NOORA KAZI TALKS NOOKINI

Interviewed by Culture Coast Talks editor Daniel John. Interview transcripts might have been edited for length and clarity.

What was it that inspired you to start your very own bikini brand. What is the story behind Nookini?

Nookini has a deeper meaning behind it. So firstly I love bikinis and it was always hard to find good bikinis in Switzerland. Switzerland is also really lame when it comes to wearing nice bikinis, I don’t like the grandma panties and I wanna show the girls you can look beautiful in my bikinis. The deeper meaning is that I am helping families in Bali to having a better life. My team get a fair payment and normal working hours. I also wanna help the people in Bangladesh, my hometown. I wanna support people from Bangladesh to having a better life. The problem is people are not used to it and do not know how people live in several countries. I travelled a lot, and I’ve seen a lot of poorness, and that is why I am always motivated to keep going.

What was your first collection?

That is a long story. I actually started to grow a yoga business with a past client of a company I worked for. She did not know how to start her yoga-brand, and I helped her out to grow her dream, that’s how I actually came in touch with "clothes". I already drawn evening dresses as a child and bikinis had been on my mind since I was nineteen and started with bodybuilding. In 2020, I did my first own bikinis samples, and those samples got more and more until I decided to open a online store.

Where are the yoga brand now?

I cut the yoga brand as soon as I realized it’s getting serious with bikinis, because I work fulltime in another industry which is also a lot of work. So I decided to be focused on my bikinis but my dream is also to start with mens shorts, girls bikinis and satin dresses.

What fabrics do you work with?

I work with several fabrics which my customers loves. We have mostly recycled materials made from fishing nets, but also shiny fabrics which my customer truly loves. We also do prints on recycled matte fabrics.

Do you have a personal favorite?

Yes, my favorite is the vegan leather bikini.

What places would you love to wear your Nookini this summer?

So, I actually just came back from Ibiza and did photos of my new collection over there. A Goal is also Bali. Because I haven’t see my team since corona.

We are the most beautiful when we are ourselves, but to be able to be that we also have to feel comfortable in our own skin. And so much in fashion is making women feel excluded. How are you making sure that Nookini swimwear is as welcoming for everyone?

I think a big difference between Nookini and other stores is that I really connect with the people. I spend a lot of time finding the perfect bikinis for my customers. I also do events where all my customers can connect. And additionally I do photoshoots with different models so that I also get different body types, it’s always an amazing feeling to see how confident my customers gets in my bikinis.

Can they get a bikini in every size?

Yes, they can. I have mostly from XS to XL but I also customize bikinis.

From top to bottom living a bikini kind of life. Is life a little better in a bikini?

It definitely is. I was always a summer type and life go better in a bikini.