Today we’d like to introduce you to Nina Gonzalez.
Nina, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My interest in design started in high school. That was over ten years ago now. It was solely a creative journey at first. I enjoyed putting together fashion shows in my hometown and then later in college and out of college. I paid for my materials with money from various part-time jobs. I sewed everything myself. I always enjoyed putting on a good show. I loved casting models and dressing them in my designs, and especially doing photo shoots of my work.
At a certain point, I started getting orders from shops I couldn’t fill, and I ended up taking a few years off from designing to re-evaluate myself and decide if this was something I wanted to pursue. I started selling vintage online through an app for those years, and it was great, wonderful, and empowering- but it wasn’t what my heart was wanting! I wanted to design again. So I rebranded under my business now, Wild Moon Collection. Wild Moon is meant to be a collection of me and all of my creative outlets. I sell my handmade clothing alongside curated vintage and have also started to incorporate some handmade home items as well, such as cactus pillows and wall hangings.
My aesthetic in the way I dress personally has changed over the years, so I felt my brand should change also. I want to only make clothing that I would wear, I want to be my own target market. So now all I do is create clothing that’s mindfully made. Everything is cut, sewn, and made by myself or my mother (yes she helps with some production!) in my studio in Los Osos (San Luis Obispo County).
I use fabrics from a warehouse that gets deadstock fabrics from big design brands. I haven’t gotten into organic fabrics, but starting slowly by introducing some linen and sticking to my favorite lightweight cottons. We are a small team, just my mother and I for now, but looking into full production to get into some shops in the LA and SF areas.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
A huge struggle was getting orders of my designs from shops that I couldn’t fill! I am just one person so I could only stock would I could make at a certain point. I was also pretty young around this time and still in college. So balancing a school workload and working a part-time job AND trying to fill an order didn’t make sense at that time. Selling vintage online proved to be very beneficial during my break, but I knew it wasn’t what I was meant to do.
Please tell us about Wild Moon Collection.
I am a one-woman show for the most part. My mother does help in the production of some of my products. She does a great job! I couldn’t do a lot of this without her. Lately, I’ve been on this environmental track. I want to reduce waste, raise awareness of fast fashion brands, create a product that has little impact on the earth. I watched a documentary called True Cost, and it changed the way I do several things in my business.
One thing I’m trying to do via social media is raising awareness of these crazy statistics of fast fashion brands and how poorly women and men in various countries are paid! It’s a difficult thing to get others involved or to even care about this topic, especially when there are so many beautiful clothes made in countries where the employees aren’t getting paid fair wages. All I can do is have conversations. Conversations everyday informing people in the best way I know how, and that is always to let someone know that the change is about progress. We can’t change every little thing about our consuming habits.
I have created two designs with a kimono sleeve that I am particularly proud of, one that is a crop top wrap and one that is a longer blouse with a wrap to cinch the waist.
The kimono sleeve is a design I love because unlike many other sleeve options, it creates less waste. Less scrap fabric to throw out. My brand is still pretty new, but I have found that my customer loves when I do a new top and pant set! They are something I personally love because you can wear a set as a full outfit or pair the top or bottom with something else in your closet! It’s a fun, versatile way to get more outfits out of your wardrobe. The low back Natalie jumper is another customer favorite! I took some photos of this special design to Morocco in 2017, and it got a lot of love after being featured on my website with a camel! My brand is known for its minimalist and perhaps geometric style and for the most part, neutral color scheme… with the occasional pop of color (like my orange wrap crop and pant set).
Probably one of the biggest things that sets me apart is that I personally make my clothing. It’s here. It’s made to order if you have a preference on sizing or altering the design a little. It’s available now at my local artist markets. It’s shown by me at pop-ups and trunk shows, I wear it, I sell it. I think my customers really love the connection they are getting when they purchase a piece of my clothing.
I constantly show videos of myself making my designs on my social media pages. I want to share this process with you. I show pattern drafting, grading, cutting, time lapse of me at my sewing machine. Then the final photos and photo shoot fun. This is hardly work for me. I truly enjoy being in my element.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Well, first of all, my mother! My mother is my everything. She is my biggest fan, supporter, cheerleader, and my right hand. Not to mention, she taught me the trade at a very young age! I was sewing projects when I was 12, and by the time I was a freshman in high school.
I was sewing custom order messenger bags to make some extra cash from my classmates in grade school. My mom taught me how to use a sewing machine, and to this day we are still teaching each other new techniques. My mother is a wizard in technique, and her background includes seamstress and tailor work, so it only makes sense I would learn from the best!
In the department of business, I learned a lot from my mentor and boss, Tina Cleaveland! Besides working for myself, I have worked beside this extraordinary woman at her charming home decor & art shop in Cambria for the past nine years. She has allowed me to work and take time off that I need for my own business.
She has helped me to realize that I will only succeed in something I truly love doing. She is my role model; I have learned business etiquette, how to handle customers and artists, how to price items to sell, how to merchandise, upkeep of a business and much much more.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.wildmooncollection.com
- Email: [email protected]
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Instagram: @wildmooncollection
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Facebook: Wild Moon Collection
Image Credit:
Richard Fusillo, Ruby Villalobos
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