the little things NYC: INTERVIEW WITH NATHALIE ROLLANDIN

Nathalie (Nat) is an Italian jewelry designer based in NYC.

She grew up in the Alps and moved to the city in 2014. Passionate skier, sailor and traveler she finds inspiration in the world of nature and geometry. Lover of jewelry as means of self expression, she started to design and handcraft her own collection, the little things NYC.

the little things NYC, for little moments and little actions.

Pieces of jewelry are little things to celebrate an event, a moment, ourselves. the little things are designed as a statement about you and your personality, your style and what you stand for and to remind you every day to appreciate the little things and little moments.

Inspired by nature, geometry and textures, they are mindfully designed and hand-crafted in NYC.

Made with recycled silver and conflict-free precious metals, the little things have the planet in their heart. 1% of proceeds is donated to support the planet and one tree is planted for each purchase to balance the emissions of shipments of our products. Our packaging is compostable or designed not to be single use.

INTERVIEW WITH NATHALIE ROLLANDIN, FOUNDER OF THE LITTLE THINGS NYC

How did your passion for design start and how does your creative process work?

I was always attracted by local jewelry artisans when traveling and loved self gifting a piece of jewelry to remember a place or a moment. Because of this, my sister signed me up for a metalsmithing class in Brooklyn at the NYC Jewelry Lab. Since then I fell in love with the creative act, with jewelry as a circular product, with design as an escape to a magic zen zone. 

My creative process takes inspiration from everyday textures, moments or sceneries, my subconscious works on them until they become reality. Sometimes crafting them directly, others with more iterations.

How do you think the fashion industry is helping independent designers? 

Digitalization has democratized some of the exposure. New ways to partner between independent designers and other creatives are growing. Collaboration and continuous exploration are key.

Can you tell us a little bit about your references and inspirations for your products?

Products are inspired by everyday little moments, from a texture (e.g. crumpled paper), to an activity (e.g. sailing), to sceneries (e.g. peaks and horizons) or just a feeling that we want to transmit when wearing the products, a feeling of being different, of having an impact.

Can you describe your client’s personality in a few words?

Brave, different, conscious.

What do you think is your best-selling piece?

I would say the Accartocciati collection overall has been the most popular. Its crumpled look received a lot of love.

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?

You cannot build a brand without a digital presence nowadays. Ecommerce allows small designers to expand their reach. And we will see what the metaverse will open for us.

For now find us at www.thelittlethings-nyc.com.

What does the fashion industry need more to grow up and what can be done better for this?

More ways to engage and empower the community of independent designers. We can all learn so much from each other and partner to grow together.

More ways to put sustainability first.

More ways to connect more deeply.

What is the long term goal for you as a designer and what is the main mission? 

Grow the reach of the little things through continuous learning and experimentation. Grow the importance of the sustainability mission. Grow the breadth of creative styles. Grow the network of creatives to partner with. Grow a mindset of circularity. Embody a daily reminder of your uniqueness.

What are the most interesting social platforms that can help your label? 

For now I would say Instagram has been a good way to build our brand and engage with our little tribe (find us @thelittlethings_nyc). But there are many more that we don’t leverage enough yet. So many worlds to discover, not only to connect with customers (e.g. Pinterest, Tiktok) but with other creatives (e.g. Discord).

Tell us more about how your future projects look like.

A few months ago I would have said offline presence in NYC at Flying Solo. Few days ago New York Fashion Week was such an exciting adventure. Right now maybe “meta” little things? 😉