A tabloid favorite due to her association with Hollywood A-listers, Nikki Lund prefers to be known as a fashion designer who has grown sales of her clothing line immensely over the past three years and is frequently asked to make custom pieces for celebrities including Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato. Furthermore, she is an accomplished singer/ songwriter/ music producer with two Billboard dance chart-topping singles to her credit: “This Is It” and “Love Overdose.” In addition, Lund is a mother and volunteers regularly with the non-profit The Art of Elysium, performing and raising money for hospitalized children.
Nikki Lund is a fashion designer and chart-topping singer/ songwriter.
“I make clothing and music because my mission is to help people feel good about themselves,” says Lund, who is in the process of launching a new eco-friendly line of clothing, handbags, shoes, home goods and accessories. “Healthy self-esteem is critical for building new relationships and meeting with success in life.”
Yet Lund herself didn’t always enjoy a high degree of self-confidence. As a child and teen, she was obsessed with her weight and developed a severe eating disorder. “As I grew older and had the proper treatment to recover, I became committed to helping people feel good about themselves through music and fashion,” she explains.
Although people often have told Lund that she can’t be both a musician and a fashion designer, she ignores them. “I am a new color crayon,” she says. “Now, more and more artists are becoming multi-hyphenated public figures: actors become musicians; musicians become directors; and everyone has a make-up brand. I like to think that I was ahead of the curve 18 years ago when I got my start in both music and clothing design.”
Lund has enjoyed designing clothes and making music since she was a child.
Lund discovered her dual passions for music and fashion at an early age. Together with her brother, Trevin, she wrote and performed music from the age of 12. At the same time, her mother, who was a fashion designer with her own company, inspired her to design and make her own clothing. “Fashion and music go hand-in-hand. The symbiotic relationship between the two art forms is magic!” Lund says. “Both can be healing. Both are beautiful languages that I am blessed to speak daily.”
Admittedly, Lund may have had an easier time forming a powerful network early on in her career because she was born and raised in LA. She grew up going to school with several now-celebrities. Even so, Lund had to work hard to establish herself, and she continues to put tireless efforts into remaining relevant. She hired a top PR agent and promotes herself relentlessly on social media.
Sexism has also been a problem for Lund, a proponent of the #MeToo movement who feels her talents have been devalued due to gender stereotypes. “I have been judged as being too hard, too soft, and never just right. I constantly have to prove myself and work twice as hard as my male counterparts,” she says. “People in positions of authority who use their influence to help me advance professionally continually make sexual propositions and want sexual favors in exchange. I have a few key advocates who don’t behave this way, and I consider them true friends.” Lund is delighted that her current business partners, with whom she is launching her new line early next year, treat her with respect.
Lund is passionate about a woman’s right to appear sexy and still be perceived as a strong business person. “I should be able to post photos on Instagram where I’m not wearing a turtleneck and still be taken seriously. Why is it that a sexy woman is deemed as an airhead and someone incapable of running a business? I am proud of my body. I don’t see anything wrong with showing a little skin. My message is that you, too, can learn to love yourself, just as I did after years of struggle. Beauty starts on the inside,” she says.
Lund is coming out with a new line of clothing, shoes, and home accessories.
While she misses spending time with her family and loved ones due to her heavy travel schedule, Lund feels that what she does for a living reflects her life purpose, which is to help people feel happy. “I see people’s energy transform when they are listening to my music and wearing my clothing. Their spirits are uplifted,” she says. As a result, she makes a special effort to do charity work. “When I see the worry or pain taken away from someone listening to my music, especially a sick child, it is a wonderful experience that takes me out of my everyday concerns. It makes my work even more meaningful.”
To other people looking to tap into their life’s purpose, Lund suggests doing your homework. “It sounds simple, but it’s important to do your research in order to find something you really love,” she advises. “Read about people who do what interests you and research companies that interest you.”
