An Introduction to Me, Myself and My Brand Nina Valentina

Whether this is your first encounter with any of my work, or you are already a little familiar with how my mind works, hello and welcome. My name is Nina, and I am a recent fashion graduate based in Brisbane, Australia. Reaching the most integral year of my degree during an unprecedented pandemic has proven to be difficult, and also disappointing, as the culmination of all my hard work could not be showcased fully. However, this year and the year before having taught me and led me to this point where I wish to launch a website that not only showcases my work, but also the mind behind it. As my first blog post, I want to write a bit about myself and share my thoughts on what has brought me to this moment.

The Beginning

Growing up, I was incredibly shy and riddled with social anxiety. In primary school, of course, there were always bullies, but those bullies were my friends at the time, and they questioned my every move and behaviours to the point where even after that chapter of life had closed, it affected me for years on end.

Of course, at the time, no one was raw or honest about their feelings regarding the state of their mind, so I was simply labeled as ‘the quiet kid’. Truth be told, I was always second-guessing my every move and never wanted to speak in fear of drawing unwanted attention to myself and attract judgement from my peers. At some point, art had become my escape, and eventually, as I grew older, I started gaining an interest in clothing as I thought it would help me fit in, and then eventually, stand out. I remember once buying a frilly blouse from a second-hand market for barely one dollar (circa. 2012) and wearing it to an art exhibition, receiving many compliments. This was a start into my interest in fashion, but it would not go into fruition until 2017.

The Journey

I began my fashion degree in 2018, which despite being three of the most tumultuous years of my life, taught me a lot about what I am most passionate about, and about people. Within those three years, I learned to sew from scratch amongst my classmates who all came from experienced backgrounds, I learned design, portfolio-making and new programs such as InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop. Most of all, I learned the fashion industry is so rich with knowledge and creativity, and even those three years just scraped on that knowledge, which means I am always learning and improving. That is what was the most appealing to me, that I can always expect and learn something new.

As for myself, I learned more about myself than ever before, and that I am strong and full of perseverance. I embraced my unique traits and turned my weaknesses into strengths. If I could do that within a short period of time, the future excites me.

The Brand

In Australia, it is quite common that you are given a middle name or a second name, that sort of does not serve a huge purpose most of the time if I am going to be honest. When developing my ’brand’ in university, I thought of this brand as another me, where I can express my creativity, what is on the inside. The reason I chose my brand name to be Nina Valentina, as Valentina was to be my ‘middle’/’second’ name at birth, but it became another name instead. In discovering that, I sometimes think of “what if that could have been another Nina to who I am now” or whether if Nina Valentina is like my other self who I temporarily lost. Now, I have made it the name of my multi-faceted brand, to embrace all the different parts of me, and to serve as a reminder to not be afraid to question and analyze. It is where I can truly master and express my creativity to its fullest.

The Website

I wanted this website to be what it is, as I wanted a place to showcase my work, but not be limited in any way. Today, more than ever, the industry needs to be transparent. Through the portfolio, I can show my work, but what about my thoughts, values and personality? What makes me, me? I want the blog to show that. By having this website quite literally act like an embodiment of my mind and body, I can show myself as who I am, and have the viewers know exactly who I am, no hiding anything. I want to share my thoughts and knowledge, especially as it was no easy road to get to where I am, if there is any way I can make someone’s life easier through posts, then I know I am doing the right thing. As I, and many, know that the fashion industry needs to change and improve.

It is with these posts and website, that everyone will gradually connect with me, and join me on my journey.