Nia Thomas was trying to get to her French toast.

I happened to be standing in between her, a good ‘kiki’ with a friend and breakfast. But it was for good reason. I had stopped by her pop-up showroom during New York Fashion Week (NYFW) for an exclusive one-on-one interview.

Breakfast could wait a few more minutes, because once we started talking about the collection, Nia really got into the details. She’s passionate about her artistry, from the product to the women producing it and wearing it.

Nia was ready to talk clothes.

Throughout the intimate space at The Standard Hotel, raffia, crochet, fringe and rich color gave me an up-close look at the Nia Thomas world. I could see the tailoring, exquisite finishes and small details that make these pieces special. Nia walked me through fabrics and talked about the women she designs for.

As I viewed the collection, I couldn’t take my eyes off one black tiered raffia skirt.

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“The fabrics that we like to use are predominantly natural fibers, a lot of cotton, linens, silk, raffia,” she told me.

Those materials are a big part of what makes her clothes stand out. The pieces have texture and movement. They look handmade because so much thought goes into how they are created, and they are not the type of clothes you expect to see hanging on every department-store rack.

Eventually, I was standing there in that raffia skirt, shimmying while we continued the interview.

I paired it with the fitted black blazer, chunky gold jewelry and leopard pumps I had already worn into the presentation. Somehow, the combination looked like I had planned it before I arrived.

The nearly perfect fit was no accident.

Nia told me she thinks specifically about Black women while designing, including how clothes sit on our bodies and how we actually wear them. “We have hips. We have boobs.” she said with a smile.

Nia continued, “I wanted to make sure that I had a range of styles that look good on different body types, especially Black women. We want to make sure that we’re feeling comfortable and secure and snatched, if you will.”

She also thinks through the practical details.

“I’m always thinking about silhouette, stretch, how to wear things with a bra or without a bra to make sure customers feel confident,” she said. Her approach makes the clothes feel considered in a way that goes past aesthetics.

The goal is to give women pieces that look good, move well and make sense once they are actually on the body.

Nia’s focus on women also extends to the production of her clothes.

“All [our clothes are produced] in Mexico City… by female artisans, about a five-kilometer radius from our studio,” she said. Women are involved throughout the process, from producing the garments to wearing the finished pieces.

Nia has been on our fashion radar. At HelloBeautiful, we celebrate Black women who innovate, bring their own perspective to fashion and create work that keeps us watching.

In 2024, Nia was one of five designers selected for McDonald’s Black & Positively Golden Change of Fashion program, which paired emerging Black designers with industry mentors and resources. The following February, she showed during the House of Arches presentation at NYFW.

Celebrities have taken notice, too. Tracee Ellis Ross has worn Nia Thomas, including the designer’s Kailani Top. Who better to embody “tropical, fun, dance queen realness” than Tracee? She gives carefree travel, color and living life on your own terms.

“For my aesthetic, I definitely [lean] tropical, fun, dance queen realness,” Nia told me with a laugh.

Nia does not treat tropical as shorthand for another predictable vacation collection. Her clothes have their own personality, from dramatic raffia skirts to pieces made with textiles her team develops themselves.

“We create our own textile that I honestly want to copyright,” she said.

When I asked Nia what trends she sees shaping Spring/Summer 2027, fringe was one of the first things she mentioned. It already shows up throughout her collection, adding movement and texture to several pieces.

Color is right there with it.

“I definitely would say color. I think Quiet Luxury is out,” Nia said. “We’re wearing turquoise, we’re wearing salmon pink, we’re wearing buttery yellow… and a beautiful Ferrari red. Head-to-toe dressing in color.”

More color, more fringe, and more reasons to use our PTO? Nia might be onto something.

Now, about that French toast.

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