NIRVA

nirva.com

By CHRISTINE LIU

del.ico.us | digg it! | reddit!

print | email | 0 Comments

A confession: I was a smitten kitten the first time I came across the work of Lexington-based, Turkish-born designer Nirva Derbekyan. The luscious fabrics, feminine silhouettes and unexpected details of her collections—five ready-to-wear at last count, in addition to couture work—are testament not only to an effusive creativity but also the influence of good ole mommy: "A lot of [my inspiration] is my mom, and remembering our time living in Turkey," recalls Derbekyan, "and how everyone was so dressed up all the time; the competition to look good and original, and the emphasis on quality of fabric. Back then, everything was high heeled, very put together—that always stayed in my mind." The tailored, drapey and embellished pieces of Nirva's work no doubt attest to her international provenance.

Even as a kid growing up in Canada, Derbekyan seemingly couldn't escape her future fate as a designer—especially with a fabric store-owning grandfather, a seamstress mother and a bunch of artists on her father's side. "I was always sketching—like, always—from a young age," says Derbekyan. She persistently submitted designs to Archie comic book clothing idea contests, and would painstakingly design her own empire of fashion mags: "I had three volumes of magazines, almost like Vogue," laughs Derbekyan. She composed "everything from the cover to the ads to my own fashion designs—even the advice column."

After graduating from the fashion design program at MassArt, she spent a couple years working abroad. "My traveling in London helped me grow as a person and my designs as well," she declares. "Living there and working there was great—it opened my eyes to things that you can't learn in school." With cosmopolitan revelations aplenty, Derbekyan's since established her showroom and developed a signature brand in Boston. "There are a lot of designers out there," she sagely notes. In defense of her sourcing high-quality silks, Austrian trims or big wooden buttons for her line: "I try to make it more my personality, of what I like."

Designs available at Matsu [259 Newbury St., Boston. 617.266.9707. matsuboston.com] and Nirva's Atelier [1628 Mass. Ave., Lexington. 781.888.0515. nirva.com]

PEACOCK-FEATHERED HEADBAND | $85

[Available at GALVIN-ized Headwear, 450 Harrison Ave., Studio 300-C, South End, Boston. 617.426.4885. galvinizedhats.com]

SILK LEMONADE YELLOW DRESS WITH SILK TAFFETA BELT | $210

[Available at Nirva, 1628 Mass. Ave., Lexington. 781.888.0515. nirva.com]

BRONZE FLATS BY VERY VOLATILE | $10

[Available at Boomerangs, 716 Centre St., Jamaica Plain. 617.524.5120. aac.org/boomerangs]

GOLD LUCITE-STUDDED BANGLE WITH MAGNETIC HINGE BY ALEXIS BITTAR | $145

STERLING SILVER 14K YELLOW-PLATED GOLD RECTANGULAR-FACED RING BY ITHIL | $225

[Available at Persona Jewelry+, 504 Comm. Ave., Hotel Commonwealth, Kenmore Sq., Boston. 617.266.3003. personastyle.com]

MODEL | Audrena

Find her at Leeba Salon, 1024 Comm. Ave., Boston. 617.566.6969. leebasalon.com or myspace.com/audrena