In the world of fashion, Nicole Miller has become a modern icon where she continues to achieve success as an influential designer with her unusual, signature graphic prints and innovative silhouettes.
In recent coming days – March 30 through April 2- the Underground Lauderdale Fashion Weekend debuted in Fort Lauderdale, taking place at the FATVillage Arts District, a central location for artist studios, business and galleries in the city. Nicole Miller’s Spring 2017 Collections Runaway kicked off the event which was hosted by fashion journalist and critic Nina Garcia who has been a judge on the Lifetime reality television program Project Runway since its premiere season.
Nicole Miller has a modern, ageless aesthetic and is no stranger to South Florida, as she has had boutiques in the area since the 1990s and is carried in high-end stores statewide. Nicole Miller combines her art training with serious couture technique. Many of the most fashionable women in the world including Angelina Jolie, Beyoncé, and Blake Lively, amongst others have worn Miller’s creations, which are a combination of her art training with serious couture techniques.
Miller’s interest in fashion traces back as early as she was a child, influenced somehow by her mother who was from Paris. Now the accomplishing designer has some advice to today’s aspiring designers.
“The main thing I would tell them is that it’s good to have a vision. You need to find your identity and stay focused. Often designers just have too many ideas and they try to do too much. Serious designing takes discipline and lots of training. I liken it to being like a doctor, you have to design and learn and train for many years before you can really do it well in terms of construction and technique”, says Nicole over the phone from her design office in New York.
Nicole doesn’t think fashion is a gift you’re born with, but something you need to work at developing.
“The TV design competition shows have not really produced that many stars, Christian Siriano is the only one who comes to mind”, she continues. “Since fashion is so geared to the young, I think that sometimes young designers have unrealistic expectations that they will be a star right away. There is so much clothing out there nowadays and much of it, even some of the high-end pieces are just made wrong. I was in Paris recently trying on some very expensive pants and the stretch made it impossible to get on and the zipper was too short. I mean, these are really basic things to get right.”
Nicole’s approach is that shopping now needs to be an ‘experience’ with music and wine and good design of the store itself. “If people are spending a lot of money or even just time, they want that kind of experience. On the other hand, fast fashion is in, and people want nice clothes at a good price, that makes them more disposable”, explains Nicole.
Having been in business for so long now, Nicole Miller likes to keep it fresh and interesting. Keeping a young staff around her is the thing “that keeps me energized.” Her 2017 Spring Collection headlining at the inaugural Underground Lauderdale Fashion Weekend was inspired by some vintage Panamanian designs called molas – colorfully sewn panels that make up parts of the outfits traditionally worn by the Kuna women of Colombia and Panama – she saw at a gallery. The collection features styles inspired by Panamanian art and culture, reflected in hand-finished beading, embroideries, and bright festive prints.
“My take on it was not too literal. It’s really how I see Panama with 10 degrees of separation,” she laughs.
Nicole Miller is a tireless fashion designer, always finding the inspiration to keep working from collection to collection. During Fort Lauderdale’s premier fashion event, South Florida will benefit from her fresh ideas in this Spring Collection, that goes along the lines of how much fashion keeps changing.
Marie Claire’s Creative Director, Lifetime’s Project Runway Judge and all-around renowned Fashion Expert Nina Garcia, will host Friday March 31’s festivities where Nicole Miller’s Spring 2017 Collection will be shown at FATVillage, followed by an after party at Ft. Lauderdale hot spot, VIBE Las Olas.
The fashion program was anchored by world-class partners including national millennial organizations IVY, Create & Cultivate, and the program’s newest addition – its charity partner Style Saves. Nightlife party queen Susanne Bartsch was present, as well as rising stars like Alice & Trixie, Saunder & Zoey Reva.
Her fashion design presentation showed “see-now buy-now collections” in live model vignette presentations or runway shows.
For more information about Nicole Miller’s Spring 2017 Collections to be seen at the show, visit www.nicolemiller.com.
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Fashion designer Nicole Miller headlines Underground Lauderdale Fashion Weekend. Learn about Nicole’s fashion, inspiration and style through this interview.
