Interview With Nikera Clothing

I have been really digging the up and coming clothing lines coming out and wanted to make sure this blog touches all basis with everything that is up and coming. So today I am posting a interview I did with Florida's own clothing line Nikera Clothing. Much love to their graphic designer Jessica 

1. Nikera clothing fuses music and fashion together. Using artists as the models for the shoots, What made you decide to use musicians?

 We decided to use Musicians becasue we needed a really cool way to stand out from all of the other clothing brands out today. It's not enough to come up with dope photo shoot concepts, we needed something heavier than that. We chose to rock with Indie Musicians specifically beacause they are overlooked in the industry. Indie music is what keeps the music industry's heart beating. These Artists often times have a bigger following than signed musicians. Nikera Clothing decided to tap into that particular market that everyone was ignoring, and we found a way to help Artists receive more exposure and also better market our brand. 

2. What would you say seperates your designs from other designers? 

This season we are working with L.A. Graphic Designer and Photographer, Jessica Latumeten. We are changing the design concepts of the tees in 2011 buy using real life photography as our graphics instead of computer generated images. Most of the women and men you will see in Spring 2011 Look Book are friends, fans, and associates of Jessica and Nikera Clothing. 

3. Can you describe the ideal customer who would be your clothing? Who are the type of people you make clothing for? 

Street Trendsetters, Musicians, young and rebellious socialites, edgy models, popular college kids. 

4. I'm aware that in the south a lot of the older people loved sewing their own clothing, were you raised in that enviornment? What made you decide to get into fashion? 

I wasnt raised around sematresses, only extremely stylish individuals. My parents were very fashionable. I grew up watching my parents spend tons of money on clothing and accessories just to ensure that they would stand out in a crowd. I was a very shy child, so I chose to draw and sketch fashion rather than wear it. As I got older, I was frustrated with what I could not find in stores and boutiques. I would have a specific look I wanted but came up short when I tried to find it in retail stores, so I chose to release my own clothing. 

5. Every artist has a muse, some sort of inspiration that brings their work to life. What do you use as inspiration for your pieces? 

Color. I like putting different color patterns together. Colors that would normally be kept separate. I get alot of inspiration from vintage eras like the 40s, 50s, 60s, and 80s. 

6. New York being known as the capital of fashion and because there are so many opportunities here, do you think it's harder to kick off your career in a different state? Why or Why not? 

I dont think it's harder. Everyone wants it at low cost and little or no sacrafice. If you love it and you are determined, you can make it anywhere. I dont think that any state or region is "easier" than the next. Fashion is worldwide. We all need it. One particular city and demographic may require more research and marketing, but overall it is in the hands of the designer. How far are they willing to go to succeed? 

7. Because Nikera Clothing uses music artists as models give me your top 4 mainstream artists you would love to model your clothing of given the opportunity. 

If given the opportunity, I would definitely choose Kanye, Keri Hilson, Justin Bieber, and Mr. Hudson. 

8. A lot of clothing lines now have gotten very abstract with their pieces, almost couture like. How do you feel about couture clothing and eyewear becoming wearable on a everyday basis?

I am a huge couture fan; however, it is best kept on the runways, special projects, videos, movies, plays, etc. Some Designers are born for couture, and we need both sides in the industry to survive. Couture has always been kept in a special place within the industry, it has always been very exclusive. I am not sure how I feel about seeing couture on the streets nowadays. 

9. Men's clothing seems to be a little bit more difficult to design because of the limits men have to what they wear. Have you ever come to a crossroad felt the same? How do you work around that? 

HA! Yes, all of the time. It's not a factor of design, it is the the limitations on creativity. A designer is very limited with men's clothing. Mens clothing is very cut and dry with pants, shirts, jackets, and shoes. There are color limitations as well. The chances of an everyday American male rocking a lime green suit and tie are very small; however, if you add that same color concept to a party dress, you can possibly land a contract with Macy's. Women clothing is just simply less of a headache with unlimited creative freedom for some designers including myself. 

10. To all my readers who want or are working in the fashion industry can you please give them one quote you live by that pushes you to consistently work hard and believe in yourself. 

“If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything.” -- Win Borden.