An Interview with Nadia Jones
Nadia Jones was always going to make things that people could live their lives in, although it wasn’t fashion that first came to mind. “I was going to be an architect before I decided that I was going to be a fashion designer. I got into a course, and then I did a complete U-turn and decided to do fashion. I've always wanted to bring better design to everyone,” she explains.
Thankfully for us she did make that U-turn, and after a storied and respected career in international fashion is now calling Nique home as our new creative director. It’s a match made in heaven as our DNA resonates so well with Nadia’s own love of modern, minimal and creative but accessible design. “I think it's the sensibility. It's minimal, it's easy to wear. The pieces are of really beautiful quality. They're cut really well. It's all effortless, and it slots into your wardrobe. And then you've got some killer statement pieces in there that can elevate your wardrobe, and add an edge,” says Nadia. Adding that the considered and affordable price points is also a focus for her, “It's made out of the best fabric you can find, but then making it really accessible to more people.”
With much of a career spent defining the UK’s fast-moving world of high street retail, relocating to Australia a few years ago added a new perspective to her work. “London design is like a melting pot of true creative freedom. But I think what Australia brings in a fashion sense is a more effortless ease. The way Australians dress, and think, and approach clothes, they have to be sort of multipurpose and versatile.”
Ever since we were born out of Melbourne’s creative scene, Nique has naturally been a favourite of Australia’s creative community. “We're a destination for people with a creative mindset. I can see that time after time, with the people that come and shop with us,” says Nadia, excited to continue and expand that dialogue with the world’s creatives. “You have to feel what's going on in the world, and that goes into your seventh sense of being a fashion designer. I really try and listen to what the stores are saying, what our customers are saying.”
Already that conversation with the Nique community is resulting in new and exciting projects. The most recent being the launch of U-Nique, a gender neutral capsule collection made to be worn by anyone. Consisting of 11 pieces in total it’s designed to be mixed, matched and adapted into any wardrobe, no matter how someone identifies.
By removing the focus on gender and instead focusing on design, Nadia hopes the capsule will help open up fashion and reach even more people — because good design should be for everyone.