Q&A With Naya Rea

Born and raised in Siberia, Naya Rea moved to the UK to study at the London College Of Fashion and in 2018, she founded her eponymous label. Her use of muted colour palettes and textures are a tribute to her home, and each of her whimsical collections takes on unconventional cuts and refined materials to explore female sensuality and Siberian folklore.

As part of the Pre-Fall '22 collection, we've partnered with London-based label Naya Rea to create an exclusive three-piece capsule that embodies the spirit of whimsical femininity.

We caught up with Naya to talk about her design process, slow fashion and future endeavors.

C: How did Naya Rea come about? What made you want to become a designer?

NR: It was an inevitable path for me as I have loved clothes from as long as I remember and ultimately I am a dreamer, these two passions led me to become a fashion designer.

C: Where do you take inspiration from?

NR: I read recently someone said in an interview that every story is about leaving home to return home, I found this sentiment quite interesting as for me every collection is returning home in a way. I never intended to make Siberia where I am from to be my main source of inspiration but it just happened naturally and maybe that's why it works because it is happening so organically.

C: What is your design process? Is there a particular routine you follow?

NR: For me it is storytelling, it is like a book and every collection is a new chapter. I look at the previous collection and try to continue to create a new story without disconnecting it from what I did previously. The routine is not unusual - I look at the fabrics which inspire me, create my prints (I love creating my own prints) and once I receive all my fabrics I start making and this is also very important to me - I make all my samples myself as I love that magic moment of turning the idea into the actual garment.

C: Could you describe to us the ultimate 'Naya Rea' girl?

NR: She is definitely fun, curious, brave, loves to shine and she knows what she wants.

Naya Rea x Couverture exclusive striped dress styled by Couverture

Naya Rea x Couverture exclusive blouse and dress styled by Couverture

C: We understand Naya Rea takes careful consideration when it comes to slow fashion. Will you be able to tell us more about this?

NR: I work with manufacturers who focus on ethical production, it is mainly family-run businesses and every team is now almost like a family to me so I know exactly how it is produced and made. Regarding the fabrics - I use a lot of organic cotton and dead stock, most of our styles produced in small quantities.

C: For the aspiring designers out there, what advice would you give them to start their own brand?

NR: Find the right people to work with, you can't do it alone!

C: Do you have any upcoming projects you can tell us about?

NR: I know I have a lot of work ahead and a lot of interesting mini-projects, that's all I can tell for now.