I love how Nicole says that she wears her personality on the outside, and that she doesn’t care if people laugh, or says that she looks like a present and should be tied in a bow (which she usually is). Her motto is “in with the new, out with the old,” and her playfulness with it all, from the difference that a chiffon scarf tied around her head or a graphic pair of tights can make, is intriguing. When she was transitioning from the ubiquitous skinny jean, she satisfied her life long obsession with glitter by replacing them with a skinny black sequin pair that she wears almost everyday, and with her neon Converses, “the cherry on the ice cream.” I usually leave these interviews with one overriding memory of the person; something that touched me, or something that I wanted to take home. With Nicole, I was so impressed with how positive she is about the recession and the creativity that can come from being forced to rethink and reinvent. She has spent more time with her art and feels like she is looking for more unique things that are worth investing in for the future, like designing and making music. Nicole cites Kurt Cobain and how money, in the end, did not make him happy, even when it comes to clothing – “I look back on going to second-hand stores and finding a little treasure. That actually meant more to me, because it was a stab in the dark. It’s more special to you.”

If you like Nicole, you might also enjoy Haley Wollens or Sophie Mascatello.