Aug 19, 2022
Ladies and Gentlemen, we are BEYOND honored to present the one and only, one of America’s MOST iconic fashion designers, the legend: NICOLE MILLER!
Join us this week as your favorite personal stylist and the hostess with the mostest, Holly Katz, sits down for an exclusive interview with Nicole Miller, who is celebrating 40 years as a fashion industry trailblazer and innovator this year!
Nicole is here to share it all: from her historic rise in the fashion industry to what inspires her renowned designs, and her current views on the fashion industry today.
This is a fashion design-lovers episode, y’all, and we are here for all of it.
So buckle up!
Get Episode 105 here. As always, follow us along on Holly Katz Styling Pinterest boards, and this week, be sure to see the entire interview on the FASHION CRIMES PODCAST YouTube channel.
ABOUT NICOLE MILLER:
Nicole Miller is an American fashion designer (with a French mother and an engineer father) and a businesswoman who was born in Texas and then grew up in Lenox, Massachusetts.
Her iconic designs are elegant with a hint of rebellion. The result is a look is both sophisticated and sexy, with the drape and cut of gorgeous fabrics that always look fresh.
In this episode, she tells our Holly that her creations stem from art, her travels, and popular culture combine in unique prints and imaginative uses of color throughout her designs.
Innovation, too, finds its way into her work; she has often been the first to popularize a new technique or fabric, including sustainable fabrics such as denim made from recycled bottle caps and plant-based materials.
Nicole attended the Rhode Island School of Design and earned a Bachelor in Fine Arts degree in Apparel Design. For a year, she studied at L’Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne.
There she learned the art of fabric drapery and classical method of dressmaking. She has previously described the training sessions as “intense,” but the course gave much help in fabric manipulation, which soon became her signature style in her designs.
Her outfits have been worn by Beyoncé Knowles, Angelica Huston, LeAnn Rimes, Jennifer Stone, Eva Longoria, Susan Sarandon, Brooke Shields, Angelina Jolie, Lauren Hutton, Cindi Lauper and Sheryl Crow, among others.
“Nicole’s vision is to create sustainable, accessible luxury and premium fashion and lifestyle products for eco-conscious, empowered women and their families who want to look their best, feel good about their consumer choices, and participate in making the world a better place.”
THE BRAND:
The Nicole Miller brand is a global fashion and lifestyle brand headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1982, the iconic brand has grown to be one of the premier names in American fashion.
“With an emphasis on signature graphic prints, luxe fabrics and innovative silhouettes, the womenswear collection cultivates a look of elegance with a hint of rebellion while bringing accessible luxury to the modern woman. Known for her skillful draping and unique detailing, Nicole Miller designs every piece for the woman who wants to look and feel her best.”
In addition to its contemporary womenswear lines, the company has partnered with leading licensees in numerous lifestyle categories including handbags, shoes, jewelry, eyewear, denim, activewear, sleepwear, kids, fragrance and beauty, and home, among others, and can now be found online and in over 1500 specialty and department stores worldwide.
The Interview:
Fresh off Hamptons Fashion Week 2022, where she was celebrated and honored as one of America’s most highly regarded fashion icons for 40 years, Nicole Miller graces our podcast with her wit and wisdom regarding all things fashion!
From her deep American roots, to earning her degree at the Rhode Island Institute of Design and studying design in Paris, Holly uncovers all sorts of fascinating facts and insights about Nicole that most people would never know – all of which have blended to be Nicole’s secret to fashion design success.
She is a force to be reckoned with; her signature style has traditionally been bold colors or black – with interesting cuts on clothes.
Her key concern has always been necklines, curves and proportion, with designs that are considered classic and sexy at the same time.
She creates cocktail dresses, lounge wear, wedding clothes and form-flattering gowns. She draws inspiration from a number of sources including contemporary art, cinema, 20th century cultures and architecture.
Nicole is first and foremost an artist and designer; she is also a skiier both on snow and the water. This outdoorsy and slightly competitive element is perhaps just one of the millions of layers that feed her enormous creativity. She also loves to cook and, of course, travel.
Listen to this episode to learn more:
- From her start in the fashion industry to today, how has she been able to successfully manage and evolve her brand for 40 years?
- What is Nicole Miller working on now?
- What does she see trending now?
- What fashion trend does she enjoy? What annoys her?
- From owning brick-and-mortar stores all over the country to conducting online sales, how has she navigated running her company and kept up with sales trends?
- How was she able to expand to her brand into eyewear, jewelry, shoes, makeup, perfume, home goods - and now - a Rose’?
- What is her favorite thing to wear?
- What does she do for fun? For inspiration?
- What is next for Nicole Miller the brand?
For those of us who grew up with Nicole Miller, to anyone just discovering this marketing maven here, this intimate conversation is a fun and fascinating insider’s look at the world of fashion and a legendary designer.
And you can only get it here.
FASHION CRIMES PODCAST
“The Best Fashion Friend You Never Knew You Needed”
Hosted by your favorite personal stylist, Holly Katz.