Nina Valenti

What does the name of your collection signify?

The name was inspired by the constant struggle between nature and future, a pressure between organic forces and technological ones. The more we advance the more we need to consider nature before we deplete it. In this tension to find balance is the living energy of the collection and hence the name.

What’s the best part of your job?

Designing, I love sketching and fabric sourcing. The best part is bringing my sketches to life.

What’s the hardest part of your job?

Everything else. Running your own business means you have to run everything at the beginning. I’d much rather just be designing but I have also production, sales & the financial side.

Your garments are complex, how do you get them to fit so well?

I work very closely with my patternmaker and do lot’s of fittings. I put a lot of seams in most of the garments which can give a very tailored fit. I pay attention to every detail.

Your collection has a decidedly futuristic look. From whence do you draw your futuristic fashion inspiration? Movies? Books?

I love architecture and furniture design, music and art. I never really draw from one inspiration. It’s more as if I unconsciously absorb inspiration from the past and the present that just becomes conscious when I start sketching.

Who was your first muse?

I don’t have a muse but when I was in school my younger sister Valeria posed for me for hours while I sketched fashion croquis & I loved making her dresses for parties.

You garments would be the choice garb of a kung fu fighting environmentalist action hero. Have you ever studied martial arts?

No but I have watched a few Kung Fu movies and I love traditional Asian clothing & interior design.

What compels you to use organic cotton & wool, hemp, and ingeo rather some more readily available options?

When I started the collection I wanted to mix natural fabric with high tech fabrics. The more I sourced and researched fabrics, the more I learned about the benefits ecofriendly fabrics have on our environment versus the damages some conventional fabrics do. I couldn’t deny what I had learned and I felt obligated as a person that loves nature to use fabrics that help sustain it. Every season I incorporate more and more sustainable fabrics.

If technology could deliver your dream fabric, what qualities would it have?

It would be amazing for a natural or sustainable fabric to replace spandex. I love structured materials & some natural stretch would be amazing.

Best season to design for?

Fall. I love designing jackets, coats & sweaters.

Ever considered creating a men’s collection?

Yes. I have a waiting list of men that have been asking me to design a men’s collection. I have designed some men’s shirts as uniforms for 2 different restaurants and they looked great. I have a lot of ideas sketched out and was thinking of making a small collection for Fall08.