Nicole Benisti Discusses Her Growing Fashion Empire

FASHION

NICOLE BENISTI ON HER GROWING FASHION EMPIRE

WORDS

by KRISTOPHER FRASER

PHOTOS

COURTESY of PURPLE PR

Montreal-based Canadian luxury outerwear designer Nicole Benisti is on a mission to bring her unique collection to the rest of the globe. Her eponymous label which started in 2015, has been popular among the celebrity crowd, with her coats being worn on Jennifer Lopez and her dancer in her most recent VMA’s performance, and other celebrities including Adriana Lima, Josephine Skriver, Arielle Charnas, Hailee Steinfeld, and Maria Menounos.

In fall of 2016, Saks Fith Avenue became the first U.S. retailer to partner with Nicole Benisti. Her real big break came when celebrity stylist duo Rob Zangardi and Mariel Haenn first approached her to style Jennifer Lopez. Since then, she’s been on a brilliant upward trajectory.

“Outwear was looking redundant throughout the North American market,” Benisti said. “Everyone was wearing the same coat. I wanted to create an aesthetic that was fresh, fun and functional for the climate, so we introduced the colorful fur in the fall 2015 collection.”

Benisti added that, “A coat shouldn’t be an afterthought, it should be the statement piece that brings the outfit all together. Being a Montreal-based brand, our jackets need to be extremely functional come wintertime. Finding a coat that is both stylish and functional isn’t easy. I think that’s why women gravitate toward the collection.”

Nicole Benisti Montaigne

Benisti’s continued expansion beyond the U.S. and Canda includes London, Milan, Paris, Seoul and Tokyo. “The collection speaks to metropolitan women who look at outerwear as a statement piece and extension of their style, not merely out of function,” Benisti said.

Her designs are inspired by her travels around the world, and she’s always sure to look at what women are wearing. “I always want women to feel sexy in my coats, be it in a fitted or oversized silhouette, muted or pop color palette. I look at the under layering pieces and imagine the perfect coat that would bring the outfit all together,” Benisti said.

Her 2019 goals for her brand including growing their presence in the Asian market. With Asia still being a top target for luxury brands, Benisti is smart to set her eyes on the region.

One of her favorite pieces she’s designed so far is the shearling puffer jacket named the Montaigne. The jacket was introduced on the Nicole Benisti Instagram account last January in Paris and the influx of likes and comments was overwhelming. The brand’s campaign model, Hailey Baldwin, asked to wear one immediately. Arielle Charnas wanted one for New York Fashion Week. Customers were asking when they could pre-order one. The demand for it went through the roof and solidified Nicole Benisti coats as a must-have.

“A coat shouldn’t be an afterthought, it should be the statement piece that brings the outfit all together.”

–Nicole Benisti–

Despite her growing celebrity following and her increase in retail partners, Benisti doesn’t let it go to her head, and makes sure to stay involved with every aspect of the creation and design process. “Everyone has a voice in the digital landscape now,” Benisti said. “I’m always monitoring our Instagram and customer service to hear what people are saying about Nicole Benisti and making sure we adapt accordingly.”

She says her biggest challenge by fair is being on the lookout for the next big thing and making them work for the collection, something which all designers can relate to. As for future trends she plans to incorporate into her collection, she’s looking at color-blocking those key colors that made her fur parks so popular and doing them for her shearlings and puffers.

It’s a colorful winter world in Nicole Benisti land.