Following God and High Fashion with Nardos Imam
Nardos Imam has the most beautiful clothing store I’ve ever seen in Dallas. One look through the display window and you might want to weep at the beauty she creates. But this high fashion virtuoso is not only based in Dallas. Her stunning designs go out into the world, with a store at the coveted Madison Avenue in New York.
But Nardos is more than an incredible designer. She’s a businesswoman and a mom who follows God with all her heart. She recently shared her story with Jennie, and this is the edited interview:
Your designs are always so tasteful and unique. Tell us a bit about your background. When did you know that you had this gift?
I grew up in Eritrea, but I've been in the US for most of my life. I was not exposed to the idea of fashion or art school when I was growing up. My mom used to make our dresses when we grew up but not professionally.
Thinking about trying fashion design got me so excited. Something came out of me, which happens when it's your call. I couldn’t wait to go to school or get to class and sit in the front row. I couldn’t wait to learn about fashion design, but I went to a small school because I didn't know I'd make a career out of it.
I knew the Lord when I was 16 or 17 years old. And He has been there for me in every aspect of my life. So, when I moved to the US, I knew that I had to do better. Until I discovered fashion design as a profession, I thought I would go into a science field.
My parents always encouraged hard work, so we had a good foundation. When I came here, my only goal was to be in Christ. My parents weren’t here, so I wanted to be grounded in Christ. And I stayed with Him. That's the most important thing for me.
Your store is one of the premier stores in Dallas, but you're in other cities as well. Talk a bit about the scope and what it's become.
I didn’t know what to do after graduating because there is no big fashion scene in Dallas. And I didn't plan to move to New York for opportunities because I didn’t have the finances to do it.
I first applied for an in-house designer job at Stanley Korshak in Dallas, but the opportunity was not there. So, I became a seamstress. But I never lost my dream to become a designer. I still made my own dresses, and people would ask me what I was wearing. They’d then ask me to make dresses for them. I got a lot of my clients through word of mouth.
2009 was my breakthrough year. I was making one dress after another, and I kept getting more clients. Korshak eventually called me to do a small collection, and that was the capsule of my little dresses in Dallas. More doors opened from there. When God opened the door, nobody could shut it. It was one thing after another until it became a huge business.
Even being in New York was a call for me. People were already traveling from all over New York and New Jersey to buy my dresses. So, I knew we had enough clients to open a New York store. We didn't advertise or make a huge announcement because our clients brought us to New York.
When I first saw your custom designs, I almost cried. What do you look for when you meet a bride or her mother for the first time? What is your thought process as you create custom designs for them?
I like to know the story behind the bride. I want to get her personality and perspective on the gown. So, I ask about the wedding and how they got engaged. I ask about the wedding venue and how she sees herself walking down the aisle. I ask how she envisions the first time her dad sees her in her gown before walking her down the aisle. I look for an emotional connection.
The women I get to dress are beautiful inside and out. They are high-society women who grew up attending debutant balls. So, they are very passionate about who they want to become when they walk down the aisle. It's like I'm dreaming up every single bride when I design for them.
My brides try to put their personal touch on their gowns. They want to look unique, classy, and tasteful. They want to look perfect for their big day, and I'm just there to make that a reality for them. So, it's a dream I live every day.
Let's talk about those few years when you were a seamstress. Was it hard to show up to work every day knowing you could do more? Did you ever feel discouraged or question yourself?
You always question yourself because that’s human nature. You always wonder if you’ll do great this month. You wonder how you’re doing as a company. Even when you develop a collection, you question yourself. Otherwise, you’ll think there is nothing else to achieve. So, I never feel like I’ve created the best dress yet because I'm still evolving as a fashion designer. I’m competing against myself with every design.
I didn’t have a human connection when I was a seamstress because people didn’t know my story. I was just a young girl who came for a beautiful dream. That dream was in my heart, but I wasn’t confident enough to confess it.
People would think I was too young to pin their wedding gowns because a lot of seamstresses are much older. They’d even doubt my ability to alter their dresses because I was in my 20s. And so, they’d be pleasantly surprised by my work at the end of the day.
They left happy and satisfied, and that reassured me. But it takes time to build trust in people and feel like people want to see you in their next fitting. That was the only thing I tried to achieve every day. I was not even thinking as a designer for a while.
When you're not thinking from God's perspective, you're not going to fly like an Eagle. You’ll stand with what you have. And I was doing that for three years. After I had my first daughter, I started questioning if that was all I wanted for myself.
I started questioning myself, and then I started dreaming for her. I wanted her to go to good schools, and I wanted a better life for my kids. So, I started making dresses in my house every night. I would take care of my daughter when I got home. Then I would put her to bed and go upstairs to make dresses I could show off.
God puts you in some places, and I'm glad I was there for those years because I would not have perfected my craft otherwise. So, God gives you that pause. And whatever season you are in is perfecting you for the next one.
A lot of people have dismissed their gifts because they don't feel spiritual. You're in a very secular field dressing wealthy women. And yet, you feel called by God to do this. Talk a bit about that.
Well, you fight with that. You may even wonder if your design is too revealing because the devil wants to tell you that you're doing something wrong. So, you have to listen to the inner Man who is speaking to you. I dress wealthy women, and people think that is vanity.
Above all, God is a Creator. He could have created a one-color flower and had that be enough for Him to love. But He created unlimited flowers. God creates unlimited beauty in the world. If we can dream, we're touching on a small aspect of God and what He can create. So, I feel like I'm called for what I do.
I feel confident because my God is my Creator, and He is all about imagination. And so, I never felt guilty on that part. But I check the vanity of the gowns I design. I check if the dress is too sexy or inviting for other things beyond beauty.
You're at a place where it's probably hard to imagine dreaming of bigger. Do you still dream of bigger and more?
Nardos: It's hard to say, but I'm very happy where I am. Yes, I still dream of ongoing growth. The growth is fun, but it's a lot of work. Despite that, I love what I do. So, I don't feel like I'm coming to work. But I don't think I would go to heaven and say I did everything. I still have a lot of dreams for other women and kids I want to educate. So, I’m not even halfway in my journey. I'm still dreaming.
There are probably a lot of women who have pushed down their dreams. Some don't even know if their dream is from God or if they should do it. What would you say to them?
When you graduate from fashion school, you don't feel good enough about yourself because you haven’t achieved anything yet. You feel like everything you do is not good enough anymore.
I would want those women to know that they’re good enough in who they are and how God created them.
If there is no door open for you to do what you’re called to do, keep pursuing it. Keep doing what you dream of. When God sees that you're consistent in what you want, He will reward you.
Keep dreaming and doing what you want to do. God will curve it to where you should be and where you’re going to learn at some point. Creativity always makes you question if you’re doing things right or if it’s your call, to begin with. But God has called you to be who you are today.
