Sweet Designer: Efi Green
I just finished driving to Los Angeles. It involved two days of driving twelve hours straight, one night of literally no sleep, and a twenty ounce Red Bull. So, being me, I spent the entire time singing tunelessly along to the radio and wondering if there was any Asian food nearby. I also spent the entire time wearing the comfortable but super boring combination of sunglasses, a T-shirt, and shorts. Which was fine because, I mean, we’re on a road trip! Except for the fact that my best friend decided to wear the cutest sundress ever… to drive through middle-of-nowhere Northern California. And then the next day, a cat-print chiffon collared top. Adorable! So then I felt kind of bad about the whole thing, but not bad enough to actually wear anything more cute and less comfortable.
So here’s the thing. If I had packed a dreamy, vintage-inspired sweater dress from 8000 Nerves rather than five pairs of shoes, I could have managed to be crazy comfortable and keep up with my best friend’s style. And I don’t even want to talk about how much I love sweaters. So much. The four sisters behind 8000 Nerves manage to whip up effortlessly smart and charming clothes that manage to range from classic black and white to printed pants and cutouts that I can easily imagine myself wearing from class to work to dinner with friends, and each piece carries 8000 Nerves’ unique message of empowerment – “be daring, be free”. Lucky for us lovely Angelenos, 8000 Nerves will be taking part in a block party sale at Space15Twenty this Saturday, August 25 from 12-6pm. Don’t miss out, because I definitely won’t! Just in time, I caught up with designer Efi Green to talk inspiration, creative vision, and block parties (have I mentioned how much I love block parties? So much.)
Describe 8000 Nerves in a few words.
Charming and sophisticated. Though the vintage and charming integrity of the brand is still alive, we are evolving from super quirky to a hint of edge.
Who are you as a designer, and what inspires you?
I’m a colorful bird with a positive, easy going attitude and a creative open mind about life. I love texture and form, and I love colors and new concepts. People who love what they do and are driven to make a positive difference are inspiring and helping others is very fruitful. My family can keep me on the right track. Music can put me in the right mood. Venturing off to newness, separate from the boring routine, is always an eye opener and with eyes wide open, I can see the vision I am aiming for a whole lot clearer.
What inspired you to launch 8000 Nerves?
I was inspired to launch this line because it was one of the bigger challenges I could think of to try to get me to the next stage in my career. My sisters and I share a common love for fashion and creative things in general, so it made sense to launch this together with them. There has been a substantial development in the brand as well as the look of the collections. I think the evolution in the brand has been a direct reflection of our own personal growth as well.
What has been the highlight of your work?
Growing as a person and being able to share this experience with my family has been exquisite. It’s amazing to see people excited about our dresses and to see an idea come to life. Being able to take a vision and create a tangible item that can make people feel great is very exciting to me. I’m driven to see where we can take 8000 Nerves and how we can ultimately inspire people to dream big and keep a positive outlook even when some days can be heartbreaking. It’s been an amazing experience to overcome some of the challenges that 8000 Nerves has faced and to keep on moving forward.
Is there a specific story behind the name 8000 Nerves?
8000 Nerves is really a philosophy in itself: “be daring, be free, empower yourself with your 8000 Nerves”. The idea is to embrace the notion to love, live life to the fullest and put aside all the negative stuff that make you unhappy. We all have the basic components that can bring us the most joy, and it’s up to us to search within ourselves to find it. Own who you are and be as confident as you can be. We’re all unique and wonderful in different ways and the idea is to own what makes you unique and dress the part of the free spirited, colorful person you can be. You are the master of your own destiny and the only person that will decide where you’ll go, how you’ll get there, and what you’ll be wearing along the way.
What are your plans for the future?
I am very open-minded to the plans of my future. I’d love for 8000 Nerves to grow and I’m excited to see where we can take it. I’m a big believer in enjoying the process because the goals are ultimately endless. So with that in mind, I will continue to put my heart into everything that I do and hope for the very best.
[...] might remember 8000 Nerves from my interview with the designer. Last weekend I went up to Silverlake to stop by Trader Joe’s (salted caramels! blueberry [...]