Designer Q&A: VALENTíN

TrimLab is very proud to play a part in supporting designers with their fastener and trim needs, having recently collaborated with Nicole Volynets and Val Chmerkovskiy on their new line VALENTíN. Known for “Dancing with the Stars,” this dynamic designing duo established their New York-based design house in 2013. Below, Nicole gives us some background on their dance-inspired line, and talks about TrimLab’s role in the process.

Valentine NYC_Dancing with the Stars

TrimLab: What was the inspiration behind your VALENTíN collection? Did your experience on “Dancing with the Stars” and dancing in general influence your designs?

Nicole Volynets: The main inspiration for the VALENTíN collection was definitely our experiences living in New York City. Growing up in this dynamic melting pot of culture and attitudes introduced us to a vast world of fashion. Actively ballroom dancing since a young age also allowed us to travel the world, specifically Europe and Asia, and immerse ourselves into their fashion at an early point in our lives. Ballroom dancing in particular is a genre of dance where the focal point is undoubtedly the relationship between the man and the woman. So when it came to making costumes, it was always important to showcase the strength and masculinity of the man and accentuate the femininity and class of the woman while embracing the glamour and lavishness of the Ballroom. These were our biggest influences and most certainly shaped our vision for VALENTíN.

Dancing with the Stars
Photo by Adam Taylor

TrimLab: What are your favorite pieces in the collection and do any of your Dancing with the Stars cast members have favorites?

Nicole Volynets: Our favorite so far is the Munich and Kiev hoodie! And yes, Derek Hough and Maksim Chmerkovskiy are in love with the t-shirts we made exclusively for the cast. The cut of our tees is specifically designed to accent the stronger physical features of the man (biceps, traps, pecs), while disguising the less flattering ones (everyone’s got a little belly).

Munich Hoodie
Munich Hoodie

TrimLab: Tell us about working with TrimLab. What role did TrimLab play in your design process?

Nicole Volynets: TrimLab is great! They were very helpful in understanding our style and seeing our vision for the collection. They created the bow tie logo hat pins, zipper pulls for our hoodies as well as the logo plates that will be the accessory embellishing every piece of our new collection. Details are everything in this business and TrimLab has mastered the concept. They understand the importance of color, texture, feel, and execution, making it possible for a designer to bring his concept to life.

Valentin T shirt
VALENTíN’s Val Chmerkovskiy via

TrimLab: What fasteners/trim did you use and how important were they in terms of function, style, customization, etc.?

Nicole Volynets: Very important… TrimLab helped me customize the pieces that I loved and were meticulous in seeing my vision through to the end. In an industry where the difference between “fashion brilliance” and a “fashion disaster” lies in the smallest of details, TrimLab understands the importance of detail oriented execution.

ValentinNYC T-Shirts

TrimLab: What has been your biggest fastener/trim challenge? How did TrimLab help you overcome it?

Nicole Volynets: Fortunately, we didn’t run into too many issues. We primarily focused on finalizing the logo and making sure the shape was being moulded just as it was given in the art work. TrimLab was as detail obsessed as we were, which made the process easier, as we saw eye to eye.

Screen Shot 2014-02-16 at 10.37.58 AM

TrimLab: What did you find most helpful about working with TrimLab?

Nicole Volynets: Their location is central in the heart of the Garment District, which made it easy to pop in and look at the pieces that were coming in for approval. We are very hands on, and TrimLab made it very easy to manage the process. The people are friendly and always available to help. Most of all, they know what they are talking about. Their years of experience show in the knowledge they bring to the table at each meeting and in the quality of their work.

Val Chmerkovskiy and Nicole Volynets / Source: Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images North America)

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