DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT: Nicole Holtan

HI I’M NICOLE!

I have been designing for as long as I remember, but I always felt particularly passionate about fashion. It started with sketching and illustrating, and then I started hand-sewing and eventually constructing full garments. From early on I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in fashion. By earning my associate’s degree from FIT in apparel design and holding a variety of internships, I gained a lot of industry experience. I started to realize how challenged the fashion industry really was. I started to apply my skill for design to creative problem-solving in hopes to be part of the solution. I found a passion for innovation and technology and dove deeper into the emerging field of fashion technology. My mission now is to support the integration of innovative technology that improves the design process, pushing the fashion industry towards a more efficient and sustainable future.

 

Follow Nicole on Instagram! @virtual.couture

Check Out Nicole’s Website! Going Live this Thursday! www.nicoleholtan.com

 

Q & A

What’s your favorite quote?

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”

                                                        -Peter Drucker

 

What are you reacting to?

The fashion design process has remained largely unchanged in decades- I am reacting to the need for innovation in the fashion industry.  I believe my work challenges the problems it faces with efficiency and sustainability.

What has been your proudest moment or a time you were particularly excited about one of your designs?

I feel proud when one of my designs solves a problem, whether that solutional comes from a functional design choice or simply design choice that makes the wearer feel comfortable or empowered if they previously weren’t.

 

What would you say differentiates your designs from other designers?

What differentiates me from other designers is that I enjoy solution-based design just as much I enjoy creative design. I am inspired by the intersection between science, technology, and fashion, and I apply concepts from all three fields into my body of work.

 

Watch the Designer Q&A Video HERE