“During my surf trip I learned to prioritize comfort over everything else. It might sound silly, but I just chose fabrics that I would want to wear on a long bus/airplane ride or even to just sleep in.”
– explains Angela Tseng, owner of Naia Vibes brand. The LA Fashion Magazine was fortunate enough to chat with her about the NAIA VIBES journey as well as collaborate together on a beautiful editorial for our summer print issue.
Your brand represents ‘coast casual with a touch of city chic’…what was the initial inspiration?
“I consider myself to be a city girl. I grew up in Sao Paulo (the major metropolis in Brazil), went to school in Boston, and lived in NYC for a little while, but I always knew my heart belonged to the sea and living the coastal lifestyle was a lifelong dream. The major inspiration that pushed me to start the brand came after a two-month surf trip to Central America, where I met amazing and independent women who had left their “normal”, “society approved” life to follow their dreams. Spending time with them I realized how beautiful a person is when she is doing what she is passionate about. And during the trip I also realized how crucial it is to be comfortable especially when you are hoping in and out of vans, bikes, and airplanes. So in short, the brand was inspired by all these factors: I wanted it to have that carefree and flowy vibe, I wanted the clothes to be comfortable and the “go-to” outfit whether you are hoping on a plane or just spending a cozy day at home, and finally I wanted the clothes to be versatile as in you can dress it up or dress it down depending on your mood or where you are going; you can go from a dawn patrol surf session to a Sunday brunch.”
The pink water bottle…
“The water bottle idea came to me when I was doing a beach clean up and realized how many plastic bottles were out there, and I could only begin to imagine how many of those were in the ocean. I am those kind of people that drink a lot of water on a daily basis (I hate being thirsty!), so I definitely understand why there would be so many plastic bottles at the beach especially during the summer when you can get easily dehydrated so I wanted to create beautiful bottles that people would want to carry around and reuse. So I guess that was an attempt to help reduce plastic bottle consumption while keeping people hydrated, which is good for the health and the skin!”
We are obsessed with your hoodies and tanks!
“The main inspiration when designing the clothes definitely came from the surfer lifestyle but more than that I was inspired by the passion I saw in women when they were doing what they loved. The confidence they showed when they were dancing, playing capoeira, surfing, doing yoga; the smile in their faces and the movement of their body were just amazing and I wanted to create pieces that could match that kind of beauty.”
Your blog is fantastic! Who’s behind these beautiful stories?
“Because NAIA is a lifestyle brand created through my personal experiences, I wanted to share personal stories that helped shape my personality, which in turn reflects on the clothes I create. I find that knowing about the origins of the brand makes it is easier for people to relate and understand NAIA.”
What’s your most significant goal for this year when it comes to NAIA VIBES brand?
“The most significant one I would say is officially launching it. I did some pop-ups here and there but never had an official launch so that will definitely be the key achievement for this year. And it is coming soon! If everything runs smoothly I will be launching a Kickstarter campaign and the pre-order website by the end of this month! And I am of course also super excited and looking forward to working with LAFM in the Summer issue!”
So are we dear Angela…so are we… 🙂
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