By Barrett White
When I was a kid, I wanted to be a veterinarian. After that, I wanted to be a teacher. I even thought I might be a theatre dramaturg or production assistant for a while. But life didn’t pan out that way—though I have always been a writer, I didn’t realize I wanted to make a living doing it professionally until I was an adult. Others, like out fashion designer Nicholas Nguyen, have had their eyes on the prize from day one. “When I was a kid, I used to go into my grandma’s and my mom’s closets and put on their clothes,” Nguyen says. “I loved to touch, to hug, and to smell the textures of the fabrics. I realized my love for fashion.”
Design by Mysterious by N.P.N. Photo courtesy Nicholas Nguyen.
Growing up in Vietnam, Nguyen says his upbringing was isolating. “Let’s just say the beginning wasn’t easy,” he shares. “I had to leave everything behind, the voices that judged me, hurt, and scarred me. Doing what I love most [studying fashion] and using that as my strength has given me so much confidence in who I truly am. Being gay isn’t easy for everyone, especially if you’re Asian. Growing up with secrets scarred me deeply.”
Nguyen came to Houston as an international student at age 15. As a minor, he was required to stay with a host family who had ties to his own back in Vietnam. Bustling H-Town may not have been his first choice, but it’s one he says he doesn’t regret—after graduation, he attended the University of Houston where he earned his bachelor‘s degree in business administration. Space City had grown on him at this point, so he settled in and decided to focus on a fashion line of his own, a bold new look he calls “Mysterious by N.P.N,” which weaves the traditions of his own culture with that of cosmopolitan America.
“Miracles do exist,” Nguyen repeats throughout his interview—a mantra that has stuck with him as his brand has evolved. In 2014, he was a senior in university, forlorn and feeling like he had nothing left. Recently heartbroken, he tossed an application toward Texas-based Fashion X, expecting nothing in return. In a twist that he can only describe as one such miracle, he was accepted into Fashion X’s upcoming Austin show. “I had no sketches, no designs, nothing,” Nguyen shares. “Within 10 days, I had to come up with 10 to 15 pieces to show. I remembered I was so excited; I dropped everything and ran to Joann to buy everything that I needed to make this happen. Ten days, just hours of sleep—everything was such a blur. I finished my last gown in the car while my friend drove me to Austin for the show.”
Ten days wasn’t enough time to create the perfect body of work, but what he cobbled together was a hit. “People loved my designs and that gave me hope,” he says. “And at that time, hope was the only thing that I needed.”
Design by Mysterious by N.P.N. Photo courtesy Nicholas Nguyen.
After his on-the-fly debut in Austin, he was on a plane to Vietnam. His success was Vietnam’s success, he says. Nguyen’s mark in Austin meant that there was a space to be filled by Vietnamese fashion. “I returned home to open my studio, to create jobs for these talented people,” he says. “We are so underrated here. I want to show everyone that our skills are beyond imagination.”
With success comes a platform, and that is something Nguyen is much too aware of to ignore. Remembering his isolated upbringing, he is intentional in giving back to his community. “Children are our future,” Nguyen says. “I’ve participated in so many charities that help children in need, but it will never be enough. I also believe that everyone should try to be their best selves because somehow, someway, somewhere out there, someone is looking up to you.”
Mysterious by N.P.N is fast at work on the 2019 collection, to be premiered by Fashion X at an October event in Houston’s River Oaks District. Nguyen hopes that 2019 will be the year that the daring brand becomes a “Houston sensation.” Previous collections suggest bold colors, elegant touches alongside casual flow, graceful gowns, and binary-bending flair for women, men, and those who defy that line.
In preparation for his 2019 release, Nguyen takes a moment of pause: “My only advice is to never give up; to use what hurt you the most as your strength to push through. And trust me, when you believe in something enough, miracles do exist.”
Mysterious by N.P.N’s 2019 collection will debut with Fashion X on October 6, 2018 at the River Oaks District. Tickets are available for purchase here. You can find Nicholas Nguyen and Mysterious on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
