At her Garment District studio in the early 1980s, Nicole Miller launched what would become one of America’s most recognizable fashion brands – pairing an artful, Paris-honed approach to draping with the energy of a contemporary New York scene.

After studying at the Rhode Island School of Design and perfecting her technique at the L’Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, Miller cut her teeth working for hot dress designer Clovis Ruffin and, then, designing raincoats at P.J. Walsh before co-founding her namesake label in 1982 with business partner Bud Konheim, whom she met there.

Known for her body-conscious silhouettes and adventurous prints, she quickly earned a reputation for bridging uptown polish with downtown wit – eventually expanding into accessories, home, and a menswear business built on her famously irreverent neckties.

A CFDA member for over three decades, Miller remains a symbol of creative longevity across fashion, homewares, wine, and more, with a career that continues to evolve while staying true to the fearless innovation that defined her rise.

At the National Arts Club last Friday, CFDA and its Editorial and Communications Director Marc Karimzadeh welcomed Miller into the salon for an engaging conversation on major career moments, starting a brand in a changing industry, and the ability to always remain curious.

What did being a female founder mean to you at the time? What were the challenges that you faced upon starting out?

I think all female designers – and honestly, a lot of women have shared this with me – carried a certain complex, because male designers received more attention. It wasn’t just about the designers; we all felt like a neglected group and we were constantly talking about that. I suppose it pushed us to work harder.

When I first started, there were some really cool women’s designers around. There was Carol Horn, for example, and Anne Pinkerton, whom I adored, and Charlotte Neuville who was wonderful too. Everyone’s situation was a little different. Most of us had backers or partners; I don’t think many of us were doing it entirely on our own. But we were a determined bunch. We really wanted to make it, and we worked hard to get there.

Can you share the story of one of your signature items, the ties?

We needed accessories for the store, so I started making scarves. Then, we started putting ties in the store, so women would buy them for their husbands, or if their husbands were waiting for their wives, they could buy them. We had this one theater-ticket tie…the Met Gift Shop loved them, came and bought them, and sold hundreds of them. Then, the Met tried to sue us, even as we were selling ties in their gift shop! Fortunately, they let it go.

We were just indiscriminately using logos then – candy like Hershey, Nestle, or logos from the beer companies. Other alcohol companies then called us and asked for ties. We made ties for Absolut, Stoli (Stolichnaya), and every kind of alcohol. Next, everybody wanted sports ties, so we did golf, football, and baseball ties. At that moment, we were selling so many ties that I’d go to Neiman Marcus [for a personal appearance), and there would be 150 guys waiting for me. I felt so popular! The ties took off like crazy, and it was one of the most fun times of my career.