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This Q & A is part of the viewer Expert Insights A series, in which industry leaders, innovators and strategic strategists have experienced direct, practical adoption and bring clarity to the issues that shape their industries. In the fashion world that has evolved, Nili Lotan has built a career of understanding, authenticity and cultural restoration, redefining what it means to be comfortable for the modern audience.
As the founder and Creative Director of his eponymous brand, Lotan has spent more than two decades shaping a unique language focused on music, art, and personal expression. From leading design at Ralph Lauren, Liz Claiborne and Nautica to launching her own label later in life, she transformed the strategic vision, balancing creative vision with commercial success. Today, its brand puts in $100 million in annual revenue, boasting High Hope Women and Figures Kendall Jenner, Dakota Johnson and Frances McDele.
Lotan’s approach to luxury emphasizes stories, experiences and authenticity over diversity. His latest 2025 Campaign, raising funds for New York City’s Cafyle Field and featuring a live performance by Cuo’s Cuo Duo, is exemplary. By weaving music, society and culture into his openness, Lotan creates an emotional experience that reaches far beyond, making each collection a living experience for both his audience and customers.
From his Tribeca Showroom to his curated holiday collections, Lotan’s vision revolves around simplicity, durability and timelessness and decisiveness with a visionary aesthetic.
You said your composition process is very intuitive. How does Intution translate the ETSSTS strategy into building a commercially successful and cultural brand?
I’ve always trusted my intuition, and that instinct guides my creative process and my design process and how I build the brand. For me, intuition is strategy – it’s about staying true to what you feel is honest and true. Each collection comes naturally from the way I live, my tastes and the visual world around me. Even as the company grows, personal integrity and thoughtful thinking remain the norm. My aim is to create pieces that resonate and empower – clothes that carry strength, confidence, self-esteem and freedom.
Luxury used to be defined by scarcity and price. What defines luxury today, from your perspective, and how has that changed how you design, market and lead your brand?
Luxury is about quality, reliability and usability. Style is part of your identity – expressing confidence and self-esteem. It starts with the finest materials – from Premium Japanese Denim to Luxury Italian Wool and Cotton. Appropriate is important; There is integrity where something happens, it preserves part of a person’s story.
Your 2025 Campaign launch at Café Carlyle felt more like a product launch. How do experiences like that shape an emotional connection to your brand?
That night almost created a space where my brand, ideas and audience became part of one story. The execution is done live, surrounded by friends, guests and rock and roll – because that’s the world I live in. When people experience such a moment, it lasts a long time. Wearing a piece from the collection means carrying the spirit and energy of that evening, which makes the clothes re-active emotionally.
Music plays a clear role in your creative DNA. What are products in the industry learning from the power of music storytelling?
Fashion and music are in constant conversation – both express who we are. Music carries mood and emotions, as well as style. What speaks to me about rock and roll is the attitude behind it. It’s not so much about the music, but it’s that free spirit on stage, fear and courage that drew you to him and inspired me. Costumes, like music, are added. Great Rock and Roll Icons-Mick Jagger, Keith Richards-Embonit It’s about complexity combined with effortless cool, freedom and freedom. Authenticity is always present.
From Ralph Lauren to your own label, you’ve seen the evolution of “American Luxury.” Where do you think the topic is next?
American fashion is at an exciting time—leading to global conversation and inspiring designers around the world. I think that influence will continue to grow, shaping what defines luxury today: authenticity, wearability and a sense of comfort that feels right in America.
Fashion is increasingly data driven. How do you balance insight and analysis in creative and commercial decisions?
We absolutely look at the data—it’s a useful tool, and it gives us a clear picture of how women are responding to the collection. But at the end of the day, I always come back to targeting. My nature has guided me throughout my career. I take details, of course, but I design from what I like and what feels right. That estimates what the future of the product.
The Direct-to-Consumer model has revolutionized fashion stores. What works now, and what is losing relevance?
DTC is important, although I always appreciate the partners who sell everything. Today, it’s not just about selling clothes – it’s about creating a story, connecting with the world I’ve created. Customers want to experience the brand, in person and digitally. I’m also excited about our first stores in Seoul—Hyundai Main and Hyundai Codex—bringing the brand to a dynamic, fashion-forward market while remaining in my opinion.
How do you think about longevity in both brand identity and product design?
Longevity begins deeply in the world around us. I always understand how women live, what they need and how their lives evolve. That awareness, paired with authenticity, is what keeps a brand relevant over time.
Bulk manufacturing in the US gives me the freedom to respond quickly. It allows me to make decisions and implement them – creatively and commercially – with agility. Being adaptable and flexible is so important to maintaining a brand that feels connected to the moment. In the spine, longevity comes from timelessness. I draw pieces that show a woman’s life, not a travel routine. And with the brand, staying true to my word – it turns out – but always in an honest way – is what creates real continuity. Consistency is what inspires.
Where do you see the biggest discrepancy between Creative Vision and Market Reality today?
The biggest tension comes from the pressure to make more Skus, bigger batches, always new and something new. My nature has always been towards minimalism, simplicity and sustainability. I believe that a woman does not need endless options; You need the right ones. But the market tends to ask more. Staying true to my creative vision means resisting excess and focusing on what feels important, even if the sales pitch is pushing in the other direction.
Your career started in big fashion houses, but you launched your own brand later. How did this shape your leadership and approach to risk?
Working in big fashion houses gave me experience and thinking – I learned what works, what doesn’t with the team. When I started my own brand, I felt more confident, mature and ready to take creative risks for my goals.
Your bags are named after music icons. What role do cultural references play in making a product feel like fun today?
Cultural references create emotion and cohesion, connecting people to a city or era. If you look at the nature of these humble artists, I communicate their style and energy through my design language.
Fashion brands are increasingly positioned as lifestyle staples. How do you expand the world of nila lotan without clothes?
Expanding the world of nili Lotan without clothes has always seen me in you. I’ve never seen a brand as just clothes – a visual and emotional universe made up of the things I love, the places I live in and the insights I carry with me.
From my Tribeca Showroom to all my retail and residential spaces, every environment reflects my philosophy. I treat my shops the same way I treat my homes with the art on the walls, the furniture that I’m drawn to, painted and the tones that feel honest and express who I am. My world becomes the world of the product.
I’m in a direct conversation with the client – whether it’s through the proximity of our stores, the monthly playlist I share or the personal touch on my social media. It’s all part of inviting people to see and experience the world around me.
This season, I’ve revealed that I even have a holiday theme chosen – showing what the holidays mean to me through dressing and giving. At 183 Duane, we offer inspiration not only on how to dress for the season, but how to give it purpose.
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