23Mar

As the clocks go forward this weekend, it's the perfect opportunity to take some time out and ponder what we’ve been up to this past month. Well – it’s been a month of change that’s for sure! We’ve all been replacing our darker warmer clothing with lighter brighter colours to lift our spirits.
With our new collection officially launched – we’ve received lots of positive feedback about the fresh look our new designer Niki Groom has brought to Nomads. Last week she came to visit us in Cornwall to begin working on some gorgeous new prints for SS13. See a photo of Niki below enjoying a cup of tea whilst wearing a lovely blue and white blouse from our Spring collection (they are selling like hotcakes!)
 
This spring, our best selling styles are listed here with easy links to take you straight to the shopping pages:
 
1. Tunic Dresses – offer a versatile and flattering shape that’s perfect to wear now with leggings and later on as a sundress. This is a must for an update to your spring look.
 
2. Cardigans – essential for this time of year (and all year round in the UK!) choose from belted, cropped or longer tailored lengths. Colours coordinate with our whole range.
 
3. Wide Leg Trousers – there’s “on trend” pyjama style prints and plain handloom cotton to choose from in lots of new colours. Both styles have really comfy jersey and smocked style waistbands that makes the fit so easy.
 
Looking ahead we are getting ready for Easter – many are going on holiday for that crucial break we all need – we anticipate a rush on our Sun & Sand trend of maxi dresses,kurta tops and brightly coloured accessories. Check them out now to start planning that break!
 
Wishing everyone a super sunny Spring!
 
PS. Don’t forget to turn the clocks forward this weekend – how lovely that we all get an extra hour of daylight again!

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28Feb

This year’s theme is “Take a Step”. With that in mind we are considering more than ever how important it is to keep the fair in trade. How we trade is all encompassing from paying a fair price to reusing waste material so that we have fair thoughts on individual and environmental matters.
With our Spring Womenswear Launch about to take place we would like to highlight how some of our designs have a positive impact on the people who make them.
Style Tip: Layer this organic cotton dress with this lovely organic bow tie cardigan. For added colour accessorise with this matching set of handmade bangles made by TARA.
From our new SS12 Collection, this gorgeous jersey dress has been hand dip dyed which is a traditional method of dying fabric – the dyers in Jaipur depend on our orders for hand dyed clothing to keep their businesses thriving. Organic cotton is also a great choice for the fabric, because the growers are treated fairly. They are paid a fair wage and because the farming method is organic – they don’t have to use harmful chemical pesticides. This dress is perfect for wearing now as it’s got ¾ length sleeves and just skimming the knees perfect with or without boots.
Blouses are perfect for spring and so easy to layer with an organic jersey cardigan. The print on this kurta blouse is made using a wooden block that has been hand carved. The ancient tradition of block printing has been used for centuries in rural villages across India. In order to preserve this craft and to maintain an income for the artisans it is important to continue using this beautiful hand printing technique in our designs.
Style Tip: Wear your beautiful block printed kurta blouse with these comfy handloom cotton trousers. The jersey waistband has a bit of stretch to give a perfect fit. Add this pretty beaded bracelet – handmade by the TARA Project.
The cotton is spun and woven entirely by hand using a traditional handloom machine. Villages depend on income received from this craft which our orders ensure they will earn and be able to support their families. Here is an example of the intricately carved wooden blocks that are used for printing. We think they are works of art in themselves.
If it’s fair trade accessories that you are after, this tonal bead bracelet from the Tara project is perfect. The jewellery makers are trained in house and they benefit from a wonderful support network. Across Northern India, TARA is responsible for setting up informal learning centres for and providing emergency medical camps for natural disasters. They also help single parent families set up their own micro businesses by providing them safe interest free loans. TARA is supporting these ladies to set up their own business reconditioning and reselling shoes in the markets of Delhi.
Why not take a step yourself this fair trade fortnight. We would love to hear what you get up to. Please let us know by joining the Nomads community on twitter or Facebook.

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25Jan

Now that we have started a new year – and as this one is the year of the water dragon – we are preparing ourselves for a year of change, excitement and getting ourselves out there. This is not the year to go unnoticed and with our new fair trade clothing collection ready to show we are certainly following this advice.
Our first trade show of the season kicked off with great positive response and we are now busy getting ready for Pure in London and Spring Fair and Moda in Birmingham. With fair trade fortnight approaching fast, we are also preparing fashion show boxes for all those eager requests and hope to get them out to you in good time.
2012 is definitely a year of change for us. Our spring range is the first one designed by our new designer Niki Groom. She has refreshed our whole look and she’s about to put our wardrobes in smooth order with this carefully co-ordinated collection. As well as our classics collection of hippy style clothes we have our new boutique range of delightful dresses and little jackets. She has kept to the essence of what makes Nomads clothing a unique brand by retaining the block print work, hand tie dye and embroidery techniques as well as providing a few items in organic cotton. It’s all come together so well, we hope you will agree – with colours and styles that intermingle beautifully.
Check out our recently updated preview page to see what’s coming soon. And don’t forget to join our community on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. We are all set up now for a year of lightness, colour and lots of fun!

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22Nov

November 2011  We've just returned from an amazing trip to India where we developed our Spring Summer range for next year. We can't tell you too much (you'll have to wait for the catalogue!) but it's full of vibrant colour, beautiful prints and some sparkly sequins. We want to wear it all now!
 
Vicky and I managed 52 cups of chai, 7 hours of vintage shopping, 28 portions of dhal, 6 hours of perfecting 'that spring summer camisole', 4 hours searching to find the best block prints, 7 hours of upcycling, 3 hours discussing the right pink, 8 gulab jamun (yum), 9 hours stuck in traffic and countless hours designing new and exciting things for you all!
 
We've seen 2 boys carrying a calf on a moped, a man sleeping under his truck on a matress on the highway, elaborate wedding processions, countless amazing saris, lots and lots of onions on the market stalls, Pinky's son doing his Bollywood dance routine, and cows and decorated horses and camels galore. So much inspiration all around us!
 
Here's a selection of photos to give you a taster of the Nomads team in Incredible India. Namaste!
 
Niki

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02Oct

With autumn definitely in full stride now, we are busy sweeping up golden leaves and making chutneys and jams. The harvest of apples has been fantastic this year; so no doubt some apple pie and cider are on the menu too!
 
Looking at our key styles for right now we are finding that layers are definitely the way to go. Pinafore dresses and mock wrap jersey styles are key. Adding a few accessories by Braintree and you are good to go. We are pleased to bring back their berets and arm-warmers and introducing new soft tops and tights. Our scarves this season have never been so popular! Pashminas are huge, not to mention neck scarves in a whole rainbow of colours.
 
Looking ahead we are now bringing out the coats and discussing party style ideas. We would love to hear what you have in mind for the upcoming season.
Email our blogger at jo@nomadsclothing.co.uk  Here’s a few of our favourite pictures of the season so far. Exhibiting at the shows and creating quite a stir with our hydrangea head mannequins!

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04Jun

June 2011 With the longest day now just past, we are all reflecting on what has been a dry early summer...now giving way to the much needed rain. Ok ... so this doesn't ride well with our preference for sunshine but it's good for growing and many of us at Nomads enjoy a spot of veggie gardening ... so soon our larders will be full!

This month we want to give a warm welcome to designer Niki who has recently joined us. Niki joined Vicky in india to start work on future developements ... meeting our fair trade suppliers and checking out the local markets for inspiration. They tweaked a few final pieces for the autumn/winter collection - but you will have to wait a little bit longer to see those!

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15May

As we move from spring to summer our collection has hit the streets and your favourite summer dress by far has to be our patchworked cotton sundress. The great thing about this dress is not only the flattering cut of the design but the fact that it uses up waste fabric which would otherwise end up in a landfill. Working in the fashion trade this is a concern for us and so with this in mind, we are putting together several ranges for next season which will incorporate the reuse of fabric and using up of waste material. The resulting pieces we think are stunning, but you will have to wait until September to judge for yourself.

This month we have been away on another photoshoot - but we haven't had to travel that far to get there this time - as the location was in hazy Somerset. We stayed at a wonderful shabby chic country house which is set in the most idyllic natural surroundings with lots of animals and a small lake. I think a few of us wanted to move in permanently. We ate homegrown produce and enjoyed the most delicious pear juice ever! The whole homey feel of the place was so Nomads that we think it was a great backdrop for the upcoming collection.

Back to summer now - we are feeling the love for festival fever and hope that some of our designs do inspire you to get out there - whether it's for music, art or just a walk we hope you enjoy this very beautiful time of the year.

Look how lush and green spring is in England! We are lucky to have such beautiful countryside all around.

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20Apr

Last month our suppliers enjoyed celebrating HOLI - the Spring Festival of Colours. Holi is celebrated by Hindus around the world in an explosion of colour to mark the end of winter. This really is a festival for all and is one of the liveliest celebrations in India. It symbolises the victory of good over evil and brings together people from all walks of life.

Here are a few images of Nomads tailors enjoying the tradition of covering each other with colour! As you can see our suppliers are having a lot of fun throwing coloured powder around and spraying water on each other!

We can definitely say that winter is officially over and it's time to start wearing more colour....although we may choose the clothing option.

Happy Holi Everyone!

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15Apr

We have enjoyed hearing back from all the fashion shows that have taken place during the past couple of months throughout the country. At the end of March we participated in a local fashion event at The Eagle House Hotel in Launceston. The atmosphere was definitely alive with colour and happy faces from a selection of our local independent shops. Proceeds from the night went to "Precious Lives" Childrens Hospice Southwest, who are raising money to build "Little Harbour " - the first children's hospice in Cornwall.

The message that rang through the eve was to shop locally and support our fellow trades people. Shopping locally means we all get to save money on petrol (a big issue these days!) not to mention reducing our carbon footprint. And putting money back into the local community just makes sense.

Everyone enjoyed the evening which had a really uplifting buzz from the catwalk to the stalls. It was lovely to see our fellow retailers and to meet some new people too. The grand finale was a wedding party to show that you can get everything you need right on your doorstep. Bride and groom stepped out with confetti thrown by other models.

A big thank you goes out to all who supported this event and volunteered to model on the night. For anyone who wishes to help cornwall build their first children's hospice you can donate at www.chsw.org.uk

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