FLATIRON — They went from Burning Man to the runways of Fashion Week.
Nicole Vaunt and Najva Sol — the women behind fashion label Vaunt & Sol — are debuting their first runway-ready collection at Fashion Week Fall 2014, capping off more than a decade of collaborating on everything from designing costumes for the annual Nevada desert festival Burning Man, to cutting fabric together on their living room floor as high schoolers in Maryland, to traveling across the globe to gather fashion inspiration.
"Fashion Week is nothing after using a porta potty in the desert for a week," said Sol, 26, who lives in Crown Heights.
The duo's line is dedicated to "urbane attire and shapes that are inspired by the old world, but created for the new," she said.
"You should never have to choose between function and beauty," Sol added, saying each look is created with a strict standard.
"You have to be able to do the splits in it," she said.
Because of a pop-up runway provided by Manufacture New York — a support company for emerging designers — the young fashionistas have the opportunity to send their designs down a New York City runway during Fashion Week Fall 2014.
"This is an amazing opportunity for us," Sol said. "This collection is high quality, dreamy, and luxurious. It is ready to be seen."
Sol — who prides herself a "former nightlife maven" — worked as a bartender, hostess, event planner, go-go dancer and "basically anything that had to do with New York City nightlife" before dedicating herself to design. Her experiences — coupled with her Persian background — inspired the drapey, colorful, urban, oversized look of the collection.
While Sol dreams up big visions for Vaunt & Sol designs, Vaunt — a couture latex designer for her own company VAUNTD — makes them a reality.
"Nicole's terminology in the world of textiles is immense," Sol said. "She is amazing at taking my ideas, curating them, and making them happen."
Vaunt & Sol will be showing their collection on Wednesday Feb. 5 at MNY 55 located at 55 West 17th St. at 2 p.m.
