Meet Linda Cassio of Nomah Project in West LA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Linda Cassio.

Linda, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
After living in Paris for few years, I moved to LA to pursue my career in fashion. My first job was as an international buyer for BCBG Max Azria when [the brand] was at its peak. A few years later, I got married and soon after had my first child. A few months after my daughter, Valentina, was born, I decided to quit my corporate job and open my first business: A daycare that would allow me to have a flexible schedule and still care after my new baby. It all started as something that it was just for a short period of time, but after having a very successful and positive response I kept that business for a total of seven years! Having that first business made me realize how much I loved being my own boss. However, once my second child was old enough to go to school full time, I decided to start Nomah Project inspired by my native country of Mexico. I wanted to build a business that would allow me to promote and support Artisan from everywhere I traveled to specially in Latin American communities.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I have been so lucky and blessed on my experience. I had the privilege to meet few people who at the time were starting some amazing pop up markets right when I launched Nomah and they not only loved our products but also supported us and open the doors of their market to promote our brand. That market helped us share our story and showcase our brand and we were able to connect with other people who were interested in collaborating with us. Like any other business, we also had struggles. Our challenge was educating our consumers which up until this day, we have to do. It is important for us that people know that buying from us is meaningfully so many ways and that not only they’re supporting a small female-founded business but also they’re supporting and help us promote handmade goods. By this, us as a brand we are able to help many underprivileged (mostly) indigenous communities who’s day to day life depend on the jobs we provide. We want to also want to educate people on how important it is to preserve this craftsmanship that has been passed from generation to generation to come.

Please tell us about Nomah Project.
In addition to loving fashion, traveling is also a huge passion of mine. While traveling to my native country of Mexico, I realized how rich the culture of craftsmanship was, and also how little of it gets shared with the world. I fell in love with the people, the traditions and the value of their work that has been passed on from generation to generation. I decided I wanted to create and promote a business that would allow me to help preserve this Latin American craftsmanship. My idea was to add a layer of modernity to these products by collaborating with local artisans from different regions while simultaneously helping to preserve and promote on they’re art form and create jobs in the communities. One of the main things that we get our main inspiration is our travels. It is what helps inspire our work and our products.

We want our products to tell stories and to have meaning, combining the artisans cultural values and our own personal experiences from places and people we discover on our trips. We want our products to also have a positive impact. We want them to have a positive impact on the environment and on the communities, they come from. Even in LA, we work with local artisans that help us add the finishing touches to our products. We value the time and effort that is put into any and all handmade products. In an era where everything is over-produced, we think it is important to create products that are gentle to the environment.

What role has luck (good luck or bad luck) played in your life and business?
A good luck role has been the people I have had the privilege to connect with throughout my life and while I started this business. I have also been very lucky to be able to travel and have the opportunity to go to these random places and spend time getting to know the culture and work with the communities from the places I go to. I know that if I had not been so lucky about all this, the road to success would of been much more challenging.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.nomahproject.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @nomahproject

Image Credit:
Gabriela Gandara photography

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