Next Up: Estudio Niksen

When I’m in Paris for fashion week, I stay at the same apartment and I go to the same café every morning. It’s a way to bring a sense of comfort, normalcy and home to what can otherwise be hectic, draining trips. For the last few seasons, there’s been another slice of home just up the street from that apartment: Estudio Niksen’s small but steadily-filled showroom.

Like me, Estudio Niksen is based in Montreal, but — were it not for the fact that I happen to play soccer with someone who models for them — I wouldn’t know it. In an era where brands can be too loud, too quick, Estudio Niksen has taken a slightly more low-key approach, with awareness driven first and foremost by an authentically engaged community. Members are as close to home as Montreal and as far away as Seoul, where the brand has a satellite office, passing through Toronto, New York, Los Angeles, London, and Paris.

“We just had a creative hunger to launch something that would bridge a gap in the market at the time — middle-market, high-quality garments.”Andres Barrios and Gabrielle Gagné

Founded by Andres Barrios and Gabrielle Gagné, in 2021, Estudio Niksen has carved out a niche by focusing on authenticity and community — making clothes that they wanted to wear, and that they thought their friends would want, too. Sometimes, that makes it hard to put a label on what Barrios, Gagné, and their team put out. It’s less about ascribing to an overarching aesthetic and more about focusing on the cut, the details and the craftsmanship. There’s a familiar, easy, approachable feel to the clothes — enticing fabrics, comfortable-looking shapes, a versatile palette. They’re clothes that seem designed to be lived in and, after all, isn’t that the point?

We all remember “Field of Dreams” for its mantra: “If you build it, they will come.” In a way, that’s what happened with Estudio Niksen. By focusing on the quality and familiarity of their clothes, they’ve created a community of true enthusiasts and stacked a series of small wins into something big. Athletes wear the brand organically, publications feature pieces without Estudio Niksen doing any outreach, and people from all over the world happily pay shipping and duties to buy clothes from the brand’s Montreal HQ.

What’s it like to building an independent brand from the ground up? And, perhaps more pertinently, what happens after you’ve carved out a niche? We sat down with Barrios and Gagné to find out.

SHARP: Estudio Niksen was founded in 2021, which was an uncertain time, economically. What was the thinking behind launching a brand in the midst of the pandemic? Why was that the right time for Estudio Niksen?

Andres Barrios and Gabrielle Gagné: Honestly, we didn’t have any set-in-stone intentions. We just had a creative hunger to launch something that would bridge a gap in the market at the time — middle-market, high-quality garments. Funny enough, we actually put together a couple thousand dollars from government stimulus checks during the pandemic — so thank you Canada! We really had no idea where this project would take us. We simply wanted to put together small collections that, first of all, we would wear — and hopefully our friends would buy too. It’s just so nice to have a creative outlet where you can do things exactly how you envision them. Whether it’s on a small or large scale doesn’t really matter, as long as it’s done in our own way.

How would you define Estudio Niksen’s aesthetic?

We’ve always had a bit of a hard time explaining it because it’s all very intuitive. It’s actually funny that clients or collaborators are sometimes much better at describing the artistic or visual direction of the brand than we are. If we had to describe it, we’d say it feels familiar — volumes and shapes are key, very timeless, minimal concepts with some maximalist details.

One thing is true though: No pattern seems to be the pattern for us. We jump from one thing to another. Our taste evolves, our expertise and craftsmanship improve, so we just keep creating things that we enjoy, appreciate, or love.

“We’ve had to learn how to delegate, trust, and include other people’s opinions, visions, and thought processes. And we’re extremely proud of that, because we truly believe we have the best team in the world.”Andres Barrios and Gabrielle Gagné

One of the things I find interesting is that Estudio Niksen doesn’t just make clothes, but also carpets, pillowcases, coasters and you guys sell a curated collection of other homegoods. And then, there’s the crew of creatives that you work with, how embedded you are on a cultural level in the city. How do the clothes sit alongside everything else that you’re doing and, more importantly, why did you feel the need to create a holistic universe?

It’s huge. We think that the clothing does about 50% of the job. There are so many amazing clothing brands with incredible craftsmanship out there, so there are tons of great options if you’re simply looking for well-made clothes. That’s why we believe the lifestyle, personality, tone and storytelling around a brand are just as important — and for us, that accounts for almost the other half.

At the end of the day, we want to share our journey — the ups and downs — but also listen to our customers and community. Because in the end, all these collections, campaigns, and stories are for them. For us, a client feeling like they belong with us — feeling welcome and connected — is just as important as the quality and design of our garments. That’s what we believe will help us stand the test of time as our product line evolves while keeping a tight community around us.

Who do you think the brand, and that approach, has resonated with?

It’s pretty crazy how many different types of people — from different backgrounds and places — have identified with the brand. You really see it during our pop-ups around the world. So many people with different styles interpret the pieces in their own way. To be honest, we didn’t even know that was something to be proud of at first, because we had no idea what to expect. But today it’s definitely one of the things we’re most excited and proud about.

It’s hard to pinpoint a specific group, but overall we think it resonates with people who have great taste, value quality, and want to express themselves creatively. We have tons of clients who are creatives, but also people who work a 9-to-5 in a tech company and simply enjoy clothes.

It’s a very, very diverse community, which we love.

“Nothing beats having a solid community that supports you and takes a leap of faith by purchasing their first pieces.”Andres Barrios and Gabrielle Gagné

What’s the reception been like abroad compared to Canada and Montreal?

We’re proud to call Montreal home, and we hope Montrealers are proud to call us their local brand. We’ve heard great comments from people here saying they didn’t realize we were from Montreal and that they’re happy we’re helping put the city on the map — so we can’t ask for more.

Internationally and across the rest of Canada, it’s been incredible to see not only the reception but the excitement. Sometimes we feel like a small fish in a big pond, so it’s crazy seeing someone order from Europe and pay duties, shipping, taxes, and everything else — all for our clothes!

The brand has grown steadily from the outset and it’s always felt very organic — no staged publicity stunts, nothing designed to get people to talk about you. Yet you’ve grown quite a passionate and sizeable following. What was the brand’s first big break, if you will? Was there a piece that ended up selling really well and generating attention or an unexpected tag on socials?

It feels like it was just a ton of small wins that allowed all of this to happen. From being randomly featured in GQ Korea in our early days to influencers or athletes buying the clothes and posting about them — it was all incredibly helpful.

But nothing beats having a solid community that supports you and takes a leap of faith by purchasing their first pieces, hoping they’ll live up to their expectations.

Of course, there were some standout items that really blew up and helped us a lot — like our Raw Denim Balloon Jeans, Mismatch Button Cardigans, Selvedge Denim, or Zip-Up Boxy Hoodies. But overall it has felt like steady growth — somehow faster than expected — with a few peaks along the way that boosted everything.

Nevertheless, we’re still a very small brand, which we love!

Speaking of being a small brand, what’s been the toughest challenge in these first five years?

Managing growth while staying in control and not diluting the brand identity.

When you start experiencing growth, opportunities come at you from everywhere, so we have to stick to our core values and vision to choose the ones that truly align with our strategy.

Expanding the team has also been a challenge — an amazing one, though. We’ve had to learn how to delegate, trust, and include other people’s opinions, visions, and thought processes. And we’re extremely proud of that, because we truly believe we have the best team in the world.

With that in mind… what’s the right next step for Estudio Niksen?

Maybe this will already be known when this gets published, but we’re making our first shoe collaboration with Saucony! It’s incredible. We couldn’t be more excited, proud, or impatient. We truly love how the shoe turned out, and we really hope our community will wear the s*** out of them.

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