NOM&ADA
Valentines day officially marks the opening of NOM&ADA, emerging Portland based shoe company. The creatives behind the line are Kimberly Andrade and Rie Sawai. The duo met while attending Parsons in New York and five years later reunited in Hawaii to pursue the shoe industry. Kimberly who resides in Portland, after moving here to work for Nike, is ADA or adaptable as they explain to me how their name came about. While Rie, who lives thousands of miles away in Tokyo, represents NOM or nomadic.
I met with both ladies this morning at Cartola, one of my favorite NE coffee shops. They were easy to spot in a crowd with their pretty looks and super style. Rie has been in Portland for a few weeks while they prepare / launch their website and online store.
Their first product is a moccasin inspired shoe called the Holoholo. It is handmade in Japan and comes in three different colors white, black, and camel. The camel Holoholo has two options for stitching as well, white or flamingo. It’s refreshing to see a company start out with a single item that is well thought out and well crafted. It is a shoe that I can see everygirl in Portland wearing this summer.
NOM&ADA hope that the Holoholo is the iconic shoe that builds the foundation for their brand as the grow and begin to create many shoes for you. To purchase check out their online store here. Free tote with purchase for the month of February, while supplies last.
It was such a pleasure meeting with NOM&ADA and I am sure their success in the shoe industry will be for many years to come. Congratulations on your launch ladies.
* Kimberly (left) is wearing all vintage. Her hat and necklace from her father.
* Rie (right) is wearing a vintage dress and belt, ring, and watch all come from her mother.
