Nina Briance is the founder and CEO of independent fashion marketplace Cult Mia, which 'scouts the world for see-and-be-seen hero pieces.'
Whether it's handbags from Mexico, dopamine-inducing two-pieces from Denmark, or old Hollywood-inspired brands from Ukraine, the platform hones in on finding the best new and noteworthy labels on the planet who deserve to have their moment in the spotlight.
Cult Mia is rapidly growing, and has recently teamed up with the British Fashion Council - the organisation that arranges the Fashion Awards. And Nina was invited this year for her first-ever red carpet appearance representing her company. "I wanted to support them on their biggest evening of the year," she tells Hello! Fashion.
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Naturally, Nina chose pieces from her platform for the occasion "One of my favourite things about Cult Mia is the breadth of designers on the platform," she tells Hello! Fashion, "while we definitely have a distinctive aesthetic, we’ve handpicked pieces from more than 350 designers, who power an incredibly diverse, yet cohesive curation."
Her incredible leather-clad outfit for the Royal Albert Hall perfectly encapsulated her personal style agenda. "My personal style touches more on timeless and investment pieces, with a pop of what is on trend," she says, "I never like to look back on photos and think, why did I ever wear that? The ‘it’s so out of style now’ feeling isn’t one that I like when it comes to reflecting on what I wore previously for an important event."
"I like to select that standout Cult Mia item for my look and then build the rest of my outfit around my fits. This way I feel I’m combining Cult Mia’s aesthetic, but making it my own."
Nina takes Hello! Fashion on her journey to preparing for her Fashion Awards appearance, her outfit details and her most memorable moments...
The Fashion Awards Insider Diary:
"Mondays are particularly busy work-wise at Cult Mia, so meetings carried me through to the point of getting ready. I had pre-selected my outfit and found it incredibly helpful to get ready at home (thanks to the amazing glam team at Ruuby), so preparation-wise, thankfully it wasn’t a stressful afternoon."
"The red carpet arrival was very exciting (especially with the rain that added some “texture” to my hair). Inside the Royal Albert Hall was stunning - the aesthetic and mood that you felt as you walked in and throughout the ceremony was absolutely buzzing. The performances, in particular Sam Smith, were incredible, along with Valentino’s presentation with the most striking red collection. It was definitely one of those events that you didn’t want to end!"
"Honing in on eveningwear to select an outfit for this event, wasn’t a difficult feat - dresses are our bread and butter at Cult Mia. I landed on this leather slit maxi dress. I changed the connected bustier to one that I had from Carolina Herrera (more than anything for comfort, strapless can sometimes be tricky for long seated evenings). The floor-length leather skirt with an amazing train stood out to me as something less expected and more unique for the Fashion Awards, along with feeling like the temperature was very much leather weather. I added these sheer black rhinestone gloves that are part of our exclusive capsule collection that we designed with Nue Studios in November - the outfit needed subtle sparkle (along with jewellery of course)."
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"It was my first red carpet-event representing Cult Mia, so I was equally nervous and excited. In terms of managing both, I frankly didn’t have too much time to think about the pre-event jitters - I was back to back in meetings right until a quick getting ready process or the red carpet."
"I like to select that standout Cult Mia item for my look and then build the rest of my outfit around my fits. This way I feel I’m combining Cult Mia’s aesthetic, but making it my own. One of my favourite lines from our brand story is 'good fashion tells a story, but great fashion helps you explore your own.' This is Cult Mia’s power, in my opinion, giving the ability to select a one-of-a-kind piece and for it to complement your personal style, rather than overpower it."
"I have a baby girl who was very intrigued by the hair and make-up process. Keeping her entertained, while trying to avoid getting my hair pulled was a balancing act! There was also a big debate about bringing a coat to stay warm on the red carpet or showcasing the full look - I’m so glad that I opted for warm this time around.... although next year I will definitely bring a clutch-sized umbrella."
