanie has worked as art and textiles teacher in and around Stockholm.