EN- Interview de Nina Egli
Nina Egli believes in fashion that would carry a positive and uplifting message into the world; one that makes the wearer feel good, as well as anyone who sees her pieces on the street.
NINA EGLI
inspires us
Nina Egli believes in fashion that would carry a positive and uplifting message into the world; one that makes the wearer feel good, as well as anyone who sees her pieces on the street.
Designer and illustrator, she created Family Affairs with her mother, a successful designer in the 1960s and 70s, having worked for The Beatles, among others. Today, she runs the brand by herself from Switzerland.
Family Affairs offers a comfortable, incredibly cut and feminine wardrobe illustrated with her joyful and lively creations. For Nina, the garment is a personal expression, and carries the mission of supporting the wearer in the desire to be oneself, and giving self-confidence!
Family Affairs has been spotted by influential women like Jenny Slate, Lena Dunham or Alexa Chung who fell in love with the radiant signature of Nina's creations.
She tells us in this portrait her greatest challenges, and what the notions of ambition, audacity and femininity represent for her. We love her simplicity which radiates as much as her creativity!
Who are you Nina?
I am 45 years old, I live in Zurich. I am the designer and owner of the clothing label Family Affairs.
I adore bakeries especially early in the morning, markets drowning in flowers, Italy has my heart and my hobbies are painting, cooking and finding the best airbnbs :)
My life inspiration always revolves around a table, feeding family and friends, laughter, sharing, celebration, connection.
Could you be described as a woman well-aligned with herself?
I always danced a bit to my own beat, and my self expression has always been paramount to me.
I don't think I could find artistic expression if I didn't align with myself. I will dig deep for it.
Let's talk about your background: what were your biggest challenges?
Starting a business with no actual savings.
I first started with my jewelry brand Toujours Toi and I would just invest the sales that I made back into the business so it was really a slow growth. But I think it was a good way to start.
With Family Affairs, my biggest challenges always had to do with productions- things go wrong all the time; a pocket sewn on the wrong way, shipping delays, fabrics sold out, etc.
Another big challenge for me was that I overworked and overextended myself for years before I had to change that for health reasons. I just couldn't stop and the different time zones didn't help. I wouldn't recommend it!
Can you tell us about a something you are proud of?
I am proud that I launched two brands successfully: Toujours Toi and Family Affairs, both labels were sold as far as Japan and in my dream stores.
I got there with ambition, passion, will power and connecting with people, thankfully I love people.
I am in the process of launching a new jewelry brand and I do miss the naivety I had when I started out, I just do it without thinking too much.
What motivates me more than anything is beauty, creating beauty and making women feel beautiful and powerful. Connecting with my customers means a lot to me and motivates me, I seem to have the sweetest customers, I feel really lucky.
“Thankfully I love people.”
How does your ambition manifests?
I think ambition is a fantastic fuel.
It took me a while to own that word. I really didn't want to call myself ambitious for a long time, but the truth is that I am, and it has served me really well.
My main ambition is to create original things, things that excite me, that feel new and different and exciting.
My ambition pushes me to go further and to have bigger goals.
Is there a feminine audacity according to you?
I feel there is a feminine audacity.
I see it in my friends who dare to dream big always, women fight to the end with grace, they never give up, in my opinion.
My definition of audacity is to dare to be yourself and be happy with yourself, to hold your head up high and keep on moving no matter what.
“ I love being a woman. There is so much strenght in femininity. ”
What does femininity represent in your daily life?
Femininity is really important in my daily life.
I used to be a bit embarrassed by it, the fact that I never leave the house without lipstick, that I adore receiving flowers, and that I am crazy about dresses and poems…
I love to be surrounded by beauty and that to me really speaks to my femininity. I love being a woman and I love being feminine, for me there is so much strength in femininity.
We are so happy you like Aquardente, our fragrance formulated to support femininities who dare to live intensly. What does perfume represent for you?
For me, a fragrance is together : memories, beauty, sensuality, dreams.
Aquardente is so beautiful! And the description fits me very well!
Photos: Nina Egli, Capucine de Chocqueuse