Hailing from Porto, Portugal, artist Carlos Mello was raised in a deeply creative environment, guided by the influence of his father, the sculptor JCarlos, and a rich family legacy rooted in the arts.

Driven from an early age by a passion for transforming raw materials, Carlos cultivated a unique creative vision that launched his academic journey. He studied Product Design in Viana do Castelo, specialised in footwear in São João da Madeira, and refined his craft in Fashion Design at the Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli” in Naples, Italy.

At just 19 years old, Carlos debuted his first footwear collection, “Exotic,” at Gallery Shoes in Germany. He later collaborated with acclaimed designer Luís Onofre—a pivotal experience that gave him deep industry insight and expanded his footprint in the design world.

In 2021, Carlos founded MainGUILTY, a brand that fuses fine art and functional design in a disruptive, avant-garde style. Through his signature sculptural furniture, he tells evocative stories and challenges conventional boundaries. MainGUILTY quickly grew into a global success, expanding across five continents and earning recognition from Associative Design as a breakthrough brand in 2022.