Mille Nico
Los Angeles-based designer Nico Morrison set out to create a collection that would translate vintage designs into a modern perspective. The result is Mille Nico, a contemporary sweater collection for men and women that blends eclectic and modern styles.
“It’s mostly a line for men and women in their mid-20s to late 30s who are equally active in the office and at home, but can appreciate culture and the smaller details in life,” said Morrison, who works from her studio in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles.
Morrison’s collection borrows timeless elements from men’s and women’s styles of the 1960s. Asymmetrical necklines, puckered fabric and exposed stitching are a few details Morrison uses for the sweater line.
Rounding out the collection is a leisure set called “Sunday Morning Knits.” The set features a tie-neck tank made with 1x1 cotton rib, pointelle knit and polyester and a low-rise, wide-leg flannel pant in brushed cotton twill. The set is available in butter or black. The Mille Nico collection also features long-and short-sleeved raglan tees and a line of women’s hipster panties.
The designer debuted her knit collection at MAGIC International in Las Vegas last August. Morrison said she signed about 10 orders at the show, with Surf Diva in La Jolla, Calif., and Saffron in Laguna Beach, Calif., among them.
“It seemed more like a show that was good for exposing new lines to buyers and a good excuse to get creative in the marketing and packaging of our product,” said Morrison. “What’s nice about the line is it appeals to many different types of customers, so having that kind of crossover customer is definitely an advantage for our retail clients.”
Morrison, who studied art and design at the Sorbonne in Paris, got her fashion industry start in 1994 working in Los Angeles as a division manager at a Japanese-owned company called Sweater & Textile Design. Morrison says she still uses many of the same fabrics and yarns—several from Asia and Europe—to create her line, which is produced in Macau and Hong Kong.
Spring deliveries are set for Dec. 30 and Jan. 30, 2002. Locally, the line will be available at Pull My Daisy in Silver Lake, Faye in the Atwater Village area of Los Angeles and Etc. Etc. Etc. on Balboa Island in Newport Beach. Mille Nico has a showroom in suite A-1117 of the California Mart. For information, call (213) 489-9625. —Claudia Figueroa
