Is There Room for Black Fashion Designers to Make It in Luxury?
The 28-year-old founder is part of a new generation of designers who are radically honest about the reality of running a fashion business.
Photo Courtesy of Nia Thomas
The average teenager does not spend their summer learning how to cut fabrics at an alteration shop, but Nia Thomas was not an average 13-year-old. “My parents couldn’t really afford daycare or summer camp,” she told me on a video call, “So I would go to my aunt’s store.” What started as daycare turned into an apprenticeship where young Nia assisted her aunt, a tailor, with sewing, basic pattern-marking and draping. “I was really excited about it,” she added.
She went on to pursue fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), a decision that was challenged by her parents. “What job will you get with that?” her mother warned. But there was no changing Ms. Thomas’ mind. She came up during the glory days of fashion print magazines and enthusiastically saved her birthday money to buy copies of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. Those glossy editorial spreads combined with her formative time at the alteration shop gave her an appreciation not just for fashion, but the practice of extending the life cycle of clothes.
The reality of attending FIT was nothing like the dream she had been sold. Thomas toiled away at part-time jobs to cover the costs of living and school supplies, all while doing mandatory unpaid internships and tending to a massive workload. Furthermore, some of the teachings felt at odds with what was happening in fashion at the time. This was back in 2013 when streetwear, Balenciaga and deconstructed clothing were gaining popularity and Thomas was drawn to these aesthetics. In fact, she applied that inspiration to a class project, and was given a C because the hem of a dress wasn’t perfectly done. “I was like ‘Well, Balenciaga is not hemming their dresses and they’re selling for $10,000.’ It created a drive in me to do my own thing.”
When her grades fell short of the minimum required for admission to the knitwear program, she tried to appeal the decision by opening up to the dean about her struggle. “You can go study knitwear in Italy and we’ll get you into the program if you want,” the dean offered. Thomas felt dejected. I don’t have money to study abroad in Italy, she responded. But nothing changed. “I didn’t know how to articulate it back then, but there’s such a classism in fashion schools,” she said.
Despite these setbacks, Thomas graduated and launched her eponymous label in 2018 after a short stint as assistant designer at two ready-to-wear companies. Through trial and error, she has established herself as an exciting new voice in luxury resort wear, creating hand-crocheted pieces that feel like heirlooms. Everything is produced in New York, Mexico and Peru where Thomas works closely with the factory owners and knitters to monitor quality and ensure humane working conditions. The Nia Thomas brand is carried at Moda Operandi and Shopbop, and has earned accolades from Vogue and Essence. But great press doesn’t mean or guarantee financial success. Despite the fervent praise, Thomas often finds herself alone in the struggle to run an ethical fashion business that pays fair wages, uses biodegradable materials, and is financially viable.
She is part of a new generation of fashion designers who are candid about the precarity of running a small sustainable fashion business. Ahead, the designer spoke to NYCXCLOTHES about the reality of being a Black luxury fashion designer in 2023.
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
Photo Courtesy of Nia Thomas
NYCXCLOTHES: Your work is very distinct in an industry that’s saturated with swimwear and summery crochet pieces.
NT: I think one of the main reasons why the brand has taken off so far is because it's instantly recognizable. And I think the thing I’m the most proud of right now is just how our quality has gotten better and our sizing wider, but it definitely took years to get up to this point.
NYCXCLOTHES: How did you decide to become a fashion designer?
NT: I graduated on May 25, 2017 (it was my birthday!) and my parents were like, “You need to start applying to jobs straight away.” I kind of wanted to take the summer off because I had been interning so much and that last semester at FIT was pretty intense. From my internships, I saw how all the assistant designers—which was the the role I’d be applying for—were on the bottom of the food chain. The salary is horrible, they’re overworked and at the office from 8 am to 8 pm every day and even on weekends. I didn’t necessarily want that, but I needed money. On the side, I was freelance modeling, styling and selling vintage, but then I got a full-time job at this small children’s wear company in the fall of 2017. It was soul-sucking and I was making more money freelancing. I think it was $17 an hour, which is like *laughs*
I moved back home with my parents to figure it out. Then I started working for a corporate fashion company that was paying me a cushy salary and had benefits. I was so proud of myself! My friends who were assistant designers at independent brands or high-fashion labels were making a third of what I was making. But eventually, that job became soul-sucking too and it lacked creativity. Sustainability wasn’t even a question because they were focused on making things as quickly and as cheaply as possible. I missed that aspect of school where you can be creative and do whatever you want within parameters, but I never really stopped making things.
I started with macramé pieces then silk sets, knit jersey dresses and woven stripes. After my first trip to Morocco, I was so inspired I created a collection based on my experiences there. I debuted it in the fall of 2018 then launched the website a month after. My friends were like, “If you’re going to introduce yourself as a brand to the world, you have to have a fashion show.” So I had a fashion show, and after the show, everyone was like, “That was so beautiful. I loved the clothes. Where can I buy them?” So I started a website then people were like, “I really like your stuff, where can I try it on before I buy it?” So I started doing pop-ups. Then stores are like “You should carry your stuff in the store so that way people can keep learning about you.” Everything was very gradual in that way.
“The CFDA, I kind of feel, is like America’s Next Top Model, where the winner is hot for one season and then you never hear about them again.”
NYCXCLOTHES: I know you read that Elena Velez story about how hard it is to make it as a fashion designer. It feels harder now more than ever, but hasn’t it always been if you don’t come from money? How do you feel about that?
NT: Before I read that New York Times article, I didn’t understand what Elena was doing. I was like, “This is beautiful and museum-worthy, but how is she wearing this on a day to day?” Meanwhile, I make clothes that you can wear. I make clothes to sell. I make clothes that are beautiful and I’m gonna get that return in profit to keep going. But she [Velez] wants to create a mold that's just gonna shatter the fashion industry, because the way the system is set up right now, it can’t help everyone. The CFDA [Council of Fashion Designers of America], I kind of feel is like America’s Next Top Model, where the winner is hot for one season and then you never hear about them again. They’re just picking whatever designer is the trendiest in the moment and saying something about this moment in fashion. But I don’t think they’re necessarily gonna make sure this person has a long and prosperous career because they don’t care. You know, that’s really frustrating.
I think the part that I related to the most was how it’s really hard for people to understand that you are struggling when they constantly see all the press and celebrity placements. Like yes, all these amazing things are happening, but I still need help. I’m still a one-woman show and I’m not making enough money to hire full-time employees. That is a problem and that is where I’m at right now.
“It’s really hard for people to understand that you are struggling when they constantly see all the press and celebrity placements. Like yes, all these amazing things are happening, but I still need help. I’m still a one-woman show and I’m not making enough money to hire full-time employees. ”
NYCXCLOTHES: So how did you eventually figure out your aesthetic?
NT: It was a process to get there, because I had a lot of imposter syndrome. Around that time Instagram brands like Paloma Wool, Orseund Iris were f*cking killing it and I was like, “Oh if I wanna be on that level, it needs to look like this.” And it was just a mess because I wasn’t being true to myself and my voice. I was trying to do things that I thought people would wear instead of making things that I truly loved. So we started doing knitwear in 2020 because we were all stuck inside. We wanted to be comfortable and I was like, what’s more comfortable than a big chunky roomy sweater? I hired a few of my friends who got laid off during the pandemic to make some samples for me. We shot them and made a fashion film with all these visuals then decided to release it. We sold a $450 sweater within the first 10 minutes of the website launch—the highest price point at the time. Then the orders kept coming in. Then stores were like, “Can I wholesale this?” So following what I wanted to do, being comfortable, and making people feel comfortable with the sweaters really took off.
NYCXCLOTHES: Is wholesale something you always wanted to do? And do you feel like it’s a viable option for designers first starting out?
NT: It is! I definitely had a vision board of the stores that I wanted to be in. And it was honestly just the stores that I would go to in college when we had to do these market research projects. You’d go to a store and look at what brands they carry, how they merchandise, what are the price points of the brands, the details, the heritage of it. So I would always go to Bergdorf Goodman, Dover Street Market, Barney’s and my favorite, Opening Ceremony on Broome Street. Sadly, a lot of these places aren’t even here anymore. But I remember going to Opening Ceremony and discovering Jacquemus, Telfar, Kenzo, Dries and all these designers that I still look up to. I told myself that I wanted to be stocked next to these brands.
That was always the plan, but is it sustainable at the beginning? My supply chain and pricing were not set up for that. I would say probably for the first six months of wholesaling, I was losing money selling to these stores. But I just wanted to be in the store. Once the products started selling and they wanted more, I had figure out a better way to do this.
NYCXCLOTHES: How did you arrive at your price point? It feels like lot of fashion consumers are price-avoidant today. And with knockoff culture being so prevalent, they’ll find the same thing for cheaper. So smaller designers who really make something unique have a harder time.
NT: Finding people who can afford the price point is still one of the biggest struggles of the brand. Since the beginning, the prices have risen and all of that was 100% justified by the fact that we are now working with factories and we have minimums. We’re working with virgin fibers like 100% silk, cotton, linen. All of these things are gonna be more expensive than polyester. And with my pricing, I had to structure it so that with wholesale, I’m still making a profit so the retail price is even higher. And yes, that kind of screws over the customer, but it’s just necessary if you want to wholesale.
I felt very guilty at the beginning thinking the stuff was so expensive, but I think that goes back to not believing in myself. I had to get to a point where I was like, “No these things are well made, and in order to make it, it costs X amount so I need to sell it for $600 and that’s it.” Once people saw how beautiful it was, it was a no-brainer. So it’s just about reaching that customer. We still carry some elevated basics like our tank tops, bralettes and underwears…all of that stuff retails for under $200.
Photo Courtesy of Nia Thomas
“A lot of those heritage brands say it’s made in Italy, but it’s actually made in China and finished in Italy. Not made in the highest quality that it used to be, but they’re still raising their prices.”
NYCXCLOTHES: Within the luxury space, you don’t often find Black designers and that representation is important, but on the consumer side, there’s education that needs to happen around price point.
NT: I feel like every Black designer has had to face that. Like I’m sure in the beginning Christopher John Rogers got a lot of…(he’s amazing!) and I even look at the price and I’m like “Oh my God” and that’s coming from someone who understands the costs of making things in New York City. I know some of the fabric suppliers he uses and they’re not cheap so that makes sense. But someone who has no background knowledge would expect those prices to only come from Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Prada. But usually a lot of those heritage brands say it’s made in Italy, but it’s actually made in China and finished in Italy. Not made in the highest quality that it used to be, but they’re still raising their prices.
NYCXCLOTHES: Right, so what would you say to people who tell you that it’s too expensive? I’ve heard this argument from Black consumers like well, we don’t have as much income as white consumers, so are you catering to us with these prices?
NT: Oh I’ve had many DMs with this question from Black consumers over the years! I say, “Thank you for having this conversation with me specifically, but I think it’s so much broader than that. People are angry and they feel ashamed that they can’t afford it, but really what you should be asking yourself is “Why am I working 40, 50, 60 hours a week for a job that only pays me $50,000 a year?’ That’s the person you should really be asking these questions to because you’re doing the work, you deserve to be paid handsomely for it so that you can buy the things that you love and support your fellow Black people and shop Black. But you know until that happens, there are many ways to support a brand without buying something. It’s reposting our stuff onto your stories, sharing it with friends and family or colleagues you think can afford it, commenting and liking our posts because that helps us with these algorithms on Instagram and TikTok, coming out to our pop-ups and inviting people to our pop-ups. All of these things help so much, even though there’s no financial gain. That is really important as well, and all of those things are free to do.” But it’s hard because you don’t wanna feel like you’re preaching to people.
NYCXCLOTHES: Let’s talk about sustainability. Tell me about your fabrics and sourcing process…
NT: From the beginning of the brand, I knew that I only wanted to use cellulose-based fibers—anything that was derived from plants. No leather, polyester or exotic animal furs. You know, we do use silk; I love silk and the way it drapes. But everything that we use is mostly cotton, baby alpaca, wool, silk, linen and Tencel. Everything can be composted back into the earth and is going to biodegrade just like a banana peel decomposes into the earth. That’s what all clothes should do because there’s just too much sitting in landfills, made with micro plastics that’ll take hundreds of years to break down. And I don’t wanna be a part of that problem. I also figured out a way to minimize waste on the cutting room floor. I give it to friends who have upcycling brands or donate to organizations like FABSCRAP where they sell deadstock fabric. So it’s all circular.
“There was this explosion of supporting Black people protesting and talking about racism. So it all created a lot of white guilt and how a lot of white people chose to remedy that is by shopping.”
NYCXCLOTHES: In the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, Black creatives received a lot of media exposure only for the support to dwindle rapidly. Did you experience anything like this?
NT: There was this explosion of supporting Black people protesting and talking about racism. So it all created a lot of white guilt and how a lot of white people chose to remedy that is by shopping. It’s definitely insulting because we’d been saying this for years. We said this when Trayvon Martin died and you’re just now seeing me and you choose to remedy that by shopping.. But at the same time, I’m still gonna take your money as reparations. The way that people were reposting the brand, sharing it and sending it to their friends who own clothing stores or are influencers or someone who has half a million followers. That brought in so many followers, so much engagement, so many sales it really helped to propel my business. I finally had the financial capital to start working with factories
I wouldn’t have been able to grow it at the rate that I have been without that, but I will say it was very fleeting. And by mid 2021, that support was pretty much gone. And now it’s definitely gone. But I knew at the time like a lot of my friends were like “This is so great, we’re making all this money” and I was like “This isn’t gonna last.” There was gonna be a new trend, a new hashtag, a new crisis and they’re gonna forget about us. And that’s exactly what happened.
NYCXCLOTHES: How did that make you feel?
NT: I remember being really angry about it. I think it was February 2022. We were at Market Week and I was trying to get people to come to the showroom and see the new collection, and everyone was just ignoring my emails. And I was just like this is bullshit. I literally wrote this via email. “You were all here for me two years ago, and now it’s not as popular to support Black people, like where is the support now?” And some people actually responded and were like “I’m so sorry” or “I’m sorry you’re feeling this way” or “I’m sorry this is happening” and “I wanna support.” And some people never answered. It’s just about letting your voice be heard like I don’t want you to support me just because I’m a Black designer. I want you to support me because the work is good.
NYCXCLOTHES: What’s next for your brand?
NT: The thing that I’m the most excited about is a Nia Thomas store. Like a physical, brick-and-mortar concept store and not only just having it be Nia Thomas products, but because I travel so much and I’m always collecting things from flea markets and all around the world, having this global curation of interesting things. Objects, magazines, coffee table books, shoes, vintage. Luckily, I’m friends with so many amazing small business owners who are making beautiful jewelry and glassware and ceramics and I just want to fill this space with things that are just made with so much care and love. And having people to come into a space that’s really about discovery and championing voices from all around the world and supporting things that matter. That’s definitely a goal that I want to reach within the next two years. There’s nothing that really came after the Opening Ceremony store that was as iconic, so the Nia Thomas store can be that.
NYCXCLOTHES: What are your hopes for the fashion industry?
NT: I hope the industry has less performative diversity and much more financial support and business advice for emerging designers that are innovative and progressive in their approach and values.