SB: What are the challenges you face as a small business?
NI: I think exposure and finance are the two main challenges any small business has to face and deal with on a day-to-day basis, in the first few years at least. I have been very lucky so far with the first. Nadinoo has had some wonderful online exposure in its first year of being launched. I think the finances will stabilize once the label has found its feet, hopefully in coming years. I most certainly think the passion and doing what I love every day keeps me excited and motivated. When I look back to earlier this year and realize all I have accomplished with Nadinoo, I am even more excited for the future.
SB: What role do you think designers have in the fashion industry at large?
NI: I would say the role of a designer is huge—all concepts, ideas, and trends stem from the designers of which they pour into their seasonal collections. I think it all starts from the runway shows and the rest of the industry follows.
SB: Where do you shop?
NI: I have a weakness for French designer labels like Chloe, Comptoir des Cotonniers, APC, and Cacharel—I could shop there forever if my bank would allow. I also enjoy hunting down beautiful vintage pieces in flea markets, secondhand shops, and even charity shops. I found the loveliest floral playsuit in Oxfam the other day!
SB: Can you describe how a design goes from your head to your hands?
NI: For me it begins with the fabric; using lovely Liberty of London prints gives me such an inspiring starting point. I can usually imagine the silhouette and final garment by looking and feeling the fabric. When I first started, I would start pattern cutting straight away with no sketch, just a loose idea in my head. The designs would change and evolve with each process—such a refreshing way to work after working in industry. Now I try to draft the collection to see how the colors, silhouettes, and fabrics all work together; this also helps coordinating the looks.
Then I order the fabrics, wash them, and begin the pattern cutting process. I usually only make two prototypes before cutting out and sewing the sample in the final fabric. As I try to keep my designs commercial and wearable, I use a small selection of block patterns across the range, which are then adapted to each design. As I manage every stage in the process myself, I try to keep things simple and manageable so it does not get too overwhelming.
As overwhelming as designing, sewing, and running your own business can get, Izruna is managing just fine and enjoying the success that comes along with doing what she loves. From the pages of Etsy, to the streets of London, New York, and Germany, Nadinoo designs are redefining what it means to be equally feminine yet powerful and stylish yet simple. Hopefully one day Ms. Deschanel herself will rock Nadinoo; I’d bet my last dollar it will happen sooner rather than later.
Read the previous edition of Behind the Seams.
Behind the Seams is a series focusing on designers who are breaking the mold with their unique perspective on women’s fashion. If you would like to suggest a worthy designer, please send it in care of the editor to rbrown@realgirlsmedia.com for consideration.
