The Watcher: Neth Nom – Fashion Designer – San Francisco, CA

Focus, determination, and vision... Neth Nom embodies all three. An animator at Pixar, as well as the Founder and Creative Director at Bush + Leavenworth; Neth Nom lived at the cross streets of Bush & Leavenworth while studying animation in San Francisco.

The years he spent in his apartment with fellow artists/roommates shaped his art career and served as an inspiration for Bush + Leavenworth.

We sat down with Neth to learn about his influence, creative imagination, and the artist behind it all.

UNDERSTANDING THE ARTIST

Kyle Skahill: Neth, I don’t mean to start on a cheesy note, but Toy Story 3… this is the wrap up of a trilogy, the first part of which enraptured our entire generation and helped put Pixar on the map. How does it feel to be listed in the credits as animator?

Neth Nom: It was definitely a privilege to work on the film. The original Toy Story paved the way for Hollywood animated films and changed the industry for the better. It's the reason I'm in animation to begin with. While working on films at other studios in LA, I knew that Toy Story 3 was in the pipeline. I said to myself, "How great would it be to work on the film that started it all?" So, again, a privilege and an honor to be in the credits.

Kyle Skahill: You’ve said in the past that you knew you wanted to be an artist from early childhood. The search for the outlet or medium that is just the right fit for you can be a long one. What aspects of growing up as an aspiring artist and of your own creativity most affect what is and is not in your repertoire? 

Neth Nom: This is something you'll find with a lot of artists: I began drawing at a young age and drawing has always been a part of my life. I've certainly spent a lot of time perfecting my craft. The great thing about art is it's easy to stay true to yourself when it's such a natural, ingrained part of your life. The drawings I do now are different in some ways from my younger years, but my innate style remains.I see art as an ongoing process. I find that I don’t like to limit myself to a given, delineated style. It’s better to be boundless. So I continue to learn and stay in a nurturing environment. This influences my style, but it’s an iterative process. My repertoire is always influenced by my life experiences.

Kyle Skahill: Have you always gravitated towards animation and design, or were there other earlier expressions of your creative forte?  Sketching is one of few common threads between film animation and clothing design; with regard to the differences between the two art forms, what are your favorite (and/or least favorite) aspects of each? 

Neth Nom: I was exposed to animation in college and it just felt right. By the time I was in college, a few 3D animation films had just come out and I was inspired to try a new medium. I already felt comfortable with a pencil; I wanted to challenge myself as an artist and try using a mouse. Before that, I had always gravitated towards art and design, but not necessarily animation.

What I love about animation is how detailed the process is. We look at everything frame by frame, at a level of detail that most people don't notice. We train our eyes to see color, silhouette, posing. Animation is not just about moving the character around; it's about the bigger picture of acting, story, design, art and dialogue. It's endless. And it's so rewarding in the end when you see it all come together. The other thing is - animation is not an individual process. It takes a team of people to come together, collaboratively, to finish a movie. This also contributes to the reward of seeing a finished project.

What I love about fashion is seeing a customer wear your product. Making clothes for people is very rewarding. However, it's about more than just making clothes. To me, it's about something bigger. We have to challenge ourselves to think in a very complex way. How will this design work with this fabric on this type of person who is also wearing a jacket and jeans? It's not just slapping a graphic on a tee. We really think about our customers.

It's nice to design something unique and different every season. There are endless possibilities for expressing our creativity, which is fun.

Kyle Skahill: It seems like so many people we run into have creative ideas, but getting from a good idea to a sustainable operation remains elusive. What advice would you give—as someone who has done it successfully—to some young creatives with a good idea and the will to make it happen?  

Neth Nom: It may sound cliché, but it's true. Hard work, persistence and passion are the keys to success. You have to live and breathe whatever you are aiming for. Starting off is the hardest part. It's hard to take that big first step. But you need to put in the time in order to get to something bigger. My other piece of advice is to surround yourself with supportive, like-minded people. It's really, really important. This doesn't mean your supportive family. You need other artists who push you and contribute to your drive. If you really believe in your idea and are passionate about it, others will notice. If you can prove yourself creatively, people will listen and follow. I wouldn't necessarily say that we're successful. We're still learning, day by day, and we always see ourselves as students. We will never sit back and say "we made it" because there is always room for growth, and there is always the need to adapt to the ever-changing world around us.

Kyle Skahill: Tell us about the start of Bush + Leavenworth. What does this brand represent to you in terms of your ideals and goals as a company and as an individual? How many people does it take to make all that B+L accomplishes possible?

Neth Nom: Bush + Leavenworth means everything to me. But it's not just about me - it's about the whole B+L family. The brand represents everything that we want to make and do, and is an opportunity to express ourselves. B+L Started out as a creative outlet; it was a way to express ourselves using a different medium. After a few years of working in the film industry, we wanted to create something more personal. Fashion was perfect choice because it embodies everything - film, commercials, photography, story, clothes, art, and more. When I was young, I didn’t know that I wanted to pursue fashion. All I knew was that I wanted to be become a great artist. Everything happened organically, contributing to who I am today. It does take a whole team to make B+L happen. My business partner and I handle all the designs, production, sales, and inventory management. We have friends who have generously helped with our website, as well as talented photographers who have shot all our look books. Finally, we have teams abroad who have helped with production. We would not be where we are today if it weren't for our many friends and colleagues who have given their time to developing the company.

Kyle Skahill: How do you escape the Neth Nom version of writer’s block when it strikes and deadlines loom?

Neth Nom: I try to always be looking for inspiration - magazines, movies, music. That way, I have a store of inspiring things that can help in moments of need. When I feel blocked, I try to just dive in and do it. I start drawing. I make something. Once you make something happen, the ideas flow and you can build it into something better.

Kyle Skahill: Now that you are in the midst of B+L’s third season, what learning experiences from the prior two have led to the biggest changes in company mindset, orientation, or planning? Any major setbacks to overcome or unanticipated successes that changed the game?

Neth Nom: We’re artists by training, not businessmen. We’ve had a lot to learn about how to start and run a business. In particular, we’ve learned a ton about the mechanics of apparel production. Obviously, we didn't know much when we were trying to make clothes for our first season. We've had some production setbacks where the product quality wasn't up to par or production/shipping delays really threw off our schedule.  So we've learned who is a good manufacturer to work with, who we can count on for quality assurance, and how important lead time is in getting a collection out on time. A lot of our vendor relationships have ended up being successful, which we hoped for but couldn't anticipate. For example, our relationship with Devon Chulick of D-Structure has been really fantastic. It wasn't something we could have anticipated back in 2009 when I walked into the store and asked to talk to the owner.

Kyle Skahill: One of the earlier seasons focused on chess piece iconography. Do you have a similar motif for the current line? And if so, how do these subjects end up being selected to run through the season?

Neth Nom: We don't focus on a certain theme with each season. Things happen organically. With the chess pieces, we were inspired as we were researching the collection. But we don't want to limit ourselves to a given iconographic theme each season. What's important is that each collection is cohesive and feels like it belongs in a family. For the current line, there aren't any themed shirts. But we knew that for the look, we wanted an urban, industrial feel - a combination of San Francisco and the easy Bay Area.

Kyle Skahill: You’ve been living in the SF/Bay Area for at least 7 years now, between school, working at one of the top animation studios in the world, and now heading up the effort to get B+L into stores. How do you think the style and economic climate in the city have changed over that time and how does that affect your tactics or process?

Neth Nom: What is unique about SF is the progressive, all-embracing people. There is such diversity in the different communities throughout the city. Living in the city, being surrounded by so much culture, serves as constant inspiration. Although economics have surely changed over the past 7 years, you find that SF is always beautiful, vibrant and a place I'm proud to have lived in. As a college student, clearly it was very inspiring to live at Bush and Leavenworth. The fact that my roommates were also drawn to San Francisco really affected my process. We were all living together, going to school, being inspired. I was able to feed off very talented people living around me, and it’s served me well since finishing school.

It all started at Bush and Leavenworth.