THEESatisfaction - QueenS

Check out NIC*FISH's gold caftan in THEESatisfaction's latest video, QueenS, styled by Jo-Ann Enwezor, and directed by Dream Hampton. This song is incredible - I am so inspired by the bright colors & varied prints/ patterns/ textures in this video's palette.

Red Bag Report

Check out NIC*FISH on the Red Bag Report - Big thanks to Jody for this piece. I had an amazing time working with your beautiful team!!

NIC*FISH Pop-Up at HyLo Boutique, Philly

Please rsvp if you are able to attend - its gong to be FAB!!! <3

Sita Sings the Blues

Truly inspired by the ingenuity of this animated film! <3

Baile en Tehauntepec

My Mother has this Diego Rivera print in her home -

I've always loved the movement & colors within this work of art.

FRIDA

I love this Frida print, by ArtbyMag, on Etsy. So beautiful!!

Brazilian Boogie

I saw this Brazilian Boogie video of Lena Horne after developing the new collection and I thought, wooooow, her outfit would fit right into the new collection. I love Lena Horne - Classy, sophisticated beauty. Brazilian Boogie

NIC*FISH ~ 2012-2013 Collection Inspiration

FRIDA KAHLO

THE KISS

The new collection was inspired by a host of influences:

1. Gustav Klimt - I purchased a calendar of Kilmt's most famous work, from the Louvre in Paris, and since then, Klimt has been my favorite artist EVER! "The Kiss", my favorite painting EVER! The color palette of the new collection was inspired by the colors within "The Kiss". Also, the hair direction in the new collection photoshoot was inspired by the hair styles of the women within Klimt's paintings. Check out Klimt's work HERE.

2. Frida Kahlo - I've always admired Frida as an incredible icon of femininity, strength, triumph over adversity, and talent that continues to speak volumes. The make-up direction for the new collection photoshoot was inspired by Frida. Check out Frida HERE.

3. Matisse - I love the simplicity & fluid ease of the subjects in Matisse's art - I wanted that easy-breezy fluidity to be translated into this new collection. Check out Matisse's work HERE.

4. Hanbok: Korean Traditional Garb - I LOVE the beautiful color blocked hues, and high waist proportions of this silhouette, as well as the layering - This was a major inspiration for the new collection. Check out Hanbok's HERE.

5. Thai Fisherman Pants - How easy & simple, right? Check out this silhouette HERE. I thought long & hard about making this super simple style into something that was stylish and fashionable - in a new and exciting way. I created four silhouettes in the new collection: NIC*FISH Wrap Pencil, NIC*FISH Wrap Maxi, NIC*FISH Wrap Skinny & NIC*FISH Wrap Trouser - You have to let me know what you think about these new silhouettes!

6. 70's Glam - I think every NIC*FISH collection has a bit of this influence because I absolutely LOVE this time period of fashion - The high waist silhouettes, and the fluid draping of disco garb - love it! As well as anything metallic: gold, gold & more gold!

MUSIC-SPIRATION

I've resolved that I'm a beat junkie because music is everything to me!! :)

I love listening to new artists, with great sound... right now I'm loving Mark de Clive Lowe's latest CD, Renegades, and Jesse Boykins...... Sarah White..... Replife..... the list truly goes on and on!

In 2008, my friend, DJ Miss Kai, created this mix for a trunk show I had in Philly. This mix is stellar - enjoy listening!!

DJ MISS KAI MIX

NIC*FISH in JET Magazine

Many thanks to Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond for this opportunity!!

2011 - NIC*FISH In Overview

In my last post, I promised to blog more (my blogging resolution) - Well, that didn't happen, lol! My bad. In 2011, lot's of exciting things happened! So I will attempt to stuff all of the good stuff in this post...

CELEBRATION: My baby boy turned 1!!! As a new mom, this was thee highlight of 2011 - Watching him grow & develop continues to be one of the most inspirational & fascinating aspects of my life. I love that lil' guy. <3

TEACHING: I designed curriculum and taught classes to middle school & high school students at Moore College of Art & Design & Education Works, Inc. I absolutely LOVE teaching, and I truly hope my students gained not only "fashion" knowledge from our time together, but the unwavering courage to believe in themselves and persevere, no matter what.

PRESS: I was blessed with some really great press in 2011, including:

EXUDE MAGAZINE

FASHION PENN PAL

ARTIST SPRINGBOARD

And last, but certainly not least JET MAGAZINE!!! Check out my separate post on this amazing press opportunity!

DESIGN RESEARCH: I developed the new NIC*FISH collection in 2011 - The process of independent design is much different than a "corporate" design calendar - So I had lots of time to luxuriate over what I really wanted to say with this new collection. I wanted it to have a VOICE... to not be trite... and to continue to have the same vibe & aesthetic that NIC*FISH has become known for - simple, funky, timeless, transitional pieces - made for super stylish women. So, I think I nailed it - you will have to tell me what you think about it when it launches!! <3

NEW COLLECTION PHOTOSHOOT: I shot the new collection with an AMAZING team of creatives - Kia Sterling (Hair), Deidre Grant (Make-Up), Suzi Analogue (Nails), Joshua Black (Photographer) & Talia Arochas (Model)... The shoot was soooooooooo AWESOME - The "vision" came to life, for sure - I can't thank this team enough - they rocked it!!! I will share behind the scenes pics in a separate post! <3

So obviously, I'm not a "blogger"....

and I'm giggling at myself because once again I'm promising to make a conscious attempt to update this blog regularly... With facebook, and twitter, and direct connections (phone, email, etc.) it's hard to keep up with all social formats.

Anywho, there's so much to report, as usual.... So I'm going to do a series of update posts! xoxo! <3

Yiy

I love creative music videos - they provide so much inspiration.

Kid Dream

Animation rocks, and this video is the yummy icing on the animation cake. This innovative animation process is called lunimation, and involved a bazillion people creatively interpreting still video frames with tracing & doodles, individually. The traced frames are then pieced together to form the final video. Brilliant! I'm also loving this beautiful song, by Jessica Stuart Few. Check out the behind the scenes video here.

Kid Dream -The Jessica Stuart Few from Evan DeRushie on Vimeo.

Veronica V-Chip Hinds

In my previous post I mentioned my friend, Veronica Hinds - aka- Vee -aka- V-Chip. Vee is an incredibly talented filmmaker living & working in LA. She is the epitome of a creative artist - Deeply thinking, imaginative, highly skilled & dedicated to her craft, and best of all, a sweet & humble spirit who's energy is super cool & fun to work with. I first met Vee when she asked me to participate in a Jeniero Jarel (Dr. Who Dat) video she produced/directed. After that initial experience, I had the opportunity to work with Vee on the NIC*FISH original convertible jumpsuit commercial. As I've told her many times, its soooooooo refreshing to meet fellow creatives who "get it"... Thoroughly translating creative concepts with great ease. You can see Vee's work on the NIC*FISH convertible jumpsuit video to the right ---->

Here's one of my other favorite videos from Vee - J*Davey's "Get Together".

J*DaVeY "Get Together" from Veronica "V-Chip" Hinds on Vimeo.

KING

My homegirl, Vee, just hipped me to this new group, KING, and I looooooove everything about them!! The vibe, the music & lyrics, the video, and the EP cover art - all HOT!

In The Musicals

This is one of my favorite songs by Bjork - I love the lyrics.... It always makes me think of my grandfather (Ompa) who passed away in 2000, the same year that I first heard this song on the Dancer In The Dark soundtrack. <3

I'm beautiful because...

I wrote the following note today on the NIC*FISH facebook fan page.

Please feel free to share your thoughts on beauty & why YOU are beautiful. <3

Hi Ladies! It has been on my heart the past few days to begin a discussion with each of you about the concept of "BEAUTY". We are bombarded each day with faux standards of beauty. So often, we see images in media that are not aligned with our physical appearances, our lifestyles, our cultural traditions.... Subconsciously, these superficial messages create an internal battle because you are made to feel that you need to be a certain size, or have this product, or drive this car, or have this house, or this job, or this certain amount of money to be happy, which is an absolute farce... Beauty come from within, and feeling 100% about yourself has nothing to do with aquiring things, or being molded into an image that is untrue to who you really are, on the inside.

So my questions are: When you look in the mirror what do you see? How do you truly feel about yourself? How do you feel about your life? Why are you beautiful?

I would like to pose an "I'm Beautiful" challenge to all of you... The challenge is simple: You will look in the mirror every day, and take a few minutes to affirm everything you LOVE about yourself - on the inside & on the outside. Look yourself in the eyes when you express your affirmations, and take as much time as you need to get all of your POSITIVE thoughts out.

This exercise may seem really simple, and a bit silly to some, but trust me - it produces an immediate shift in consciousness, because the positive loving affirmations are replacing all of the downer thoughts & emotions that cloud your subconscious... many times unknowingly.

My hope is that over time, this exercise will help you to see yourselves for the Beautiful Queens that you are, inherently. Regardless of body shape, dress size, ethnicity, socio-economic background, education, relationship status, family status, etc - YOU are phenomenal.

This positive energy can also be transferred into your life overall, by continually affirming & claiming the things you wish to see in your most perfect vision of life. Affirmations create action, and the action ultimately creates the manifestation of the dream. Believe in yourselves ladies, and let your lights SHINE!

I'll start off this exercise, and hopefully you all will comment with messages - letting everyone know why YOU are radiantly beautiful!

Nicole Fisher: I'm beautiful because.... I am a humble spirit who is deeply thinking - I love my mind and how creative thoughts flow.... I am beautiful because I've been blessed with motherhood, and I've vowed to be absolutely amazing for my son - to share with him the great beauty of life - in education, art, culture, cuisine, and access to opportunities that surpass my own. I am beautiful because I love my family, and I love my life, in its awesome imperfection. I am beautiful because I love my curves, and I am thankful for the body I've been blessed with - its strong & long & able to carry me through the journey of life. I'm beautiful... just because I am.

How Philly Moves

JJ Tiziou has brought this dynamic project to Philly, exploring the art form of dance among the city's residents. I am a huge fan of JJ's work, and of dance, so please, if you dig it, support this project by donating on Kick Starter.

RUDOO

Are you ready to go to MUSICAL HEAVEN ~ My friend, Daru Jones (Rusic Records), uber-talented drummer & producer has just released this Rusic remix of D'Angelo's hits, available for FREE download. In one word ~ STELLAR. Check it out! I am also really loving this artwork! <3

Heavenly Dilla

My favorite Philly radio show, Eavesdrop Radio, recently released this Dilla Tribute Mix, and its incredible! It highlights Dilla's lengthy & diverse catalog of musical work.

Also, check out more from Junior & Lil' Dave, the team at Eavesdrop Radio, on their website, Record Breakin.

Exude Magazine - Designer Showcase

Kinya Harte, editor-in-chief of Exude Magazine, asked me if I wanted to be part of Exude's Designer Showcase. Naturally, I said yes! I am really proud of this magazine, as it is an example of creating tangible manifestations of goals & dreams - In this case, Kinya's desire to have a magazine exploring perspectives of beauty, fashion, entertainment, culture and socio-politics of urban young professionals. Kudos to Kinya! Check out the Designer Showcase interview HERE.

Bomba y Plena

Check out this colorful animation celebrating the Puerto Rican dance styles of Bomba y Plena - I really love these dances, and the call & response communication between dancer & drummer - That prompt interpretation of rhythm, translating movement into sound, is so fascinating to watch. I need to add bomba and plena to my list of dances to learn... I better get started soon, because the list is growing mighty long: So far we've got soukous, dancehall, samba, axe, all of the Orisha dances, rumba, cumbia ... You get the picture - lots of drumming & hip swaying! <3>

Black Magic Woman

I'm thrilled about new music from one of the most gifted musicians I know, Maimouna Yousef. You may remember her beautiful voice on Don't Feel Right by The Roots. Mouna has released her latest EP, Black Magic Woman, and its soulful, timeless, intelligent, introspective & simply divine! Listen & download here. I love the speaking parts between each song - an insightful glimpse into the brilliance that is Maimouna Yousef.

Sandra Andino

Photo Credit: Leeway

Taken from the Taller Puertorriqueño website:

Sandra Andino February 4th – April 30, 2011 “What it means to be Afro-Latino in Philadelphia: Stories from El Barrio” is a photo-documentary project that will explore the Afro-Latino concept, experience and artistic/cultural expression of Latinos in North Philadelphia based on the creation of a series of portraits of a selected group of participants. The project will represent in photos the presence of Afro-Latinos in Philadelphia and record their experiences and opinions about being Afro-Latinos in the urban Diaspora. The artist will engage in a series of conversations with the participants to dialogue about what it means to be Afro-Latino and how they are represented. Excerpts of these conversations will accompany the portraits of these individuals to provide a context and meaning to the pictures. The exhibition aims to create social awareness and a collective conscience about the connection of Latinos and Latinas to their African heritage. This project reinforces goals Taller has been active with, with its Annual Arturo Schomburg Symposium, which will celebrate 15 years in 2011 during which Ms. Andino will make a presentation on her project and show her photos. Artist Reception will be held on Friday February 11, 2011.

Taller Puertorriqueño
2721 North 5th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19133
Phone (215) 426-3311
Fax (215) 426-5682

I'm so excited about this project by Sandra Andino!! I've taken Afro-Cuban dance class with Sandra, and she is such a beautiful spirit. :)

Padrino Luis

This is dedicated to Luis Argudin. Rest in Peace Padrino. I imagine you dancing like this in heaven. <3

The Inspiration Box

Check out this really awesome post by Andrea Pippins of FLY!

....WHAT'S IN YOUR BOX?....

In my digital box, I keep beautiful visuals & inspirational words that are aligned with my goals. This has been my way of staying focused & making it happen!! <3

IB_ART

I'm looooooving these hand-painted boots by IB_Art! Check out more of her work here!

Crimson & Clover

This kaleidoscopic color palette is simply beautiful! And, I am loving Misty Copeland, the brilliant dancer in this video! She is an amaaaazing performing artist!

Small Magazine

Small Magazine is, by far, the most stylish magazine I've read, dedicated exclusively to the kiddies. Their fashion editorials are tre chic! Check it out! <3

Iconic Images

reaching for your star mural

One of the most beautiful aspects of living in Philly is being amidst the rich arts & cultural history that thrives here. There's no escaping it - its all around! My childhood home was formerly baseball player, Roy Campanella's family home - the place where he also grew up... Bill Cosby attended my high school... And currently, within my neighborhood, I am surrounded by renowned poets, Sonia Sanchez and Ursula Rucker.

The Philadelphia Mural Arts program has been extremely influential in capturing the vibrant cultural history of Philadelphia through Art. They have transformed bland cityscapes into incredible mega-works of art, highlighting anything from abstract artistic interpretations, to mixed media works, to lifelike portraits of people that have made a mark on the development of this city.

Check out the "African American Iconic Images Collection" HERE, narrated by Quest Love of The Roots. I'm soooooooooooo loving this amazing virtual mural arts tour!

Nostalgia - The Number Song

This numbers video from Sesame Street remains a source of creative inspiration for me... The music, colors, shapes, patterns, and animation are all incredibly brilliant!! I <3 it!!

New J*Davey!!

O.M.G. ~ This has made my week! J*Davey's newest release:

Evil Christian Cop: The Great Mistapes

I'm Loving Quicksand!! This is great music to create to... I'm sketching like crazy!! <3

Nooh Concepts by Malcolm Gammah

Source

I've admired the work of Malcolm Gammah for many years. His work is phenomenal! He recently launched a new venture - Nooh Concepts, and I'm super-duper excited to see what artistic amazingness Nooh Concepts will bring! <3

P.S. ~ Each time I see those bland white couches at Ikea, this is EXACTLTY what I want to do to them!! Brilliant!

Decades Vintage

I am in LOVE with DECADES - a very popular Philly vintage locale for all things exceptionally fly. I happened upon the new location while shopping on fabric row last Friday, with my baby boy in tow. Lisa, the owner, was super cool, and actually held & entertained my son for me, so I could check out all of her latest vintage finds. She stocks some really awesome pieces! Aside from the fashion, I really appreciated her excellence in customer service. Great customer service is everything! It instantly sets a business apart from frigid stores, who barely acknowledge your presence entering, shopping or exiting. Great customer service, coupled with amazing product, makes shopping, irresistible! I bought the pictured gold pendants - aren't they lovely! <3

DECADES VINTAGE
739 South 4th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 923-3135

Esperanza!

Host Performance - Pre Grammys - Bobby McFerrin & Esperanza Spalding

I really adore jazz, and Esperanza Spalding is one of my faaaaaavorite musicians in the genre. Needless to say, I was thrilled when she won the Grammy for Best New Artist. For me, her win signified (in my optimism) a shift in music industry consciousness - Once again celebrating real artistry & musicianship. Hopefully her win sets a sustainable trend, of more "artists", who write, compose, play instruments, etc, getting the recognition they too deserve.

Esperanza never ceases to impress me, not only in her intelligent, soulful approach to the music, but also in her advocacy in saving arts programs within US public schools. Its within the primary & secondary academic foundation that goals, dreams & areas of unique talent are identified in our young people. Continued exposure to the arts, and other creative & engaging activities can blossom into incredible opportunities. Take Esperanza's career path, for example. She has a remarkable story, that many young people, if given the opportunities, could very well have too.

Plus, homegirl has got some serious style! Check out this New York Times article about Esperanza's love for vintage, and laid back approach to fashion. :D

Romero Britto

This is an awesome interview on The Balancing Act (great show concept btw) with Pop Artist, Romero Britto. Check him out. His body of ART is phenomenal.

Lidia

I've been obsessing over Mayan textiles lately. The intricate skill of artists, like Lidia, featured on this video, excite my creative senses. I would love to learn to weave like this! <3

Construction

Great album ~ Amazing song: Loving MLK at the end. <3

Our Deepest Fear....

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." ~Marianne Williamson

This is my absolute favorite quote..... it became my daily affirmation when I needed it most. We all have those moments in life, right? The moments when we need to remind ourselves of how awesome we actually are! Well today, "you can't tell me nothin'" (quoting Kanye). I encourage you all to be totally confident in yourselves, and relish in your very special gifts. Walk in the glory of LIFE. Don't be afraid to LIVE your dreams, FULFILL your passions, and FLOURISH in every single second of this amazing journey. You are WORTH it!!