• The fashion designer, whose outfits are preferred by many world celebrities, was a special guest of the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria

• I am mostly interested in people and their culture, not how they are dressed, she says

“I am looking for beauty and harmony. Quality is my god”. This is what Nevena Nikolova – one of the most successful Bulgarian fashion designers, whose talent has been proved and appreciated not only in Bulgaria but also in many countries all over the world, said during a meeting with the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria. Her gorgeous dresses are worn by celebrities such as the daughter of former Formula 1 boss – Tamara Ecclestone, the ballet dancer Marianela Núñez, singer Martine McCutcheon, actress Catherine Tyldesley and many others.

Nevena’s emotional meeting with the Council took place in Sofia on 27 July in the newly-opened The View restaurant in Sofia, and proved that the Bulgarian women are extremely talented and stubborn and when motivated they can achieve everything they want. 

Inspiring with her energy, vitality and confidence, Nevena shared with the ladies the philosophy of her work, the inspiration, the fashion, and the importance of the artist being preserved as a person.

“To make my dresses the way they are, they are real. I work with myself, with material and person. The person is the most important thing that leads me”, says Nevena for the magic of her work.

 Impressively talented in what she does, she admits that fashion has not been her dream. She graduates Scandinavian philology and even lives for a short time in Norway before returning to Bulgaria. Nevena decides that if she is going to stay in her homeland, she must do something she loves very much. Her “dedication” to fashion begins with the design of bridal dresses. Nevena is one of the first artists in Bulgaria who decide to break the tradition by creating colorful dresses for this special day. This project is also the beginning of her true and deep connection with fashion as a vocation and profession that has become a way of life.

This choice is certainly not accidental. The fashion and the sense of aesthetics accompany Nevena since her childhood. She is categorical that she owes this to her mother, who from a small age teaches her love for everything beautiful.

 One of the many questions asked during the meeting was where the designer drew inspiration for her work. Nevena says that she is inspired by many things, but basically the person: “I am mostly interested in people and their culture, not in how they are dressed”. That’s why her clients are people with “presence, culture and mind”. From her experience with a number of well-known and public figures, the designer says that the biggest stars are the most precise and the most disciplined, so she works best with them. Her explanation is that, as people who have achieved much, they respect professionalism in all its dimensions.

The participants in the meeting were curious to understand what it takes to be a successful person. Nevena is categorical that talent is not the only thing that guarantees success. According to her it is necessary to purposefully develop a number of qualities, “the ability to fight, to be adequate and professional, but also to remain a normal person”.

Asked about the future of her brand, she does not exclude the possibility that maybe someday she will have her own line of clothing, specifying that before this happens she must have a very clear vision to whom these clothes would be designed and what message would the carry. Nevena admits that it would be a challenge for her to create such a line for young people from generation Z.

Currently Nevena lives mainly in London, where she has her own studio. Her daily life is extremely dynamic and engaging with commitments and travel in many different countries. Her work day sometimes lasts for 19 hours, but she tries to find time to recharge with energy – for example, through yoga or walking, says the designer.

The meeting with Nevena ended with thanksgivings to her for her inspirational story and wishes to conquer many new peaks.