Last week, Nuj Novakhett returned to Manhattan, her adopted home, from Thailand, her native home, just in time for New York Fashion Week.
Alternating three months at each location, she develops and designs seasonal, womenswear collections under her own Nuj Novakhett label from an office in her hometown of Bangkok, then brings a sample line to New York for sales, promotion and planning.
Rather than the typical “final rush to finish,” her new Fall/Winter 2007 collection is already done, hanging in a small West Side showroom awaiting review. As the fashion industry passes through for New York Fashion Week, Novakhett hopes to distinguish herself amongst an increasingly crowded field.
Just three years ago, she left Thailand for what her family thought would be one year abroad in New York City after an education that was prestigious and meant to prepare her for local government work. They assumed she would return to embark upon a “serious” career. But it was an interest in sewing and personal style that she aimed to channel into professional design aspirations through a certification program at the Parsons School of Design.
At that point, Novakhett was soured on Europe and saw New York as a place Asian designers like Vera Wang had “made it happen.” Her view was that Asian designers faced unique obstacles and institutional racism when it came to competing with her British and EU counterparts for ordinary jobs. Recalling a childhood experience in London, Novakhett said, “My parents went to a watch store and the doorman didn’t even open the door for us. That’s how I felt [entering the business world].”
Further contributing to such racial glass ceiling doubts was a hard lesson from a good friend who was at the top of her class. “She became an intern with a big, big designer. But that’s it, and she came back to Thailand.”
Fast forward a few years … Today, she’s a fashion designer with celebrity clients and four collections under her belt. All this at the tender age of 25. When it comes to language, she thinks in Thai and chooses her words in English carefully to convey ideas, although the occasional odd syntax tips her hand as a non-native speaker. She always wears her own designs and after two years in the West Village, she’s now just a few weeks away from a move to the Wall Street area.
Strikingly beautiful, well mannered and slim enough to act as her own fitting model, she has high hopes, but a realistic view. Meaning, she’s not making money yet. “I hope to grow in every aspect,” says Novakhett, “Especially the brand’s image, so that ten years from now, when I look back, I know what is the classic Nuj Novakhett. I take each season step-by-step.”
Her first step, two years ago, for Spring/Summer 2006, was a small, controlled presentation during New York Fashion Week. She explains, “I thought to myself ‘You can’t get somewhere if you’re gonna make something that people have already made.’ If I were to introduce something new … Everyone who saw me thought I was Chinese, Japanese or Vietnamese. I was like, ‘What about Thai?’ I came up with the concept of introducing Thai to the fashion industry. Thai costumes are very interesting. I grabbed that and I made it wearable.”
Novakhett’s collection soon attracted editorial attention from the likes of WWD, Vogue, Elle and Nylon. Her mix of dresses, skirts, blouses and coats scored showroom and boutique accounts at TJ170, Milk and Albertine. Currently, she eyeing Barney’s New York, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Intermix.
To some, Novakhett is still too new to be a rising star, with a lot more to prove. But you’ve got to start somewhere. Several design houses that abruptly closed over the past year—including Cloak, a menswear house—were among the most highly acclaimed, rising stars. But the world of fashion is unforgiving. Even if things are going perfectly, a total collapse could be just around the corner.
Designers who make it to the tents during New York Fashion Week are often viewed as the vanguard of fashion—living legends, award winners, celebrity confidants, creators and, above all, artists. The formal New York Fashion Week started years ago after a collapsing ceiling at a Michael Kors show prompted organizers to create a more structured show system. The initial plan resulted in the formation of 7th On Sixth, now owned by IMG, an entertainment company that controls most of the Fashion Week events around the world. In New York, they operate the familiar Bryant Park tents. Along with the Council of Fashion Designers of America, the tents represent a small but important group of designers, the established guard.
For a road map of events during New York Fashion Week, or any fashion week around the world, the industry looks to Ruth Finley, publisher of Fashion Calendar. Her bi-weekly publication lists fashion and beauty events for a fee, allowing event producers, press, buyers and photographers to resolve potential scheduling conflicts.
A count of premiers listed by Finley amounts to 226 catwalk shows and presentations, which can range from ice skating models wearing Thom Browne to a party thrown by menswear label Loden Dager to a department store window spectacle designed to grab attention for Imitation of Christ. Then there are the cocktail parties, book launches, store openings, advertiser appreciation events and exclusive concerts. While you’ve probably never heard of Ruth Finley, understanding her function is crucial to grasping how Fashion Week really works in New York.
Technically, next week’s New York’s Fashion Week runs from Feb. 2 through 9, although several designers are getting a jump on the competition this year by starting on the 1st. Similarly, many editors depart for Europe prior to the 9th. One day can choke a fashion addict’s taste for the next new thing. For example, on Tuesday, Feb. 6, at 6 p.m., photographers, editors and buyers will be forced to make a choice between viewing collection premiers from Jason Wu, Rodarte, Oumlil by Hisham Oumlil and Philosophy Di Alberta Ferretti, or a Bill Blass fragrance launch. Then at 7 p.m., they’ll get to choose between Kim Jones, Gustavo Cadile, Pegah Anvarian, Vena Cava, Cynthia Steffe and a group show from Style Salon. A designer with the unfortunate luck of scheduling against a high demand show like Marc Jacobs, Zac Posen, John Varvatos or buzz designers like 3.1 Philip Lim and ThreeAsFour, will typically opt to reschedule unless they have a clear market distinction.
Younger talents with growing brands, like Novakhett, can rapidly get lost in the crowd. But the budding designer has a secret weapon: she recently attracted the attention of beauty behemoth Estée Lauder, who made her the subject of a campaign in Asia wearing her own dress. “As a Thai woman, the campaign tried to point out that we can do anything,”
says Novakhett. “In my case, it was based on the fact that I moved to New York and put on two shows that got attention from the press. It is very strange, in my culture. Women my age would be doing what their families expected from them, or simply getting married. I think Estée Lauder saw that as part of the beauty of who I am.”
Adding to the unique cultural pressure of carving out an American niche was the dynamic she faced with her parents (who eventually became principal backers of her fashion venture). According to Novakhett, many of her Thai friends are, “Royalty. Their parents are Ladies and Lords.
So whenever I do something I have to be careful. It will affect my father, my family, my mother. If I don’t carry myself well, it will place a bad reputation on my family.”
So, given her unorthodox family decision, the stakes are high. In the cutthroat word of fashion, does Novakhett have a real shot at success?
Most agree that her talent, budget, brand, looks and personality seem to add up to all the right pieces for success. But the tough competition in New York still makes her a David, not a Goliath. Only a select few can compete with the resources that new designer Susan Dell can draw upon to develop her PHI label. Likewise for the collection from Sai Milla, Stevie Wonder’s wife. “I don’t see myself as the next Chanel, or Helmet Lang, or Vera Wang,” says Novakhett. “If I expect to do that, it will only bring me sorrow.”
Often, the best way to discern a young designer’s true identity is by examining his or her target audience. Novakhett sees her line, “As an option for elegantly classic, young women who want small, interesting details in their clothing.” In many cases, her silhouettes are “over exaggerated” and “poofy.” She designs to be unique but not over-the-top, different but actually wearable. In her words, “My line represents girls that are sophisticated and classy. Every woman wants to be sexy, no one can deny this fact. Women are sexy, but they don’t always have to scream it. They want a little bit of something to themselves. It can be interesting details, or sexy silhouettes, or the fabrication, but all of these have to reflect the person who wear it and their personality.”
Roger Padilha, who represents several edgy, new and established designers as Creative Director of MAO PR, said, “While shows don't guarantee an overnight success, it certainly speeds up the process.
Designers need to commit to showing and I'd say that the industry really considers a designer after three showings.”
Three seasons (one and a half years) can be daunting for a new company to weather. It’s a reality that makes any launch highly speculative to potential investors or even store buyers. David Asher places orders and attends fashion shows around the world as Vice President of Womenswear for Holt Renfrew. He argues that, “Overall, it’s not about making fashion accessible the way that H&M does. A lot of fashion is not accessible, it’s experimental for years before it's called important.”
Reluctant to blow his budget on a fashion show, menswear designer Swaim Hutson has been content to operate just under the industry’s radar for 12 seasons (or six years). Even though he won a GenArt award and enjoyed some initial successes, his Obedient Sons label needed time to develop an identity and build momentum. This season will mark his New York Fashion Week premiere, a big deal for his business. “At some point, when you’re ready, you have to make a move and get on the map,” says Hutson.
For Hutson’s line, it took a partnership with Mike Dirnt of the rock group Green Day to step in and ameliorate the cost.
“A lot of young designers are trying to be artists,” says Asher. He singles out Barney’s New York for buying into young designers, while “Most retailers don’t have the patience to lose money for four seasons before they make any profit on it. I’m lucky because we set aside an area and budget to buy from new people.” At Holt Renfrew, the section for new or edgy designers is called World Design Lab and features Zero by Maria Cornejo, Alexander Wang and Gary Graham.
In contrast, the experience of Laurel Wells is much more typical of a young designer’s relationship with Fashion Week. Talented and bright, Wells designs her young women’s line, Laurie Loo, out of Brooklyn. “When I started, I felt pressure to show and did a few times,” says Wells.
“But I realized it was mostly my friends who showed up. That’s great but it didn’t do much for my career.” Now, her goals are, “Building relationships with the customers that I already have to find out what they like and don’t like. I’m perfectly happy to exist under the radar.”
“It’s pretty hard to be major if you’re under 30,” said Nicole Phelps, Style.com’s Executive Editor. “You need to put in 10 collections … [But] we’re very interested in up-and-coming talents.” Phelps defines ‘major’ in New York as “Ralph, Calvin and Donna” followed by “Oscar and Carolina. From there, there's a younger generation: Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Narcisco Rodriguez, but even that generation is in its 40s.” This season, she will oversee the deployment of editors and reporters to cover no less than 88 New York shows this season with a mix of video, still imagery, fashion and beauty reviews, as well as backstage coverage and blog commentary.
Consider everything you’ve ever heard about the fashion industry: models on drugs inducing themselves to vomit, agency owners dating 14-year-old girls or interns being promoted to art director after sleeping with the boss. If you want to see that side of fashion, it’s not hard to find.
But if you only look at those aspects, which overindulge the ego, embrace the superficial and revel in the artificial, then you may be missing out on some of the unique artistic visions and cultural commentary inherent in many of the works presented during New York Fashion Week.
Designer Erik Hart of Morphine Generation will present a catwalk show at the Altman Building through his agency, an important house for new designers called People’s Revolution. “I think every designer’s dream is to present their collection, the way they envisioned it from the moment of its inception,” says Hart. “With every detail down to the way the pieces interact, the music that runs through your head while you’re designing and the women and men you envision wearing it. I hope to accomplish that while communicating my vision to an international audience.” On the other side of the fence, upstart designer Grant Krajecki of Grey Ant said, “Being a young company, we don’t have the moolah for advertising in the mags that will most likely cover our show if we do one.”
This season, Novakhett will be resisting the temptation to present on the catwalk, opting instead for a private dinner event and showcase.
Every season presents a vital stage for her brand’s growth and a hope to take another important step. Bottom line, the creative dream for new or established designers is most alive during New York Fashion Week. At its root, Fashion Week connects creation with audience. Next week, New Yorkers will get to witness new designers on a mission to save fashion from itself. In the meantime, Novakhett realizes that in this city, every designer’s future is in the hands of the public. “My brand is very much ‘me.’ I have hope that the New York market will embrace me.”
Alternating three months at each location, she develops and designs seasonal, womenswear collections under her own Nuj Novakhett label from an office in her hometown of Bangkok, then brings a sample line to New York for sales, promotion and planning.
Rather than the typical “final rush to finish,” her new Fall/Winter 2007 collection is already done, hanging in a small West Side showroom awaiting review. As the fashion industry passes through for New York Fashion Week, Novakhett hopes to distinguish herself amongst an increasingly crowded field.
Just three years ago, she left Thailand for what her family thought would be one year abroad in New York City after an education that was prestigious and meant to prepare her for local government work. They assumed she would return to embark upon a “serious” career. But it was an interest in sewing and personal style that she aimed to channel into professional design aspirations through a certification program at the Parsons School of Design.
At that point, Novakhett was soured on Europe and saw New York as a place Asian designers like Vera Wang had “made it happen.” Her view was that Asian designers faced unique obstacles and institutional racism when it came to competing with her British and EU counterparts for ordinary jobs. Recalling a childhood experience in London, Novakhett said, “My parents went to a watch store and the doorman didn’t even open the door for us. That’s how I felt [entering the business world].”
Further contributing to such racial glass ceiling doubts was a hard lesson from a good friend who was at the top of her class. “She became an intern with a big, big designer. But that’s it, and she came back to Thailand.”
Fast forward a few years … Today, she’s a fashion designer with celebrity clients and four collections under her belt. All this at the tender age of 25. When it comes to language, she thinks in Thai and chooses her words in English carefully to convey ideas, although the occasional odd syntax tips her hand as a non-native speaker. She always wears her own designs and after two years in the West Village, she’s now just a few weeks away from a move to the Wall Street area.
Strikingly beautiful, well mannered and slim enough to act as her own fitting model, she has high hopes, but a realistic view. Meaning, she’s not making money yet. “I hope to grow in every aspect,” says Novakhett, “Especially the brand’s image, so that ten years from now, when I look back, I know what is the classic Nuj Novakhett. I take each season step-by-step.”
Her first step, two years ago, for Spring/Summer 2006, was a small, controlled presentation during New York Fashion Week. She explains, “I thought to myself ‘You can’t get somewhere if you’re gonna make something that people have already made.’ If I were to introduce something new … Everyone who saw me thought I was Chinese, Japanese or Vietnamese. I was like, ‘What about Thai?’ I came up with the concept of introducing Thai to the fashion industry. Thai costumes are very interesting. I grabbed that and I made it wearable.”
Novakhett’s collection soon attracted editorial attention from the likes of WWD, Vogue, Elle and Nylon. Her mix of dresses, skirts, blouses and coats scored showroom and boutique accounts at TJ170, Milk and Albertine. Currently, she eyeing Barney’s New York, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Intermix.
To some, Novakhett is still too new to be a rising star, with a lot more to prove. But you’ve got to start somewhere. Several design houses that abruptly closed over the past year—including Cloak, a menswear house—were among the most highly acclaimed, rising stars. But the world of fashion is unforgiving. Even if things are going perfectly, a total collapse could be just around the corner.
Designers who make it to the tents during New York Fashion Week are often viewed as the vanguard of fashion—living legends, award winners, celebrity confidants, creators and, above all, artists. The formal New York Fashion Week started years ago after a collapsing ceiling at a Michael Kors show prompted organizers to create a more structured show system. The initial plan resulted in the formation of 7th On Sixth, now owned by IMG, an entertainment company that controls most of the Fashion Week events around the world. In New York, they operate the familiar Bryant Park tents. Along with the Council of Fashion Designers of America, the tents represent a small but important group of designers, the established guard.
For a road map of events during New York Fashion Week, or any fashion week around the world, the industry looks to Ruth Finley, publisher of Fashion Calendar. Her bi-weekly publication lists fashion and beauty events for a fee, allowing event producers, press, buyers and photographers to resolve potential scheduling conflicts.
A count of premiers listed by Finley amounts to 226 catwalk shows and presentations, which can range from ice skating models wearing Thom Browne to a party thrown by menswear label Loden Dager to a department store window spectacle designed to grab attention for Imitation of Christ. Then there are the cocktail parties, book launches, store openings, advertiser appreciation events and exclusive concerts. While you’ve probably never heard of Ruth Finley, understanding her function is crucial to grasping how Fashion Week really works in New York.
Technically, next week’s New York’s Fashion Week runs from Feb. 2 through 9, although several designers are getting a jump on the competition this year by starting on the 1st. Similarly, many editors depart for Europe prior to the 9th. One day can choke a fashion addict’s taste for the next new thing. For example, on Tuesday, Feb. 6, at 6 p.m., photographers, editors and buyers will be forced to make a choice between viewing collection premiers from Jason Wu, Rodarte, Oumlil by Hisham Oumlil and Philosophy Di Alberta Ferretti, or a Bill Blass fragrance launch. Then at 7 p.m., they’ll get to choose between Kim Jones, Gustavo Cadile, Pegah Anvarian, Vena Cava, Cynthia Steffe and a group show from Style Salon. A designer with the unfortunate luck of scheduling against a high demand show like Marc Jacobs, Zac Posen, John Varvatos or buzz designers like 3.1 Philip Lim and ThreeAsFour, will typically opt to reschedule unless they have a clear market distinction.
Younger talents with growing brands, like Novakhett, can rapidly get lost in the crowd. But the budding designer has a secret weapon: she recently attracted the attention of beauty behemoth Estée Lauder, who made her the subject of a campaign in Asia wearing her own dress. “As a Thai woman, the campaign tried to point out that we can do anything,”
says Novakhett. “In my case, it was based on the fact that I moved to New York and put on two shows that got attention from the press. It is very strange, in my culture. Women my age would be doing what their families expected from them, or simply getting married. I think Estée Lauder saw that as part of the beauty of who I am.”
Adding to the unique cultural pressure of carving out an American niche was the dynamic she faced with her parents (who eventually became principal backers of her fashion venture). According to Novakhett, many of her Thai friends are, “Royalty. Their parents are Ladies and Lords.
So whenever I do something I have to be careful. It will affect my father, my family, my mother. If I don’t carry myself well, it will place a bad reputation on my family.”
So, given her unorthodox family decision, the stakes are high. In the cutthroat word of fashion, does Novakhett have a real shot at success?
Most agree that her talent, budget, brand, looks and personality seem to add up to all the right pieces for success. But the tough competition in New York still makes her a David, not a Goliath. Only a select few can compete with the resources that new designer Susan Dell can draw upon to develop her PHI label. Likewise for the collection from Sai Milla, Stevie Wonder’s wife. “I don’t see myself as the next Chanel, or Helmet Lang, or Vera Wang,” says Novakhett. “If I expect to do that, it will only bring me sorrow.”
Often, the best way to discern a young designer’s true identity is by examining his or her target audience. Novakhett sees her line, “As an option for elegantly classic, young women who want small, interesting details in their clothing.” In many cases, her silhouettes are “over exaggerated” and “poofy.” She designs to be unique but not over-the-top, different but actually wearable. In her words, “My line represents girls that are sophisticated and classy. Every woman wants to be sexy, no one can deny this fact. Women are sexy, but they don’t always have to scream it. They want a little bit of something to themselves. It can be interesting details, or sexy silhouettes, or the fabrication, but all of these have to reflect the person who wear it and their personality.”
Roger Padilha, who represents several edgy, new and established designers as Creative Director of MAO PR, said, “While shows don't guarantee an overnight success, it certainly speeds up the process.
Designers need to commit to showing and I'd say that the industry really considers a designer after three showings.”
Three seasons (one and a half years) can be daunting for a new company to weather. It’s a reality that makes any launch highly speculative to potential investors or even store buyers. David Asher places orders and attends fashion shows around the world as Vice President of Womenswear for Holt Renfrew. He argues that, “Overall, it’s not about making fashion accessible the way that H&M does. A lot of fashion is not accessible, it’s experimental for years before it's called important.”
Reluctant to blow his budget on a fashion show, menswear designer Swaim Hutson has been content to operate just under the industry’s radar for 12 seasons (or six years). Even though he won a GenArt award and enjoyed some initial successes, his Obedient Sons label needed time to develop an identity and build momentum. This season will mark his New York Fashion Week premiere, a big deal for his business. “At some point, when you’re ready, you have to make a move and get on the map,” says Hutson.
For Hutson’s line, it took a partnership with Mike Dirnt of the rock group Green Day to step in and ameliorate the cost.
“A lot of young designers are trying to be artists,” says Asher. He singles out Barney’s New York for buying into young designers, while “Most retailers don’t have the patience to lose money for four seasons before they make any profit on it. I’m lucky because we set aside an area and budget to buy from new people.” At Holt Renfrew, the section for new or edgy designers is called World Design Lab and features Zero by Maria Cornejo, Alexander Wang and Gary Graham.
In contrast, the experience of Laurel Wells is much more typical of a young designer’s relationship with Fashion Week. Talented and bright, Wells designs her young women’s line, Laurie Loo, out of Brooklyn. “When I started, I felt pressure to show and did a few times,” says Wells.
“But I realized it was mostly my friends who showed up. That’s great but it didn’t do much for my career.” Now, her goals are, “Building relationships with the customers that I already have to find out what they like and don’t like. I’m perfectly happy to exist under the radar.”
“It’s pretty hard to be major if you’re under 30,” said Nicole Phelps, Style.com’s Executive Editor. “You need to put in 10 collections … [But] we’re very interested in up-and-coming talents.” Phelps defines ‘major’ in New York as “Ralph, Calvin and Donna” followed by “Oscar and Carolina. From there, there's a younger generation: Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Narcisco Rodriguez, but even that generation is in its 40s.” This season, she will oversee the deployment of editors and reporters to cover no less than 88 New York shows this season with a mix of video, still imagery, fashion and beauty reviews, as well as backstage coverage and blog commentary.
Consider everything you’ve ever heard about the fashion industry: models on drugs inducing themselves to vomit, agency owners dating 14-year-old girls or interns being promoted to art director after sleeping with the boss. If you want to see that side of fashion, it’s not hard to find.
But if you only look at those aspects, which overindulge the ego, embrace the superficial and revel in the artificial, then you may be missing out on some of the unique artistic visions and cultural commentary inherent in many of the works presented during New York Fashion Week.
Designer Erik Hart of Morphine Generation will present a catwalk show at the Altman Building through his agency, an important house for new designers called People’s Revolution. “I think every designer’s dream is to present their collection, the way they envisioned it from the moment of its inception,” says Hart. “With every detail down to the way the pieces interact, the music that runs through your head while you’re designing and the women and men you envision wearing it. I hope to accomplish that while communicating my vision to an international audience.” On the other side of the fence, upstart designer Grant Krajecki of Grey Ant said, “Being a young company, we don’t have the moolah for advertising in the mags that will most likely cover our show if we do one.”
This season, Novakhett will be resisting the temptation to present on the catwalk, opting instead for a private dinner event and showcase.
Every season presents a vital stage for her brand’s growth and a hope to take another important step. Bottom line, the creative dream for new or established designers is most alive during New York Fashion Week. At its root, Fashion Week connects creation with audience. Next week, New Yorkers will get to witness new designers on a mission to save fashion from itself. In the meantime, Novakhett realizes that in this city, every designer’s future is in the hands of the public. “My brand is very much ‘me.’ I have hope that the New York market will embrace me.”
