Nina Garduno is the female mastermind behind FREECITY - the ultra comfortable clothing line which has swept the nation due to their relaxed vibe, inspiring statements, and the perfect marriage of luxe with lounge. With September 11th playing a key role in the lines ideation and inception - Nina Garduno is the sole individual who is credited with creating one of my favorite lines. I was fortunate enough to chat with her - and learned about her travels as a teenager, her appreciation and support for upcoming talent, and why she hates the word “retail”. Check it out…

Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from and how did you get your start in fashion? Did you know it was an industry you always wanted to pursue? I grew up in LA in Laurel Canyon in the 70s—a very special time in LA and especially in the canyon.  I feel like it’s a lot of what shapes what I make today. I didn’t know it was an industry I wanted to pursue.  It was a surprise to me.

You developed the concept of “Free City” while you were a menswear buyer at Ron Herman. How did this experience come about? When I was 17 I started traveling to different places and was very inspired by how other people lived. I took a trip to Copenhagen and came across a place called Christiania.  This was a community that was referred to as a “free city”.  Kind of lawless and very hippie. After that trip I realized I had been to many places like this.  For example, the Earthship community in New Mexico—very eco-inspired—Tassajara in the Tassajara mountains in California—a zen Buddhist retreat— Brasilia in Brazil—an Oscar Niemeyer architectural iconic city.  All of these places share a similar unconventional pursuit.  Some are based in religion, some are based in marijuana, some in architecture.  I was inspired by the idea that you could live an unconventional life.  That life could be anything you wanted it to be—boundless.  This is the spirit and the inspiration for FREECITY.

What was the first “FREECITY” item you made? What was the initial response? I made a t-shirt that said FREECITY on the front and Neighborhood on the back.  At the time, there weren’t really any t-shirts that said anything or had any graphics.  Everything was really plain.  So people responded really well and I think people wore it feeling like this was a personal statement about themselves.  It was made to feel that way. It wasn’t made for fashion.

What inspired the statement “LIFE NATURE LOVE”? What exactly does it mean to you? I remember the day very clearly when I thought of the words, Life Nature Love.  It was on September 11^th and it was such a tragic day that you think about things that mean the most.  I wrote on my arm Life Nature Love.

The bird is a symbol that is found within your clothes. What meaning/symbolism does the bird represent? I have two birds – one is a hummingbird and the other is a dove.  They both represent spirit, goodness, and everything that lives in FREECITY.

How would you describe the “Free City Super Shop” retail post? What is the mentality behind the interior design? The word “retail” rubs me wrong.  The whole idea about the FREECITYsupershop is that anything can happen.  The word “super”, meaning all is possible, and “shop” meaning a small space.  It’s kind of like a snowglobe.  We remake the supershop every August – our opening anniversary. Everything in the supershop is hand-made.  Every piece of furntiture, every color, every print.  Everything is hand-picked and hand-collected for this snowglobe.  Everything is made in our FREECITYworkshop in Hollywood and the challenge is that we find ways to make this fantasy come true.  So this August we made “The Natural FREECITY History Museum/Sending Light.”  Please come and see it.

What does the “FREECITY” vision mean to you? That all things are possible.

What was the idea behind the “Artists Wanted” collection? Artists Wanted is a donation t-shirt.  We wholesale it at $75 and it retails at $75.  The t-shirt pays for itself and 100% of the remaining profit is donated to the support of art and artists. Every group is numbered so you can see where your donation has gone by the number.  Please look on our website. Each donation for a group of t-shirts is $7500.  The idea being that small groups of people can make a very big difference.  So far we’ve donated over $100,000 since it’s inception in 2005.

Throughout your creations - there is an emphasis on ones neighborhood. Where does this idea stem from? Again, a neighborhood is small and close and can be very powerful.  So it brings the word FREECITY – FREECITY neighborhood – a very large idea into a smaller context – like FREECITYsupershop.

How and where is the line made? How many people are on your team? Anything we make is made by the FREECITYworkshop in Hollywood.  All structures, bicycles, clothing, tarps – all things.  All things made, all things possible.

Take us through the creative process - from initial ideation to final execution/delivery. It starts with a phrase, like The Natural FREECITY History Museum/Sending Light.  Then things that are inspired by that phrase.  For The Natural FREECITY History Museum/Sending Light show we made a lion, Peking Man and Woman, dioramas, and clothing—all inspired by this idea of The Natural FREECITY History Museum/Sending Light. History Museums are amazing because they celebrate all things in the universe, from animals, sea creatures, and things in outer space, to amazing feats and human accomplishment and exploration.  Please go visit one soon.

What inspires you? Courage, beauty, music, nature, love

What can we expect from you/FREECITY in the future? Stay tuned

Based on your original concept - how much has this changed/varied to where your line currently exists today? I think the hardest thing is to stay true and that’s what we’ve done and I’m really proud of that.

Any parting words of wisdom? Work hard and live FREECITY.