Sensual but naive, fairy-tale but dark and romantic at times, Be Nina burst onto the scene in 2019 garnering interest from both the press and insiders. Officially launched in 2021, the brand rapidly gained traction online and offline especially resonating with a demanding and yet tasteful market as the Japanese one. Delving into the brand’s core values and sources of inspiration, the shoot champions Be Nina’s concept of sustainable beauty. We had the chance to sit down and interview the designer Sabrina Bonatesta.

garments BE NINA, shoes and hair accessories MERRFER. garments BE NINA, shoes CALZATURE EPOCA

Hello Sabrina and welcome to Coeval! How would you introduce Be Nina to our audience?

Ciao everyone and thank you Coeval for sharing my world. Nowadays everything has already been seen and created. I am aiming to express myself and my identity, as well as promote the idea of "sustainable beauty". Be Nina is a fashion label that reshapes your curiosities into whimsical and wearable pieces.

garments BE NINA, shoes MERRFER. t-shirt BE NINA, earrings MERRFER, necklace VANESSA BAERNTHOL

When did the idea of starting a brand come up?

I graduated from the Fashion Design course at Ravensbourne University of London in 2019. To finish my studies, I had to create a self-produced collection that would enhance my technical and creative abilities as much as possible. I debuted at London Graduate Fashion Week with my hand-made couture womenswear collection using dead stock silks combined with other up-cycled Apulian materials.

This collection was then published in the tenth edition of Vogue Talents in September 2019, introducing me as one of the best emerging talents in the UK, and sparking interest across the entire industry. Despite this, still not feeling up for it, I decided to broaden my skills by working for other fashion brands in London, Paris and Milan. After two years of experience, I realized that I was repressing my artistic conception and so, I was finally able to give life to Be Nina.

On your website it says: «Surreal, sustainable and artisanal fashion brand based in Apulia». “Surreal” is the first element that stands out to me: can you expand on that? I also find interesting the atypical geographic placement. We are used to thinking of Milan when we hear of a young designer launching their brand whereas you are still doing everything in Apulia: what are the opportunities and the challenges that come with such a choice?

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the meaning of “surreal” is: «strange, esp. because of combining items that are never found together in reality». Each one of my collections is characterized by the fusion of opposing elements. It is the expression of an intimate imagination, the result of the contamination from different cultures encountered during my journey. I would summarise my aesthetic in a few adjectives: sensual but naive, fairy-tale but dark and romantic at times.

Founding the brand in Apulia, my land of origin, carrying forward my project in a social context still rooted in stringent traditional patterns, in a territory not yet ready to support a path of this type, is definitely a challenge for me. On the other hand, this also represents one of my strengths, allowing me to stand out and arouse curiosity. Even though at times I feel alienated from the industry, living away from the fashion capitals allows me to focus on my creative ideas without being contaminated by the trends. Last but not least, living in the south of Italy permits me to cut costs. This is very helpful for an emerging brand. All my materials are sourced around the area, as well as artisans and production companies I work with.

What are your sources of inspiration?

I love getting inspired by anything that surrounds me.

I began to conceive my creations by researching ancient toys. I am intrigued by the look of those antique, nearly destroyed, stuffed animals and dolls because they appear cute and creepy at the same time. It is a combination of adjectives that gives me a thrill. While designing silhouettes, I look into Victorian children's clothing, whose underwear items strongly recall one of the Apulian folklore traditions, often decorated with lace ornaments. The Canosine ceramics, with their fairy-tale colors and representations, always direct my collections' color palettes.

Japan is your biggest market: Why does your brand resonate that much with that kind of audience?

I once came across a magazine called FRUiTS which depicted street-style images taken in Harajuku, a famous neighborhood in Tokyo. I became curious about Japanese subcultures, especially the Lolita and Moe Anthropomorphism.

A few years later, I had a chance to meet a Japanese stylist, Nao Koyabu. She was strongly attracted by my creations and she invited me to present my brand in Tokyo. I accepted her invitation and it was extremely successful. Because every single piece is unique and very kawaii, I managed to enrapture the interest of Japanese customers who always try to have a distinctive style.

garments BE NINA, headpiece VANESSA BAERNTHOL. garments BE NINA, shoes MERRFER

garments BE NINA, headpiece MERRFER. full look BE NINA

What future steps do you envision for the brand?

At the moment my goal is simply to make Be Nina known and appreciated by an increasingly wider audience. We are planning to expand our production and ride the catwalks very soon.