In the current circumstances, we’ve seen almost all of the big luxury designers switch to digital presentations of their AW21 collections. Made in Los Angeles designer brand Nahmias was one of the standouts, showcasing a stunning collection in a very personal, yet inclusive short film. We spoke to the self-taught designer after the show. 

 

Nahmias, the brand that skyrocketed with its unique and contemporary designs, modern high fashion but with clear streetwear references. The brand quickly became not only a personal favorite of stars such as Justin Bieber, James Harden or J. Cole but also immediately found its way into big luxury retailers and stores all over the world. A success story that brought a lot of attention and anticipation to the fashion brand’s upcoming collection. 

In the midst of extravaganza, gold, and glitter, the short film to introduce the AW21 line of Nahmias was different. Different in its essence, that captures almost intimate memories from childhood and youth to beautifully reveal the roots of designer Doni Nahmias’ inspiration. When asked about the ideas behind the collection, Nahmias explained that

 

“The inspiration for this collection was to really give people look into the core DNA of Nahmias. I wanted to bring my personal roots from growing up in Santa Barbara, a small coastal beach town, into the creations. To integrate parts of surf, skate, and basketball, which I grew up with so closely. And take all of these elements and explore new ways of expressing them with fits and particular use of fabrics on a luxury level.” 

A Time To Reflect 

 

Before the presentation, Nahmias had hinted that a major part of the inspiration had come from his reflections on a time where he felt lost in his adolescence. We asked whether that idea had existed within the designer for a while, or whether recent restrictions of activities due to the global circumstances had played into an increased nostalgia. 

“The time of being lost in my adolescence was a time when life was about living in the moment. Being lost in the days at the beach surfing, or at the skatepark. It was a time that for sure makes me feel nostalgic. I wanted to put that feeling into the collection the best I could. During quarantine it let me dive into a special moment in my life and get out of the current world I was living in. I feel attached to this collection because it brings me back to my days of adolescence. Every piece holds a part of me I feel attached to. Living in lockdown for this recent period and to be able to put that time into my work today is something special and feels like a dream. That is where the all white references came from for the buildout of the presentation for the collection.”

The short film introducing the new collection of Nahmias is beautifully crafted. In the first part of the video, we see the designer walking through the neighborhood and places around his hometown that fuelled the inspiration for the collection. Sequences jump between his childhood and the present tense. In the second part, the basketball courts and playground settings fade with an all white background and white sand beach, creating the heavenly atmosphere that Doni Nahmias was referring to. 

 

“The vision behind the AW21 video was to really give people a raw and authentic look into my upbringing. I was able to show the background of my design process on a personal level and authentic look at NAHMIAS’ core DNA. For the video, I chose 4 key settings from my hometown, Summerland in a new light. For instance, I utilized the old swing set from my mom’s backyard that I spent endless hours daydreaming on and repurposed it by adding a fresh coat of white paint and inserting as a subtle background into my lookbook shoot. I also did this with my childhood basketball hoop & surfboard for the project. These objects signify staples into my upbringing that all were a key part of the seasonal inspiration so felt that it only made sense to have them showcased in some capacity”

The Right Collection, The Right Ambassadors, The Right Buyers

 

Nahmias have grown at a very organic, yet remarkable pace. Whether it’s Farfetch or Ssense online, or Harrods, Browns, The Webster and Maxfield all over the world – online retailers as well as stores and department stores have secured their access to Nahmias, reacting to the popular demand. The public approval of superstars like Justin Bieber, or NBA-MVP James Harden give the brand a well-deserved platform – and validation to designer Doni Nahmias.

A unique brand with an authentic background, that shows the potential to grow into one of the leading luxury designer brands, due to its contemporary yet timelessly quality approach and clothing lines. 

Younger self-taught fashion designers have seen their brands on the rise in recent years, with passionate examples like Jacquemus and Nahmias leading the way. 

Something that they share seems to be a hard work ethic as well as humility. 

“We initially launched the brand out of a small studio a couple years ago, that was maybe the size of a large walk-in closet. I had my desk and a mood board and that was about it. Now the process for the brand has become more like a full operation, from the process of mapping the collections out, multiple rounds of patterns, muslins, studying fabrics and using our in-house sewers. I like to consider our platform to be on a professional scale now and it is an exciting feeling looking into the future of the brand for what we have to come.”

Despite the humble take, there is no reason why a contemporary high fashion brand such as Nahmias wouldn’t survive the times to grow into a major fashion house. For now, we enjoy the personal touch of Nahmias AW21.