Nomadic Thread Society began as one fortuitous moment in Mexico when an American traveler, who had just arrived on Tulum beach, approached New York stylist, Nicole Gulotta. Wearing a very Manhattan-like little black dress, she looked at Gulotta – bare foot, wearing a kaftan and shawl – and asked curiously: “Now, where can I find something like that?”
Gulotta has always been a self-confessed ‘gypsy’. But helping other women do the same – those modern, city types who seek abandonment in a boho-sense of the word – didn’t seem a likely path. Until her chance meeting that day. “I thought: why don’t I assemble all this style in one place? Then, women can be beach-chic and ready for their barefoot holiday,” explains Gulotta.
Back in New York, Gulotta began sourcing, researching and booking flights to exotic lands, as well as trademarking the brand name – Nomadic Thread Society. Through her connections as a stylist, Gulotta was introduced to a firm that connects buyers to international trade shows – with a strong artisanal focus. This gave her exposure to exhibitors. “I applied to go to Peru, and off I went. Same with Guatemala,” she remembers. “Through a blossoming network of colleagues and friends I found spectacular resources.”
Gulotta’s fascination with culture (and luxury) grew from her travels between the US and Europe as child – namely, Capri – where she has family.
“Capri really left its mark on me. The rocks, the sea, and the history of the place are in my blood. Certainly for my mother and grandmother, it was the ultimate destination for style: understated, casual chic.”
While Gulotta does channel a pared-back elegance, her personal style gravitates more towards the exotic. And for her fabrics, that means an emphasis on exquisite patterns, embroideries, and colors. “My favorite fabric at the moment is one produced in Bengal,” says Gulotta. “The design involves featherweight, hand-woven cotton and a metallic selvedge edge.” “For Spring 2017 I want to offer more colors in this fabric for both the shawls and the kaftans. It’s incredibly beautiful.”
Nomadic Thread Society fabrics are sourced from India, Peru, Guatemala, Mali, Kenya, Tunisia, Turkey, and, Mexico.
“I started with a solo trip to Mexico, and naturally wound up in markets and shops conversing and gathering knowledge and special finds. Then I travelled to India in the company of friends. I shared my mission for textiles with people along the way, and contacts and resources began to multiply,” says Gulotta. “I started with a solo trip to Mexico, and naturally wound up in markets and shops conversing and gathering knowledge and special finds. Then I travelled to India in the company of friends. I shared my mission for textiles with people along the way, and contacts and resources began to multiply,” says Gulotta.
Despite the emphasis on culture and craftsmanship, her textiles remain fashionably luxurious. After fifteen years of styling for top tier advertising, music and fashion industry professionals, Gulotta knows the consumer market. “I have an eye for the good stuff,” she laughs. “Also, my mom worked with luxury textiles and that had a strong influence on me. My great grandfather worked with cotton mills in Italy back in the early 1900’s, too. It seems that textiles are in my DNA.”
Such an innate understanding for aesthetics, paired with professional refinery, has seen Nomadic Thread Society work with big names like the International Woolmark Prize winner, M. Patmos. Recently, Kathryn MacCleod, senior photo producer at Vanity Fair, bought an assortment of East African Beach Throws to decorate a Hampton’s beach party.
The local people involved in crafting these textiles are a creative inspiration to the designer. “There’s a gorgeous woman I was introduced to on my last trip to India who just delivered a hand-blocked eri silk throw to me, – for which I commissioned a special block-print,” explains Gulotta. “It was produced in a non-violent silk that’s completely sustainable and has the most wonderful hand.” But, the story doesn’t end there. Gulotta is a story-teller and the design tale between the old and new world is one of her favorites. “I found the design, deriving from an ancient block motif, on a postcard I had picked up in New York,” adds Gulotta. “It’s such an interesting journey the way this design wound up back on an Indian textile.”
Written by Benjamin Fitzgerald and reposted courtesy of Le souk www.lesouk.co
