NA DI STUDIO was established in 2013 by designer NA DI. Di relocated to London in 2009 where she went on to study fashion at Central Saint Martins and followed this by completing her masters in menswear at London College of Fashion. Her graduate collection received outstanding reviews and were selected to appear on the catwalk during LFW as well as exhibit at the Royal Victoria House. Within a year of launching her label, NA DI was awarded the Premium Young Designers Award for her AW14 collection. The label comprises elements of exquisite production, details features within the lining, luxury materials and textiles. Her collection tailoring inspired silhouettes and delivers a combination of embroidery and print.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do. I’m 25, I’m originally from Beijing, and I moved to London when I was 19. I was a student here and studied at Central Saint Martins first, then finished my MA degree at London College of Fashion. I established NA DI STUDIO in 2013 straight after my studies. I perform many different roles in my company at the moment, including designer, director, and manager, as well as handling everything during production.
How has living in London affected your work? London is such an amazing place for me, I can’t stop creating in this city; there are lots of interesting elements that I can find and get inspired by. I’ve moved into many different areas in London from south, north, to west and now I’m living in east London which influences me a lot.
What kinds of things are influencing your work right now? Music & dance; they are always the most important things. I love Jazz, Hip-Hop, Soul, R&B, and 80s, 90s dance.
What are some recent, upcoming or current projects you are working on? I’m currently working on my AW16 collection.
Where do you plan to travel next? USA
What do you collect? I don’t collect anything except the gift toys in Kinder Surprise chocolate eggs.
Describe your current studio or workspace. My studio is based in Shoreditch, East London at moment. It’s a small room about 300 square feet that’s very white, simple, and tidy, with big windows with lots of green plants. The happiest part of coming to work everyday is that there are many good coffee shops around this area.
What were you like in high school? I didn’t go to high school, I skipped grades, I went to university after my middle school directly. However, I remember that I was very shy and introverted during middle school.
Favorite place to shop? Until now I still haven’t found my favorite place to shop.
Can you share one of the best or worst reactions you have gotten as a result of your work? The best reaction I had was staring at my work for a long time — frequently in a day — happy the way it came out. The worst reaction was crying aloud.