Meet The Lion'esque Style Team

Melissa Gonzalez

CEO & Founder
Trends expert and brand curator Melissa Gonzalez was once a top executive on a Wall Street trading floor. Since leaving the street, she has channeled her passion for uncovering intriguing stories into hunting for must-know yet under the radar brands in fashion & lifestyle. With her knack for being on the pulse of upcoming trends, Melissa is spearheading a new online destination experience - a marketplace for "what's fresh" - and giving access to women who value having the inside scoop to unique, quality finds.

In the past few years, Melissa has been trailblazing and leaving her mark on the industry by producing pop-up shop in NYC, LA and the Hamptons to activate brands and grow awareness. She was recently nominated as one of "The Top 20 Most Inspiring Individuals in New York" and as one of America's Top 100 Young CEO's and is taking part in a major initiative towards being a voice for the future of start-ups in the US. As a voice for emerging brands and trends, she can also be seen nationally on the morning show circuits such as her "Favorite Emerging Brands Made in America" on WPIX NY and Melissa's "Must Have Accessories" ABC Chicago segments.

Prior to launching Lion'esque Style, Melissa Gonzalez balanced her Wall Street career as an on-air personality as the co-host of Latin Beat on BET for 3 seasons which uncovered musical talent in the Latino market worldwide. She has also hosted numerous red carpet premiere interviews with celebrities including Maggie Q, Mira Nair, Cloris Leachman, and Eli Wallach.

Tegan Donnelley

Director of Curation 
With a lifelong love and instinctual eye for design, Tegan brings to Lion'esque Style a desire to find the most unique, stylish, and luxurious home goods available. Passionate about good design as an essential part of a good life, Tegan works with new designers and launches their brands on our site.

Her style is 'basics-with-a-twist,' a neutral pallette accompanied by gold bangles, natural stone jewelry, and ethnic-inspired prints.

Aliana Galan

Fashion & Accessories Curator
With an innate ability to make any outfit pop, Aliana provides a unique eye to the curation team. Starting in fashion as a shoe model and intern with Juicy Couture, she is constantly evolving. From styling fashion or product shoots, to artistic direction, she is constantly involved in the ever changing NYC trendsetter scene.

Her style is like a shiny mood ring. A city hippy one day to a sparkly diva in "don't be a quitter heels" the next.

Quiana McCarthy

Trend Hunter & Stylist
For over seven years Quiana has been a staple on the commercial wardrobe styling scene. You have probably seen her touch on characters for ESPN, Bravo, Victoria's Secret, Nike and even on a spot during the Superbowl. Her favorite piece of fashion advice is "accessories can change everything.

HHer style is about having fun balancing opposites, like wearing a sweet vintage dress & mens loafers or a leather mini & a big cashmere sweater.

Mila

Office Manager
From her luxurious Chewnel handbags to her vintage princess pillows, Mila has a defined taste for the Lion'esque lifestyle. Whether she is accompanying our founder on a meeting or sitting in on a photoshoot, she always puts a smile on our faces.

Her style is always trendy and chic. Not a day goes by where she doesn't make a statement while walking down the metropolitan streets of NYC.

Albert Cheung

Photography
Albert has a diverse portfolio of work that spans the last decade, including weddings, fashion, lifestyle, and architecture. Albert's images have appeared in publications such as The New York Times, NY Magazine, Food & Wine, and has worked on assignments worldwide from global non-profits to book publishers and editorial work.

Frank Wang

Photography
Frank's expertise is producing compelling marketing images for performing artists and businesses. His work incorporates a strong sense of composition, seen in his on-location work as an architectural photographer. When he is not busy shooting, Frank teaches his craft through the New York educational start-up, Skillshare.