Sartorial Stars: Misha Nonoo of Nonoo
December 15th, 2011 § 3 Comments
Nonoo Spring/Summer 2012
Misha Nonoo is a name I think you’ll all be hearing a lot over the next year and into the future. Nonoo is the founder and designer of the eponymously named Nonoo, an advanced contemporary collection in its second season. Nonoo has a wise beyond her years approach to both design and to business. Her clothes have a refined elegance and modernity likely informed by growing up in Bahrain and in Europe and by a love of fashion from a very young age. Nonoo attended business school and because of that foundation, is able to look at her business and the landscape of the industry in a very sophisticated way.
When I attended Misha’s Spring 2012 collection presentation at Fashion Week this past September, I really was awestruck by the newness it presented in look. Everything had an easy glamour that I could picture on a wide range of women. The colors she used were saturated and rich, and flattering to so many skin tones. She has an eye for how to dress in an imperfectly polished way that feels very right for this fashion moment. Nothing is too overdone or overwrought, yet there is a very clear attention to design details, fabric choices and of course, to fit. Prior to Nonoo, Misha worked with a friend on a jacket line called Nonoo Lyons that was a cult hit with shoppers and with fashion industry insiders. Nonoo gives Misha the ability to show women the full range of her talents and to give them a way to dress head-to-toe.
Misha and I met and chatted in her chic new Soho offices and discussed how she began her career, her line, and the future of Made in the USA apparel. Thanks Misha.
Nonoo Spring/Summer 2012
Truth Plus: How did you get into the fashion business?
Misha Nonoo: I adored fashion and clothes, from a very young age. I was fortunate in that I had a mother who was extremely kind and indulged talking with me about it. The formal educational route I took was to attend business school in London and Paris. At 17, when I started university, I knew I wanted to work in fashion, but I didn’t know whether I wanted to work on the business side or the creative side. I decided to go to business school because it was broad and because I thought it would give me a good foundation. I lived in Paris, which was wonderful, and right after university, I came to New York for a job with a very small eveningwear label based in the Garment Center, that still produces in America. I went with the creative director of the company to Premiere Vision where I learned about the best fabric resources, and she introduced me to pattern makers, and I worked as a design liaison with them. After almost two years there, I had learnt an enormous amount and had taken over all of the fittings for the company which is what lead to my interest and passion for tailoring.
There came a moment when I realized there was a gap in the market for really great, tailored jackets, made of beautiful fabrics, produced in Manhattan, at an affordable advanced contemporary price point. So that’s where the idea took off. I began by creating a capsule collection of only 8 pieces with a friend; it was really an experiment at the beginning. Through my network, I found a pattern maker and factory. Ultimately, my partner, who had a European-based shoe line at the time, wanted to focus on that. I then decided that I wanted to move into designing a full collection myself as we’d found that, beyond our jackets, buyers and consumers wanted the whole spectrum of products. So Spring/Summer 12 is my second season as a full collection under my label Nonoo. Everything is still produced in Manhattan; I still primarily source my fabrics from Europe unless I’m doing small lots, in which case I source fabric here. I really enjoy what I do, especially the creative side of it. The business development side can be hard, because I think as a creative, it’s hard to switch channels to think about pushing the business forward and growing it. But the business is growing, and we’re selling to boutiques all over the country, including Louis Boston and ShopBop.
TP: What is the advanced contemporary price point?
MN: People like Helmut Lang, Phillip Lim, Rag and Bone and Alexander Wang pioneered the advanced contemporary space. It’s all of those contemporary designers who have definite designs. People don’t often think contemporary clothing has a great deal of design, but at this level there is, as well as a level of quality for that price point.
Nonoo Spring/Summer 2012
TP: What are your most popular pieces on the line?
MN: Traditionally, people were coming to me for jackets. But I’ve really started to see, with my new Spring/Summer collection, that my customer loves my dresses, printed pants, and more. Buyers and shoppers are having more fun with my collection, and they’re not just looking at it as a line of investment-piece jackets. I don’t know if that’s a shopping trend; I think that when the recession hit (I began the line when the recession started), girls wanted one great piece in their wardrobes that they went back to all the time. That to me was always a jacket. Now, I think people have had that moment of fear, and they want a bit of glitz or sparkle. Actually, my most luxurious pieces do very well, those things that are special and detailed. I’m selling both day and evening which makes for a good mix. I think my aesthetic is a little bit more ‘dressed’ than some other advanced contemporary collections. I’m a bit of a magpie and I definitely like to get dressed up and look elegant.
I think people in general are looking for something special. I mainly only wear my own clothing however I will occasionally buy something outrageous from a vintage store or the high street but I like to know where clothing comes from, similarly to how I feel about food. It should mean something to know where your fabrics are from; to know that the leather is from Italy, and that the prints are printed onto textile in America.
I’ve always had this philosophy, and my own wardrobe is brimming as a result of it; as I never throw things away. Even before I was a designer, I never bought cheap fashion; I wasn’t into it. I don’t want to throw my clothes away after one season. I don’t like to wash something and have it feel or fit differently afterwards. I like to have something that’s not necessarily in fashion or on trend anymore, but will be something you’ll bring out again. Fashion is so cyclical. I actually collect a lot of Thierry Mugler. I don’t wear the pieces often, but I continue to collect his work like others might collect art, he was such an innovative designer.
TP: Do you think the average shopper can become more educated about craftsmanship and detail?
MN: Absolutely, and I think there are a lot of people out there that are showing us that there’s something to be said for great design and quality. When I went to the McQueen exhibition at the Met, I found the types of people who were visiting fascinating. They came from all walks of life, both men and women. Obviously McQueen was not only an incredible designer but a true artist, who was pouring his passion into clothing. I think exhibitions like that give fashion public exposure, which is great.
I also think there’s a wave of people who think small business is cool, and want locally made goods. New York is so inspiring, because everyone has such a can-do attitude in terms of starting and growing small companies. In Europe, it’s more about going to a big company and working your way up, as opposed to entrepreneurship. So many lessons are best learned when you’re doing it on your own.
Nonoo Spring/Summer 2012
TP: What are your thoughts on the future of Made in the USA fashion?
MN: I think finding the right craftsmen, with the right skills, and enough of them, is a challenge. My sewers and my cutters are great and do everything by hand. In China, everything is cut by machine. When garments are cut by hand, so much fabric can be saved. But finding sewers who know how to do intricate seam work, or figuring out which binding is best, is not easy anymore. I would love it if the city invested some money in bringing that back.
Nonoo Spring/Summer 2012
Love her line and colors!! Anything in size 12 and over? . . .
I love this collection , I love it because it transmits a philosophy of light well-being , harmony …
it s elegant and timeless , Congrats !!!!
My daughter went to the same school as Misha in Bahrain and I remember her mother Eva very well. She was a lady of style and had an eye for fashion, wonderful to read of Misha’s success and we love her collection.