A hidden talent triggered by colors, traveling, and the need to work with sustainability while producing her own designs. That is how Brazilian-Portuguese Naira Camila Rodrigues de Almeida started her own business, NIICA Store.
Born in Brazil, Naira studied Fashion Design in São Paulo – but according to her, it was not even based on a huge passion for fashion. “The truth is, I always loved manual work, creating my own stuff or personalizing what I already had. So, one time my dad asked me, ‘Naira, why don’t you graduate with something related to arts?’, and this is how I landed my degree”, the artist tells The Dank Project.
At the time, she was in a relationship with her (now) husband, who is from Chile. Their plans included moving to England so she could do her master’s degree. Their plans, however, fell apart when Brexit happened, combined with the impeachment of Brazilian ex-president, Dilma Rousseff.
“We just knew at that point our desire was to leave Brazil still”, she affirms. That was when the couple decided to move to Santiago, Chile. “It was sort of an unexpected move, but I am so grateful for what it taught me, and for where I am today!”
The initial plan was to stay in Chile for two years, but that turned into four. There, Naira could build her skills in fashion, business management, and creative direction when she landed a gig as a stylist in one of the biggest chain department stores in Latin America, Falabella.
“All I have learned about branding, identity, photography, how to present your product on social media versus e-commerce, and even how to approach people came from there. It was the beginning of my own set of business skills.”
All this knowledge started to trigger an old desire: to own her business, combining upcycling fashion with creating something from scratch. While she didn’t even realize the seed for that was planted in her heart already, Naira had a passion for relieving her anxiety with producing accessories made with beads.
While still in Chile, the couple was surprised by a life-changing pandemic in 2020. Having to be locked inside of the house, the artist challenged herself to make a bag out of beads. “My husband’s grandma knew I loved the production of little accessories, so she gave me a stock of very tiny beads. Then I’ve decided to use that free time to make something colorful and fun”, she says.
The beginning of NIICA was a bag made with extremely tiny beads in the middle of the pandemic. “It was for fun, but it wasn’t such a nice idea because it took me almost three months to finish”, she says in between laughs.
In need of fresh air, the couple switched lanes to give Portugal a chance. While living in an on-again off-again lockdown, Naira faced the struggle of finding a new job in this brand new town. “I arrived in Lisbon trying to find a gig in the middle of quarantine - it was so hard! There wasn’t much available out there. I had some savings, so I was like: You know what? I will start something on my own.”
“NIICA wasn’t super planned, to be fair. I am an extremely anxious person, so I started to produce with the material I had as a therapy. I feel like this was a very important personal process for myself. I always loved focusing my energy on producing stuff - it helped me not go crazy during quarantine!”
A rainbow path of grow
Naira knew one thing for sure, and that was her love for combining colors, as well as putting a new meaning to thrifted pieces of clothes with odd and unique designs. What was the only possible thing to do, knowing that was her passion? Yes, officially give birth to her brand!
She took the brand’s name from her childhood nickname - something that sounded fun and easy to remember, which was just the perfect branding for something so personal.
“I wanted to create something gender fluid, but still very colorful and feminine. Count on me for a mix and match of colors and patterns, so it just made sense!”
NIICA produces a range of bags, accessories, and handmade rings combined with her unique curated clothing. Keeping in mind that she wanted something sustainable, and knowing that she started with donated accessories, Naira created the NIICA exchange program where you can send them beads you have at home. NIICA then does the job of analyzing the quantity and quality, and issues you a discount coupon up to 30%.
“What I love the most about beads is that there is no leftover, you know? If I have something I won’t use, I’ll just disassemble and make a new accessory!”, she says. A bag can take from four to six hours to finish, so all the pieces are pre-ordered to make sure there won’t be waste of material.
She also thought about the guarantee of her products. When a bag is purchased, you receive a certificate of life warranty along with it. Yes, the bag has a life warranty! “The idea is to have this as your favorite piece in your closet! And if you get tired of it, pass it on to someone you love, but it will for sure last forever!”, she emphasizes.
You can find NIICA’s products on their website, or personalize your own design, colors, and make a new friend by reaching out to them on Instagram.
The brand is also growing and expanding all around! In Lisbon, you can find some of her pieces at Kintu Studio. If you’re in London, you’re in luck! Some NIICA-unique pieces are for sale at Studio Sadeo.
And for the future? Ah, we can all expect NIICA to take over the world!
Service:
Lisbon:
Kintu Studio
@kintustudio_store
London:
Studio Sadeo
@studiosadeo
Keep it sustainable!
Donate your beads accumulated at home in exchange for a discount coupon. That way you both contribute to some future unique pieces, and also get a lifetime product. Read more on their website.
Somewhere a Process
June 9th - 12th
The open event will happen on Thursday (9th), from 18h to 21h. After you can see the lovely designs of NIICA personally on Somewhere a Process until Sunday (12th).
Photo credit on the main page: João Barreiros
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