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Design alumna founds own streetwear label

From studying design to starting a fashion label: HMKW alumna Nida Temaj has taken a bold step into the future. Together with a friend, she founded FRANK BERLIN - a fashion brand that focuses on mental health issues. We talked with Nida about this exciting project and the highlights of her studies.

Nida Temaj, graduate of B.A. Graphic Design and Visual Communication, founded a streetwear label in 2021.

Nida Temaj, graduate of B.A. Graphic Design and Visual Communication, founded a streetwear label in 2021.

Last year, you graduated from HMKW with a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design and Visual Communication. What’s your current job position?

After graduating from HMKW in 2020 with a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design and Visual Communication and after my successful exhibition as part of my final project, I started as an Art Director Assistant at a Berlin based creative agency.

The agency was founded in 2020 by designer Jette Joop in response to the pandemic. We create digital campaigns, marketing concepts and design concepts mainly for JETTE jewelry. Overall, I really like the interdisciplinary work in the areas of marketing, design and graphic design, so my tasks include, among others, campaign conception, market analysis and concept development. I help organize photo shoots and video productions and I also take care of content planning and creation. Apart from that I decided to continue my studies in Business Communication Management, as I would like to expand my knowledge in marketing.

What are you working on at the moment?

I'm currently working on my own streetwear label with my friend Anh Dinh. Our label FRANK BERLIN is a streetwear brand that made it its mission to spread awareness for mental health. The brand was officially founded in April 2021 and launched with the opening of their house own online shop at the end of November 2021. Mental health is a topic that has been increasingly finding its way into our lives since Covid and we felt the importance to share and educate as many people as we can reach. That was the moment we created FRANK BERLIN. In addition to creative and strategic tasks, there are many corporate management tasks that are new to me but still very exciting. I always wanted to be self-employed and by founding the company I was able to fulfill a small dream.

 

Why did you decide to study B.A. Graphic Design and Visual Communication at HMKW Berlin?

A funny coincidence, because I was already familiar with HMKW, as my old dance teacher studied there. And after graduating from school in 2016, I searched for a suitable course of study for me. I've always wanted to work in a creative environment, but one that also has a business connection. At that time, I even read through the Success Stories of HMKW and was very inspired by the graduates and came across the profession of Art and Creative Direction. From then on, I knew I wanted to follow a similar path and the interdisciplinary study program ultimately convinced me of HMKW.

What did you like the most about your studies/the study program in general? And what was the biggest challenge during your studies?

Our classes were small and familiar and the relationship with the professors was also rather collegial, which made it much easier to work together on projects and motivated us to get feedback.

And as I mentioned above, I liked the many different disciplines that the program offered me. From drawing classes, photography classes, to art history, exhibition design, motion design, and more. It was new to me, so I was very excited about it. But coming straight out of school with no design experience, my biggest challenge was learning all the different techniques. Each discipline has different requirements and methods, which can be a bit overwhelming at the beginning.

 

In your opinion, from which experiences/courses/projects during your studies will you benefit the most in your future career?

You learn the most from the project class because you work with real clients. Every customer has certain wishes that must be considered. You have to understand what the customer wants and still incorporate your design aesthetic, create something original and still convince the customer with it. These skills are important to successfully master your design career.

How do you get inspired? And what inspires you the most?

Inspiration is everywhere. Whether in everyday life, at work or just browsing through social media. I just try to follow my intuition and let myself be inspired by things that move something in me and let me be myself. Music, for example, has a very strong influence on me and I also really love the work of director Gaspar Noé and his aesthetic.

What are your plans for the future?

I haven't made up my mind yet, because I like to let things come to me and there's a lot you can't influence. But I'm interested in studying for a master's degree abroad, maybe in the field of business psychology. I would like to gain more working experience in marketing and I am considering an internship as a brand strategist. Between all that I don't want to lose sight of creativity and design, so I try not to miss these two components in my life and my career choice.

Thank you very much for the interview. We wish you all the best and much success for all of your future projects.