EMERGING DESIGNER

Nina Graham

IN THIS FEATURE: Meet Nina Graham Fashion Focus

nin is the name of Nina Graham's very first line, which is a unique, contemporary collection of clothing. And Blue Beauty is a collection of the line, which is designed for the woman who is classy, sexy and loves her curves in every way.

As the name depicts, the colors and fabrication used in the Blue Beauty collection were inspired by the essence of the color blue. Also incorporated in this luscious line are various hints of other dark colors, and to add additional flavor-little sparks of light colors.

Nina Graham was born on August 25, 1987 in Miami, Florida. Nina always had a love for music and fashion. "As a child I always was into fashion and always trying to dress up in my mother shoes and clothes," she remembers. Nina was inspired by watching her mother Beverly Barkley, a jazz singer who performed in her own fashion creations. She wanted to follow in her mom’s footsteps, but only after adding her own unique twist and style. She was eight years old when she really began to express her own distinctive style. "My first ever garment that I designed was for my 8th grade prom. I had gotten so many compliments about my gown that night," Nina recalls. She remembers her fashion style as a teen was normal, although she always wanted to be different and dress the way she felt. Nina recollects, "I kind of tried every style form vintage to a little bit of punk rock and through experimenting I found my own style." Even though she was designing at a young age, it wasn't until she was 20 years old that a college teacher helped her learn to sew. While attending Keiser University for Fashion and Merchandising, Nina was recognized for hard work and always having projects completed promptly and professionally.

One of Nina's main inspirations has been music, which nurtured her natural fashion talent. Music videos became a window to the world of celebrity fashion. By watching videos, Nina got to see what the biggest stars were wearing and that inspired her to become even more innovative with her fashion expressions.
Nina’s inspiration has been instilled by a deep respect for some of the most expressively creative women of our era, such as: Josephine Baker, Dorothy Dandridge and Billie Holiday. Through these innovative and exotic women, Nina has learned that people dress how they feel.