curiosity knows no bounds…

Hi. My name is Nikolina, and I’m a storyteller.

But I (mostly) don’t tell stories with words; I use images, design, and experience excavations to sculpt a narrative.

The basic stuff:

Conservatory training in oil painting + a degree in filmmaking/ screenwriting shaped my creative side; a passion for biology and history fed my analytical side. My career spanned makeup artistry, luxury sales in beauty/ wellness, and eventually evolved into product design for a luxury chocolate company.

I currently direct logistics at a progressive non-profit and also operate the world’s largest vintage bridal studio, where I’ve spent the last 15 years custom designing wedding gowns for every client, as well as maintaining brand and business solvency through a pandemic and global uprising.

I share my varied experiences as a storyteller and product designer with clients and stakeholders, perpetually striving towards a richer, more efficient, and user-centric experience. With over 15 years of product design both for individual clients and corporate stakeholders including Morgan Stanley, Intuit, Harper Collins, and LVMH, I’ve had time to refine and develop a rich skillset, where native intuition and acquired experience converge.

Because of my richly diverse experiences, I’ve learned to be flexible, calm, and adaptable as I lean into teamwork and collaboration; I can’t wait to bring this energy to your team.

The essential stuff:

  • I always follow the campsite rule. Leave things, teams, people, and products better than I found them

  • I believe storytelling is the heart of creation, and all great storytelling embodies opposing forces. Dichotomies are the spice of life.

  • Divergent thinking is the backbone of my personal design theory; heterogeneity is the most powerful tool I possess.

The dorky stuff:

I’m an insatiably curious person; I love exploring our beautiful, flawed world, and to say my tastes are eclectic is a profound understatement.

From avant garde opera, subversive punkrock, hip-hop fine dining, underground sneaker culture, being a graphic novel, sci-fi, horror, and choir nerd, and a lapsed hobby of vintage modeling, I’m hungry for all that life offers.

And I bring this rich cultural lexicon with me; I can relate to nearly anyone, and love humanity, in all our foibles and truths.