NINA Z bio

Nina Ziefvert, a native of Sweden, launched her namesake clog label in 2008 to fill the clog void she experienced living in New York City. The brand has since then grown outside of NINA's Crown Height's living-room into a Hudson, NY store offering a mix of her namesake clogs, vintage clothing and a small line of in-house accessories and as of spring 2019 a blouse line.  NINA still picks each and every piece of vintage clothing sold at the store. These days NINA lives in Hudson, NY, where she works with her husband. Her husband's African decent and their yearly travels there together is an important design inspiration in all they do. To supplement the permanent foundation line of clogs, seasonal styles are frequently added, updated and custom made. NINA's design philosophy is to offer NINA Z her customers a little bit of everything she wears and lives. NINA's main source of inspiration is the aesthetics and color hues that she encounters on an every day basis in a tiled rest stop bathroom floor, on a passing female, or a drying laundry line of clothing. The combos and color inspirations are endless. NINA was a pioneer in the revival of ethical sourcing and use of man power, always putting weight of how and by who her product is made and therefore each batch, as well as pair can vary slightly in nuance and fit. 

 

NINA Z vintage

I only pick pieces that I’m able to envision myself wearing. I really still pick ALL the pieces myself. And I only sell natural materials: linen, cotton, cashmere, wool, silk, so that eliminates a lot of vintage as well. I source pieces for the shop everywhere I go… For example: when we go to Botswana (where my husband is from) in the winter, I visit the local markets, as well as Johannesburg. And when I go to Sweden I source there. I’m basically never not sourcing :). Now with my new NINA Z blouse line, I can use all these beautiful old silks and linens as fabrics. And I never turn down a vintage straw bag, I love them, I think I have at least 30 straw bags in my closet and always have a selection at the shop as well.

 

NINA Z clogs

It was really the lack of clogs in NYC back then (2006). I worked in fashion and the arts since graduating from FIT, and being Swedish I often wore clogs. They were vintage clogs I would find at fleas and in thrift stores in Sweden. Friends, colleagues and strangers would ask me where I got them and often asked if I could bring some back for them. That’s how it all started. In 2008, I got my first samples and it evolved from there. I didn’t have a big plan back then, but one thing lead to another. Then, my husband (a former NYC DJ) joined the company and trained with a traditional cobbler in Queens. Then, we got a studio and started making things in house!

NINA Z label