NATA Studio is Based in Beirut Lebanon & Madrid Spain.
It is a slow fashion brand that was founded by Nathalie Saad in 2018. NATA Studio offers Urban chic ready to wear clothing for Women & Men. It defines itself through stories related to social issues and merges the melancholy of a movement with the spirit of artistic bliss.
NATA wants to bring back the value and quality in clothing by producing a limited amount of pieces and using high quality materials. It is more than a product, it is a piece that embodies a moment through time, a story that can be passed on and shared.
Nathalie Saad studied Fashion Design at the Lebanese American University in Beirut. The program was in Collaboration with London College of Fashion and Elie Saab. After Graduating, She pursued multiple internships one being at Elie Saab. Before establishing her Label she traveled to Barcelona to study at IED for a postgraduate program in Product Management.
A TALK WITH NATHALIE SAAD, FOUNDER OF NATA STUDIO
How did your passion for design start and how your creative process work?
Art and design were always present in my life from a very young age. I was always involved in artistic activities as a kid and growing up I started to be really be interested in fashion, I saw it as wearable art. My creative process usually starts with a theme or idea that I become obsessed with, I build kind of a story line for my collection and start with research and inspirations followed by some sketching of designs, fabric manipulation, draping and all of that. Then I go into pattern making, fabric shopping and the rest just builds up from there.
How fashion industry helped and motivated you to become a fine art designer?
What motivated me the most was probably when I interned in different fashion houses, from emerging designers to big household names such as Elie Saab. I Saw the behind the scene of having your own brand and how all the hard work sweat and tears ended up creating something amazing that you would then share with so many people. I just new that this is what I want to do and that I want to have my own fashion brand.
Can you tell us a little bit about your references and inspirations for your garments?
Well I always incorporate art in my research especially surrealism. You can find a lot of that in my sketchbook and my hometown of Beirut is also a constant source of inspiration. You might not see the link or references clearly in the clothes but they definitely play a huge part in the research and sketching process.
Can you describe your client’s personality in few words?
My client would be someone that is tired of the fast fashion cycle and mass produced products. A confident person that knows their style and convictions and are interested in niche product.
What do you think it’s your best-selling piece?
My dresses usually have the most success and the T-shirts as well.
What do you think about the opportunity of selling your products on online platforms, you think it might be a good showcase for your work and your future?
I think that if you have the opportunity to sell online you should definitely take it. Selling on an online platform has become more and more essential especially now and it helps showcase your brand and attract customers from all over the world.
What does fashion industry needs more to grow up and what can be done better for this?
I think that a lot needs to change nowadays in the fashion industry. Starting with being more sustainable, there is so much waste and pollution going around that industry. The cycle has become so fast and challenging but you can see a lot of changes already happening and a lot of big fashion houses started to apply those changes.
What is the long term goal for you as a designer and what is the main mission?
My long term goal is to build my brand successfully and share my vision and ideas with my customers. As long as what I am doing makes me happy then I will keep on doing it. The main mission is to bring back value and quality in clothing, show that you do not need to be producing mass quantities of ready to wear product to be successful, I want to bring back this appreciation and value to clothing.
What are the most interesting social platforms that can help your label?
Instagram has helped our brand a lot. We got to meet and work with so many different people that contacted us through this platform. We recently joined TikTok and even though we are still adapting we find it really interesting.
Can you tell us what is the next project?
We just released our summer collection and are now working on the next winter collection. We are as well working on a few small projects that will take place this summer!
CREDITS: Photography @anxophotography Styling @mininuria Gallery @galeriafernandopradilla Model/s @amalboustany_@anissia_boustany
KREEP. 