INDIANAPOLIS STAR January 29, 2014 28.5 million views per month, 800,000+ per week 335,303 Daily "Nikki Blaine designs with from the heart" Prospective student who plans to take MFA Fashion Design classes this summer at Academy of Art University http://www.indystar.com/story/entertainment/bailey/2014/01/31/ nikki-blaine-designs-with-from-the-heart/5087387/
Designer Nikki Blaine always ends her fashion shows with something red. It's a small but meaningful tribute to the fight against heart disease, which Blaine's mother, Delores, was diagnosed with in 2005. Two years later, Delores Blaine became severely ill, and in 2009, she had a heart transplant. "My whole world was turned upside down," said Blaine. "When we were in support group, I wanted to do a fundraiser event, but the heavy hitters really only focus on two events a year. So this is my way of doing something." On Saturday, Blaine, 38, will showcase a collection of red clothing at a fashion show featuring seven other designers and one stylist. The event, part of the 26th annual Meet the Artists exhibit and gala reception, is themed around the colors of awareness ribbons for medical conditions that hit the African-American community hard.
A mother of two girls — Sydnee, 10, and Lundyn, 12, — Blaine learned how to sew in home ec class at Lawrence Central High School. She received an MBA from the Indiana Institute of Technology and plans to begin online classes this summer at San Francisco's Academy of Art University for her master's in fashion design. Blaine also operates a boutique, Nikki Blaine Couture, in Zionsville, a studio in the Circle City Industrial Complex on the Eastside, and teaches classes at Harrison College. "I have, as they say in the streets, a hustlin' mentality," she said.
Question: Some of your loyal customers say your work has matured significantly in the past five years. Do you agree? If so, what has changed? Answer: Growing up, I wanted to be a lawyer or a fashion designer. I was discouraged because I lived in the Midwest, so I went to school for business and was designing on the side, but the problem was, I was making clothes for people, not clothes I wanted to design. I became a cookie cutter, making collections that I thought people wanted to see or what would sell. I wanted to define what Nikki Blaine Couture is, what it's about. I'm still not there yet. I water my stuff down quite a bit still because I want it to be wearable and practical, so I had to get realistic. I'm edgy — at least that's how I see myself, but I'm still trying to find that window, that gap. I'm still playing peekaboo right now.
Q: Have you created designs in the past where you've wondered, "What was I thinking?" A: I look back and think, 'You knew that wasn't going to work.' But you have to work with what you have. I once designed a bubble dress that I hated but said, "Whatever — I'm going to put it in the show anyway," and it became iconic. Everyone loved it. I sat on it for about a year, thought it was horrible, and then it became a signature look. Q: What are your thoughts on the local fashion scene? A: It's starting to come together — there are still a lot of people who don't know about it. Pattern (PatternIndy.com) is doing a great job, but it's more mainstream, not predominantly African-American or Asian or whatever it may be. There are people I'm working with in the Meet the Artists who hadn't even heard of Pattern. There's a disconnect between certain communities. Q:How do you deal with critics? A: Catch up. Just catch up with me. When you're pioneering, you're going to have setbacks, and it's all about how you regroup. I took things a little too personal at first. I used to get so upset because it was like, "Who else is doing this? Who can show me? Where's my mentor?" Because I didn't have that." My best friend always says, "You don't have to talk bad about Nikki. Nikki dogs herself enough that whatever you say will mean nothing." Q: Where do you find inspiration for your work? A: When I'm traveling or watching the Paris fashion shows online. There's not a lot of inspiration around here, but the minute I travel, I come back with so much excitement. Also, FashionTV and Style.com. Q: Who are your favorite designers? A: Valentino, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Versace — Gianni, not Donatella.