WINDHOEK- At the age of 21 fashion designer, Nicole Schmidt became a mother and had to put her studies in fashion design on hold to focus on motherhood.
But this was not the end of her dream of pursuing a career in fashion, as she will showcase her designs at the Paris Fashion Week this September.
Schmidt says she was inspired to take part in the Paris Fashion Week by her uncle, who fully funded her project. This further led to Schmidt and her cousin, Stephany-Lee Schmidt being noticed by the Oxford Fashion Studio and subsequently being invited to showcase their collections at the Paris Fashion Week this September.
Schmidt’s work is inspired by beautiful as well as difficult life moments, both in which she finds solace.
“There are so many significant small moments that go unnoticed like a warm cup of coffee on a rainy day and seeing sun rays caressing the face of a loved one. I appreciate these moments through my pieces,” she gracefully added.
She is equally inspired by the Parisian architecture and style, and she stresses that she is attracted to the French language, landscape and culture. She describes her style as effortlessly sexy, classy and timeless, with an emphasis on being comfortable in one’s own skin and enhancing beauty and identity.
This makes one stand out while exuding some form of mystery, the youthful fashion designer adds. “I tend to use neutral colours over bright ones, in line with creating timelessness,” the confident Schmidt added.
Speaking on presenting her work on an international stage, the soft-spoken designer said she realised that there are glimpses of her becoming exactly what her name means – which is victory of the nation.
She completed her high school in 2014.
Schmidt says she always knew that she wanted to be a designer and this allowed her to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Design at the Fedisa Fashion Design College in Cape Town in 2016.
This dream was halted when she learned that she was pregnant in her second year of studies, thus forcing her to return to Namibia.
Schmidt describes the first year of raising her son as a time when she had to re-gain a sense of purpose and rediscover who she was, apart from being a mother of now one-year old Eli. She invested her time in numerous endeavours to practice what she had learned during her time as a student.
“A major milestone for me was participating in the 2018 Fashion Week,” says Schmidt.
In the next 10-years, Schmidt sees herself as a successful businessperson in the fashion industry and raising a happy family. She also aspires to start a non-profit charity organisation for Namibian children, especially the vulnerable. She wants to make a positive change to the minds of children, “because the mind has the ability to limit us from a better future”, she explains.