Nima Behnoud, founder and designer
of NIMANY, has created a new fusion of art and fashion in his handmade, custom
T-shirts. Born in Tehran, Iran in 1976, Nima studied at the Fashion
Institute of Technology in New
York and started silk-screening Persian motifs on canvas
in his early years. But he soon realized that great art could also be worn, and
subsequently, launched his company in August 2003.
His T-shirts have been variously
described as Persian-Punk, Ethnic Retro or Ancient Grunge, but the many designs
(and each is unique) he has created can be traced back to his Persian ancestry.
His designs fuse Iranian poetry and typography into a chic t-shirt that exhibits
a person’s individual style. NIMANY is Nima’s gallery for showing the world the
beauty of Iran’s history and art.
"Persian typography is
a form of painting ideal for an art gallery as well as everyday fashion" said
Nima. “And the people of
Iran are my
inspiration."
Despite stereotypes and recent media
coverage depicting Iran as a
nation of black shawls, he says that Iranians are very savvy when it comes to
fashion, and as stylish as any fashionista in Europe or North America. “The current fashion scene is just as
active as Milan or Paris,” he says. Even with government
restrictions on dress, Nima says that Iranians use their creativity to enhance
fashion in Iran; he views most Iranian women as
“semi-designers”--using flourishes or color or design while staying within the
boundaries of the law. “I don’t look at fashion in Iran as a
limitation,” he says. It is just another challenge for the everyday person in
Iran, who tend to be very innovative
people.
With his use of traditional script
and modern chic, there are few designers who can represent the Persian culture
better than Nima Behnoud. “I want
people to see the beauty of our culture,” he says. “Iran’s history
of art, poetry and music has a great richness and deserves the
attention.”
Celebrities like Heidi Klum, Pras
Michael of the Fugees and Alexandra Richards (Keith Richards’ daughter) may not
realize they are wearing ancient Iranian poetry by Rumi & Hafez, but they
are certainly aware of its artistic beauty, and are helping to expand Nima’s
reputation as a cutting-edge fashion designer in Manhattan.
You may see and purchase Nima’s
T-shirt designs at www.nimany.com. They are
also for sale at Fred Segal, a top fashion boutique in the United States.
