Today we’d like to introduce you to Nick Perez.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I never really planned on any of this to happen. I’ve always loved fashion, but never dreamed I would be able to create it. I learned how to sew my junior year of high school when I took a class just to be around my friends and ended up falling in love with the craft. I’m self-taught in dressmaking, so I learned a lot from altering prom dresses for friends and staying late after school to teach myself how to drape. When I graduated high school, I started working at a bridal shop in Corpus Christi where I would spend my lunch breaks studying the construction of luxury gowns. Before that, I was set on being an edgy street-wear designer, so I think that the two years I spent in the bridal shop created my love for couture and construction and taught me a lot.
Since I started my brand, I have been able to travel across Texas showcasing the numerous collections I have launched, recognized by MAC Cosmetics and flown out to NYC to sit at the CFDA Awards with stars, and most recently given the honor the FGI Rising Star Award, but yet I still can’t explain how exactly I got here. I can say that the labor of love has really been the drive. I love what I do so much and work extremely hard to make sure it’s perfect. I think people finally see that and it allows them to feel that connection.
It still feels crazy that a kid who started making dresses out of curtains can now travel with my gowns made of silk taffeta.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I don’t think any success story has started out easy. I’m pretty sure my main adversities were the ones with me.
When I first started out, I dealt with people not taking me seriously because I was a 17 years old designing gowns in an area where it was new to the scene. I was taken advantage of a lot and felt like I was being waked all over. It took me almost four years to establish some visibility for myself and my work. But when the attention was growing, I started to put my mental health on the back burner.
I have severe anxiety. It’s not even a visible panic at times and I never knew how to deal with it in my teens, especially when I was first starting out in my career when I would have to excuse myself to breathe before shows. Thankfully I have learned to manage it over the years and can proudly say that I feel like I’m in control of my own happiness for the first time.
I know that some days it feels hard to get out of bed and I don’t often feel myself, but I feel so fortunate for everything I have been able to do while living with anxiety and to have the support system I have. I know millions struggle with anxiety and I hope that one day I can use my platform to help others like me and create visibility for those living with a mental illness.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Nicó – what should we know?
My brand specializes in women’s wear and evening gowns with a huge focus on detailing. When I get with my team, our main focus is to create an experience for anyone involved, be it the client or person we are working with. We all work extremely well with each other and it’s just a contagious energy all around. My clients, models, and new collaborators love the brand.
The aesthetic of the brand is very feminine with a Tejano influence in every piece. Each piece is one of a kind because of the thought process behind it as well as the craftsmanship. I know the term couture is thrown around often, but I really take pride in the labor that goes into each piece. Often taking weeks to create, each gown is one of a kind and designed to be admired the second they step in a room.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I hate singling out anyone lately. There’s too many people in my life now that make this journey seem so much sweeter and I think it takes more than an interview to thank them. In short, my team. My brand partner Jelli, my models, my makeup/hair artists, my collaborators, my photographers/videographers. They really bring the brand to life. My loved ones for watching the brand come from nothing and being the first faces I see on the sides of the runway and the first ones I call with huge news.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nicocollective.com
- Phone: 3617174206
- Email: nicocollective@gmail.com
- Instagram: monseiurnico
Image Credit:
Shot by William Roescher (@willroescher); Modeled by Yayis Villarreal Cantu (@yayisvc); Hair by Maria Gomez (@maria.gomez.makeup); Shot at Alamo City Studios in SATX, assisted by the House of Nicó
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