Originally from a small town in Canada, television personality, model, and fashion designer Nicole Williams, can be found working busily on her career and growing success with her entrepreneur projects. She has always known she wanted to be in the fashion and entertainment industry, even when she was younger.
With the recent launch of her own swimsuit line, Nia Lynn, she’s making her lifelong dreams come true. Aside from fashion, Nicole can also be found on TV, having filmed three seasons of the reality TV show WAGS on E! We sat down with Nicole Williams to talk about her life as a designer, advice she would give to her 16-year-old self and her long-term goal on working with animal charities.
Photo Credit: Simply Adri
Photo Credit: Simply Adri
Photo Credit: Simply Adri
Photo Credit: Simply Adri
Photo Credit: Simply Adri
Taylor Magazine: Tell us about you and your journey so far.
Nicole Williams: I’m a model and designer. I started off modelling from a young age and have been doing that ever since. I also got the opportunity to film on a show on E! called WAGS. We’ve done three seasons, so that was definitely a transition for me being on TV and doing a reality show, but it’s been fun. In the midst of all of that, I decided to pursue being a designer and I’ve launched my swimwear line Nia Lynn – that’s been a journey. It only launched in December, and my summer collection is coming out soon!
Taylor Magazine: Did you always know that this was what you wanted to do?
Nicole Williams: Always! I grew up in a really small town called Paradise in Newfoundland, Canada. They don’t have much there – I wanted more. I’d always do performances and fashion shows, and I always told my mum that I was going to live in Hollywood. My mum drove us to Toronto, which is a bigger city compared to where I’m from with more opportunities, and from there I knew I wanted to live in a big city, so when I was old enough I moved straight to New York. I loved it.
Taylor Magazine: The transition from modelling to being on TV, did that come naturally for you?
Nicole Williams: I’ve always been used to being in front of the camera and I’ve lived in lots of different places and have been in front of cameras for commercials and things, so I’ve always been used to it. The only thing that’s a bit tough is them being in your house. Reality TV is really different. There would be times where Larry and I would have a disagreement and I really wouldn’t want people there, but I had to keep remembering that I signed up to that!
Taylor Magazine: What’s the most rewarding part of what you do?
Nicole Williams: I always look back to where I started. Sometimes it’s easy to get lost in the midst of things. I have to sit down and think sometimes, “I always wanted to get here”. It’s rewarding seeing how far I’ve come.
Taylor Magazine: What’s a struggle that you’ve had to overcome to get to where you are now?
Nicole Williams: It’s a lot of work and a lot of people get discouraged from something being hard work. Something that you really believe in – your goals, your dreams – they don’t come knocking on your door. I’m originally from Canada and I lived in New York for seven years, I lived in L.A. Everything leading to where I am now was hard. Things take time, but you just have to believe in yourself. That’s all that really matters.
Photo Credit: Simply Adri
Photo Credit: Simply Adri
Photo Credit: Simply Adri
Photo Credit: Simply Adri
Photo Credit: Simply Adri
Photo Credit: Simply Adri
“I love the fast-paced nature of New York – it really motivated me and I worked so much there. It gave me thick-skin and gave me that push that I needed to get where I wanted to be.” – Nicole Williams
Taylor Magazine: How difficult was it for you to move to L.A.?
Nicole Williams: I never wanted to live in L.A. to be honest! I came here for work, and I loved the vibe and weather. I gave it a chance and I met my husband here. Then, I just fell in love with it! Waking up and seeing the hills and the city is lovely. The weather is gorgeous – you never have to worry about waking up and there being a snow-storm outside!
Taylor Magazine: True! Talk to us more about your swimwear line.
Nicole Williams: I always wanted to do this. I wanted to make sure that I was in a place where people knew who I was before I did it. It’s a tough market, so I wanted to build myself and my brand, and show my journey. My mum was a seamstress, so it was always something I dreamed of doing. It’s really cool and rewarding to see something that you’ve sketched come to life and be on a body. I want to expand it to other things too, like homeware!
Taylor Magazine: What have you learned from launching your own brand?
Nicole Williams: You have to have patience! When it comes to something you’re creating, and the quality has to be good, it takes time. Quality is key to me – I’ll try on a sample and it will take me weeks to decide whether it’s good enough. I don’t want to sell bad swimwear and it has to be the right fit.
“I love to hear feedback and respond back – that’s a personal touch with the brand that I think is so important. I can’t even say I sit here and do anything fun really, because I’m such a workaholic and I’m on my emails all day!” – Nicole Williams
Taylor Magazine: How do you wind down and switch off after a busy day?
Nicole Williams: It’s really difficult for me to switch off but Larry and I love our TV shows. We’ll put our phones down and watch something. Homeland is a favourite of ours! I’ll have a tea, hang out with the dogs, hang on the couch – slow and chill. When I’m feeling down and overworked the one thing that uplifts me and brings me joy is watching old movies that I grew up watching. It always brings me back to life again.
Taylor Magazine: Careerwise, what’s coming up short term and long term?
Nicole Williams: In six months, I’ll be launching my new swimwear collection. I’m working on a few other projects – hopefully I’ll be able to do another show on TV and long-term, I’m going to work more with animal charities, and possibly even start my own. I love animals so much – I grew up with so many animals. I’m so passionate about it and I’m really big on animal activism.
Taylor Magazine: What advice would you give to your 16-year-old self?
Nicole Williams: Keep going and don’t give up, just believe in yourself and your dreams. I got discouraged when I was younger so I would tell 16-year-old me to work as hard as possible.
Photo Credit: Simply Adri
