Member Stories
NUS
Balim Tazel is a Turkish originator and creative director of NUS – a “unisex, size inclusive, playful and edgy” clothing brand. “NUS started as an idea during the height of COVID-19. At the time, I was at my lowest. Like many of you, I was laid off from my dream job. I was stuck in my tiny NYC apartment unable to travel home to my family in Istanbul, Turkey. I felt alone, and out of place.”
Balim turned her time in quarantine into an opportunity. Inspired by luxury sweat sets, she decided to develop high quality clothing without the elevated price tag and create “a brand that allows people to be unapologetically themselves.” The journey from concept to execution wasn’t easy, however.
“After long days and lots of fuck-ups (ahem, excuse my language), we launched NUS in November 2021! If you’re thinking to yourself, “Wow, it took them a while to launch the brand,” you’re absolutely right. We had no experience in the fashion industry besides the editorial side. So we had to teach ourselves everything from scratch and make sure that what we were offering would satisfy a need while being nothing less than perfect.” Now NUS operates as a one-woman show where Balim sources, designs, embellishes, and packages each garment herself.
Next up for NUS? Up-cycling high-quality thrifted items like blazers and producing Turkish artisan jewelry to create one-of-a-kind pieces.