Technical & Technological Tailoring Meet in Innovative NB44 Venture
Nicolas Bijan isn’t only presenting technical tailoring with his luxury menswear line – the designer is also leaning into technological tailoring. NB44, Bijan’s latest venture, seamlessly merges technology and fashion for an innovative and personalized take on the luxury market. With each new season, the brand sends its new line straight to their members’ doorsteps, neatly packaged into three complete styled looks ready for try-on. Tailored to each individual’s preferences tracked through the exclusive NB44 app, the outfits bring a personalized touch to seasonal shopping. Any returns are neatly handled by the designer in-app, and pieces that were not chosen to keep are then picked up from the client after purchasing selections have been made.
With a waitlist of over three thousand names signed to date and positive reception from the luxury menswear circle and its preliminary clients, NB44 is poised for immense success within the personal shopping and direct-to-consumer fashion pipeline. Bijan’s unique approach to luxury design not only builds community through a streamlined white-glove concierge cycle, but also eliminates common stressors for shoppers. Customized styling suggestions through the presentation of three full looks in each seasonal collection, return ease through choices made in-app, and a tailored shopping experience ensure that NB44 clients feel comfortable, cared for, and listened to. The designer tells me that he’s felt for some time that “there has been a wide gap in luxury menswear…a growing lack of trust and relationship-building between brands and their end consumers.” NB44 aims to not only complete that roundtable circle of trust from production to purchase, but to build upon it with individualized data-driven adjustments based on each client’s tracked stylistic preferences.
We believe if we do our job right, our clothing should empower our members to feel like the best versions of themselves and should also be a reflection of how unique this person truly is.
NB44 designer Nicolas Bijan, on the importance of merging technology with a human personal touch
Nicolas Bijan is the son of Iranian luxury menswear designer Bijan Pakzad, known mononymously as Bijan. His late father’s work in luxury garments with impeccable tailoring and renowned clean lines in design has clearly had a positive effect on Nicolas, as NB44 brings the same high-quality and meticulous craftsmanship that clientele have come to historically expect from the House of Bijan.
Carrying on the mantle, the young designer adds his own flair to the creative direction for NB44, built upon pillars of a strong background adjacent to the fashion space and a strong future of innovation that lies ahead in modern design, NB44 is built for the upscale lifestyle, and Nicolas Bijan looks to ensure that the NB44 community thrives as the line continues to grow organically – NB44 is now available in twenty-six cities worldwide.
Nicolas shares his thoughts on the innovation missing in upscale fashion until now, his experience with building a modern menswear business, scaling to meet his rapidly growing community base, incorporating AI, and the importance of maintaining a special human personal touch within the luxury fashion space of 2024 in this exclusive interview.
Nicolas, thank you for taking a few moments to chat! As a father and a luxury business owner, I know you must have a packed daily schedule. Growing up around fashion with your own father’s famous line, do you feel that influenced your path into becoming a designer?
I was very fortunate to have not only a great teacher but also a great father. His profound influence on all aspects of my life, particularly in design and business, continues to inspire me. His generosity and respect made a lasting impact on people from all walks of life, and this motivates me greatly in all aspects of my life, not just in design.
Was there a certain point in time where you suddenly realized there was this massive gap in luxury menswear, which would become the idea seed for NB44?
I’ve felt for some time that there has been a wide gap in luxury menswear, not only for contemporary yet elegant clothing designed for the dynamic and modern man in the best quality but even more, a growing lack of trust and relationship-building between brands and their end consumers. From what I understand, this was not always the case with luxury brands of the past—those that valued their clientele and built organic, authentic relationships. This all led to the creation of NB44, aiming to impact both the brand and its customers through quality, innovation, sustainability, and community.
What is the NB44 invitation and selection process like? How many clients currently are invited to experience the line?
At NB44, we are committed to offering impeccable quality, service, and unique design, while also building a diverse community of like-minded individuals who find true value in our products and services. This community, now extending to over 26 cities worldwide, grows organically as we are able to provide an unparalleled experience without compromise. Naturally, we will always prioritize referrals from our existing members.
You have a waitlist of over 3,000 registrants now, I understand - reminiscent of the successful scarcity model that street brands like Supreme employ. Why the scarcity model for NB44?
I prefer to think of it as an elevated model, rather than a scarcity model. We produce elevated products and offer elevated service, therefore, we can only provide this to a limited number of individuals. Our goal is not exclusion but actually the opposite. As long as we can provide this unique experience without compromise, and our ability to serve more members grows, so will the number of invitations we offer to the thousands of people who have registered their interest in membership at NB44.com.
It seems you genuinely care about your clients, and it really shows in your business! I read you also have an Ambassador program for inspiring up and coming talent in the young athletics field – young equestrian Carlos Hank Guerreiro and NCAA Division I athlete Pasha Goodarzi are some of the most recent faces to represent the program.
What qualities make up the NB44 ambassador? What unique opportunities can young athletes gain from this fostering platform?
NB44 will always champion the next generation, extending beyond athletics to encompass various fields. Our Ambassador program seeks individuals who excel not only in their respective arenas but also aspire to express their stories through their own personal fashion. We aim to highlight these personalities, providing them a platform where their attire speaks as eloquently as their talents, thereby inspiring their peers and broadening their influence. As a young professional, I was empowered by many, and when founding NB44, I wanted to ensure we continued this tradition. As a next-generation luxury brand, I felt it was very important and synergistic to also empower the next generation of leaders in their respective fields.
Do you utilize AI algorithms for member clothing style matching to each client’s marked preferences, or does your team handle this manually?
Both! While we do utilize AI to better understand our members' preferences and how we can offer options that best serve them. While this is not a fully autonomous model, the data and algorithms assist our team in providing collections that meet the unique needs of each member. That said, we feel a personal and human touch is very important, so finding ways to marry the two has been something we have embraced and I believe we’ve done a great job thus far!
I love that! Presenting full outfits to members in each case (for their piece-by-piece selections) also to me rings a bit similar to presenting styled runway looks for audiences at a fashion show. Will NB44 follow the standard cyclical fashion calendar for its collection releases? Do you anticipate the brand will host runway shows in the future?
We present collections in seasonal shipments to our members every season up to four times a year, depending on the members preferences. We present our collections in a way that helps members understand how they can wear them. This expands beyond the collections members receive.
At our recent membership dinner, we highlighted six outfits with lights that light up as you get closer. Since we like to present our clothing in the best possible way and an equally important aspect of the brand is community, a fashion show would make a lot of sense.
When you design NB44 each season, who do you envision wearing the brand?
The NB44 man or woman is selective and places a lot of value on their time. They have the option to choose from any number of luxury brands, yet they prioritize exclusivity, quality, and the service and respect we aim to deliver. We believe if we do our job right, our clothing should empower our members to feel like the best versions of themselves and should also be a reflection of how unique this person truly is.
NB44 is carving its own space in the luxury style realm, tailored specifically to its clients’ needs with a thoughtful and intentional approach that integrates both technology and humanized personalization. Through supporting both their own members and the next generation of talent, NB44 aims to be more than a clothing line – it’s a community.
You can learn more about NB44 and sign up for the waitlist online at https://www.nb44.com/ and find designer Nicolas Bijan on social media at @nicolasbijan.
CREDITS
Writer: Laur Weeks @Laur.Weeks
Designer: Nicolas Bijan @NicolasBijan
Brand: NB44 @NB44official
PR: Purple PR @PurplePR
All photography courtesy of PR and Nicolas Bijan.
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