MODA Designer Profile: Nicole Helou

Nicole Helou is a multitalented second year student double majoring in Business/Econ and Visual Arts. Her hobbies include photography, which has recently expanded into filmmaking, skating, and exploring different mediums of art. Nicole is a writer in the MODA blog, where she mainly likes to dive into the history of different art forms such as graffiti and collaging. It was a pleasure to get to interview Nicole, who is one of my closest friends, and dig deeper into her creative mind!

Nicole’s Moodboard

What are some sources of inspiration for your collection? 

I was really lucky this year to have been able to choose models that I am close friends with so I was able to easily combine my appreciation for vibrant colors with my friends’ unique styles. I am really into the trend of cowboy boots so I based one of my designs around that. I also wanted to incorporate a thrifted item into my designs, since I am passionate ethical and sustainable aspects of thrifting. I managed to do this with the carpet pants look.

Have you ever done fashion design work before? What are some of the most challenging and rewarding aspects of the process?

No, this is my first try at fashion design but I definitely have always been very interested in curating looks for myself but I never had the means to do it. Moda designer boot camp allowed me to channel my inspirations into something tangible that I am passionate about. The most challenging part of the process for me has been not only learning how to use a sewing machine because that was new to me but also selecting the pattern itself and having the different garments work with each other and on the model as well. What I learned from this is that it is one thing to think of each piece individually but they also have to come together as a whole, which can be challenging but also rewarding when you see it come into fruition. 

What are you looking forward to most about the show?

Since it is the first time we do this virtually, I am looking forward to see how the show will work through a live-streamed medium. I am intrigued to see how other people’s designs are presented as well as how mine look like in a digitized runway format.