ABOUT
The fashion design philosophy of Nara Paz is a commitment to the perfection and equilibrium of shapes, forms, colors and textures. She is not driven by trends. She prefers to create her own interpretation of a theme or approach incorporating her intuitive artistic vision with wearability, but with an appreciation of what is the acceptable fashion mood of the times. The result is a balanced but evocative approach to design and construction – a reflection of her passion for fine art feminine beauty.
She uses unusual textiles, luxurious fabrics and pays extreme attention to details and quality of finish – a level of artisanship that gives her designs an exotic flair and distinctive difference.
“I want to become known as someone who designs high-class, high-value clothing for discerning women who have a sense of who they are … to bring out the best in every woman who chooses to wear them.”
High-Class, High-Value Clothing For the Real You
BACKGROUND
Nara Lucia D’Avila Paz-Gain (Nara Paz) grew up in poor village in Quarai, Rio Grande Do Sul, Southern Brazil on the border with Uruguay. The second of four sisters, she made her first dress, a red pinafore, using her grandmother’s foot-driven sewing machine when she was seven to impress her father when he came to visit. He and her mother divorced when she was three.
Nara saw a tall, well-dressed handsome man with a big smile. Beside him was a stunningly beautiful woman with Chanel hair and red painted nails that matched the color of her lipstick. A picture of style and elegance she would have in her mind forever.
“It was the first time I remember ever seeing my father,” Nara says. “He was my first inspiration. He inspired me to think differently - to have a spirit interested in always discovering new things in life.”
Her mother, on the other hand, who did not have education beyond an elementary level, worked very hard to raise four girls by herself. “She taught me how to take care of myself and how to be a proud and respectable woman,” Nara says. “Image and appearances are extremely important in Brazil. She would say when you look good you will feel good. That is how I feel about myself and the impact of the clothing I want to design for others.”
Nara left home at age 18 to live in the city of Porto Alegre where her father lived, a city of over 4 million people in southern Brazil 900 miles from her home village. She studied and acquired considerable experience working in graphic design at an early age in order to survive economically. She soon was working on corporate identity projects for banks, hospitals, universities and schools.
The most significant project was a major collaboration in the mid-1990s to re-position the image of Mormaiii, a surfing and beachwear business. The project involved the design of a new corporate logo and an entire re-imaging exercise. It also involved designing point-of-sale displays, accessories and eventually the design elements of garments.
The creative and innovative design work helped establish Mormaii as the largest surfing and Beachwear Company in Brazil. At the same time, Nara started to work with a friend designing lingerie forming a partnership where she learned the practical side of production and manufacturing.
In 1997, Nara moved from Porto Alegre to Joinville, Santa Cartarina further north and opened a full-service graphics design business that included photocopying services, laser printing, document binding along with graphic design consulting, in a service center in the university where she decided to study Industrial Design. The graphic design business was like a Kinko's or Staples Print Center of today.
After working at this for five years and building her own staff, in December 2001 she decided to travel to New Zealand on a sabbatical to study English. She had heard it was a country of spectacular scenery and natural beauty - and it was.
“A place where the ocean is no more than 75 miles at it’s furthermost. Where you can walk by the seaside everyday, overlooking picturesque harbors with astonishing houses and an abundance of cafes and exquisite boutique shops along tree-lined winding shorelines. So beautiful, peaceful and life inspiring,” says Nara.
It was there that she met her future husband, Dennis Gain ... a New Zealander and international business development executive who lived mostly in Boston, USA but also had an office in Auckland, New Zealand. The two developed both a personal and business affinity. They talked a lot about new opportunities and especially about the fashion field.
After staying in New Zealand to the end of 2002 to attend English Language School both traveled to Brazil and together decided to open a design company to make a proprietary beachwear line of clothing for young girls similar to what was becoming popular through Mormaii and other international beachwear companies like Roxy and Billabong.
Together they developed a label called Sexy Bebe primarily for export to New Zealand, Australia and USA. The endeavor met with logistics issues mainly to do with shipping from Brazil, which at the time was not reliable and because of financial constraints of obtaining quotas for importation into USA. Because of these issues a significant financial outlay was needed that made the venture too risky, given that profit margins in beachwear are relatively small and the selling season outside Brazil is short.
Furthermore, Nara and Dennis were spending more and more of their time in the USA because of other business commitments. It was at this time ... late 2004 ... that both decided Nara should do what she had always wanted to do. Get into the women's high-end fashion design field.
Even though she had reasonable experience in clothing design and manufacture in Brazil, Nara needed to learn more about high-end fashion. It would help her career progression and any new business aspirations if she had USA qualifications to back up her experience.
It was decided she should apply to study for a degree in Fashion Design in the USA. She was accepted by Lasell College in Newton, MA in their 4-Year Fashion Design & Production degree course, beginning January 2005. With cross-credits from her Industrial Design studies in Brazil, Nara managed to complete the 4-year degree in 2-1/2 years … graduating summa cum laude in May 2009. She also the won first place in her class receiving the coveted Christy Proctor Rising Star Award.
Educational Qualifications:
Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Design & Production (Summa Cum Laude) Lasell College, Newton, Massachusetts, USA
Bachelor of Industrial Design: Major in Product Development Univille University, Joinville, Santa Catarina, Brazil
Elementary School Teacher’s Certification Escola Estadual de 1º e 2º Graus Prof. Dihel, Quarai, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Awards:
2010 Nominee Fashion Group International - New York Rising Star Award
2009 Fashion Group International - Top Five Emerging Designer
Lasell College, Newton Massachusetts, USA
Winner 2009 Christy Proctor Rising Star Award
