Written by Lais Lacher.
S/S 2012 Campaign Photos (#1 to #8) courtesy of Misha Nonoo (photographer Yiorgos Kordakis). All other photos in this story were taken by Lais Lacher at the A/W 2012 Nonoo presentation.
The Misha Nonoo presentation momentarily transported the viewer from the Standard Hotel in New York City to the streets of Paris through a video that played during the viewing. The video showed a day in the life of an elegant young French woman. This scenario is what the Nonoo girl embodies and set the tone for the collection (watch video here).
The seventeen looks focused on tailoring, with a silhouette that centered on the waist. The color scheme included rich jewel tones of purple, navy, emerald and ruby as well as more traditional fall colors such as black, charcoal grey, and beige. Most pieces were one solid color, but a few pieces featured a hexagonal or tortoise shell print. Fur, beading, and sequins were used sparingly throughout the looks. The more tailored pieces were crafted using cashmere wools, hammered silks, and textured pebble crepes, while the less structured garments used charmeuse, lace, and silk voile. The true standouts of the collection were the beautifully tailored jackets. Highlights included a purple cardigan jacket with silver trim on the shoulders and wrists, a navy peplum jacket in silk, and a formal ruby jacket with silk shawl. Accessories were noticeably absent except for a single teardrop earring worn by each model. The makeup was light and romantic with pale pink lips, rosy cheeks and defined eyes and eyebrows. The models wore their hair up in braids.
The overall collection seemed to be created for a modern day Audrey Hepburn with elegant simplicity, a focus on fit, and of course, a little black dress. No wonder the gamine beauty Olivia Palermo was a guest at the presentation.
MISHA NONOO
Can you tell us about your current collection and what were your main inspirations?
I was inspired by the cinema legend Anouk Aimee and I was really captivated by her extraordinary beauty. It was also about the way French women dress and get ready, it is all so effortless. What I am trying to do with my collection is each season building upon a wardrobe that the Nonoo girl already has and builds upon and every season there’s more and more the Nonoo girl wants to keep in her wardrobe. It’s not about throwaway pieces. It’s about pieces that you invest in and you keep for a long time. Everything is sympathetic towards one another from season to season.
Did living in Bahrain and London influence your designs?
Absolutely I mean living in the Middle East was wonderful because I grew up around so much color and the souks and all of that kind of stuff and that was really wonderful. But then going back to the UK was amazing because it really influenced the way I design now going back to that Saville Row tailoring so that has really stayed with me in a very deep way.
What are some of your favorite pieces in this collection?
In terms of looks I love the purple jacket and the green pants and then I actually love the little oatmeal skirt with the lace on the sides and some of the fur pieces too. I don’t have a favorite. I am really excited about the whole thing; I love it as a whole.
Can you tell me about your design process? Do you use flat pattern, draping and/or sketching?
Yes, I do the whole thing. I assist my pattern maker who does that specifically and I help her with that and it’s a very collaborative process. I have an amazing, amazing team of people that I work with. I am very happy and lucky.
Your clothes appeared on Gossip Girl. What was it like to see your clothes on the small screen?
It was a really fun experience.
Do you have any plans to sell your clothes in Washington DC?
I would love to. I would love to go into retail at some point but you know you kind of have to take it day-by-day and step-by-step, it’s all a very expensive process. So right now we are starting here and I would love to work with some of the major department stores around the country and then from there move into things. So yeah those are the plans.
For more information on Misha Nonoo’s work, please visit her website: www.nonoony.com. You can also view the S/S 2012 campaign video here and the A/W 2012 campaign video here.
ABOUT MISHA NONOO
Misha Nonoo is a British designer in her third season. She recently won the Women’s Wear prize at the Fashion Group International’s Rising Star Awards. She produces her entire collection in New York City.
