Nelli Nedre
Hey everyone, it's time to tell you the story of little Nelli, who dreamed of becoming an artist. She spent her childhood with markers, pencils, and paints always in hand.
Later, she went to study fashion design, but in her third year of university, she still wanted to study art. She entered a competition for young Russian artists, painted pictures, created installations, and dreamed of studying abroad.
But no one supported her, and her dream was put on hold. The paintings were thrown away. It was so painful to be rejected by loved ones that it was difficult to take up paints again. That was until she went to see a psychotherapist.
Releasing the most painful, dark stories from her heart and telling them helped her, specifically through painting. That's how the story of how art and creativity returned to her life began. It gave her the strength to overcome the toughest challenges.
Later, she went to study fashion design, but in her third year of university, she still wanted to study art. She entered a competition for young Russian artists, painted pictures, created installations, and dreamed of studying abroad.
But no one supported her, and her dream was put on hold. The paintings were thrown away. It was so painful to be rejected by loved ones that it was difficult to take up paints again. That was until she went to see a psychotherapist.
Releasing the most painful, dark stories from her heart and telling them helped her, specifically through painting. That's how the story of how art and creativity returned to her life began. It gave her the strength to overcome the toughest challenges.
My path
Saint Petersburg University of Service and Economics
"Design. Fashion Design"
"Design. Fashion Design"
Russia, St. Petersburg
2007 -2012
2007 -2012
Designer at Katerina Levina clothes brand
2009-2010
Designer at Trailhead clothes brand
2010
Main designer, art director at Trailhead clothes brand
2011-2013
Founder, main designer, marketing, art director at NNEDRE clothes brand
2013 - 2023
Sustainable Fashion course
Germany, Berlin
2019
2019
Austria, Vienna
September/October 2019
September/October 2019
Marketing, art direction, work with key clients (retail) at Fruitsy.life – production healthy snacks.
2020 - 2022
Art course in GetArtfit
Online
2020
2020
Marketing, fundraising, team coordination at Promotion "Bike to Work"
2021 - 2022
MA, Art Education
The School of The Art Institute of Chicago
2023-2025
2023-2025
My mission as an artist is the same as in my business of sustainable clothing brand. On the one hand, I think about the future of our planet and understand the irreversibility of the impending environmental catastrophe, and I want to help people notice and find a solution how to save the Earth from ourselves.
On the other hand, I always started helping from my inner circle: the closest, friends, employees and colleagues, listening to them carefully and helping to find a way out and overcome difficulties together. I realized that art and nature helped me get through my most difficult moments of life and continue to heal me. So I want to share this practice with other people.
My projects
Hand with Katerina Sokolovskaya
Sculpture "Hand" was one of the first Katerina Sokolovskaya project in the beginning of her career. When she was offered to recreate new "Hand" for an exhibition of young artists and sculptors in the space of the Richter boutique hotel in Moscow, we decided to do it together.
In 2021I attracted young artists and designers in order to use recycled products from my clothes production to create art objects. Together with Katerina and my team of young designers, we created a new sculpture. It was stuffed with the remnants of fabrics from NNEDRE production. Next, we had the idea to continue creating similar art objects in order to attract the attention of other designers and industries, to come up with alternative uses for leftovers from their collections.
Now I decided to continue this project, using this general concept, having worked out the production technology of "Hand". During 2021, we did not throw away the textile waste of my production and recycled it into "wadding" - a recycled material that is great for stuffing and is a more environmentally friendly filler. I continue this project together with new production in Armenia.
In 2021I attracted young artists and designers in order to use recycled products from my clothes production to create art objects. Together with Katerina and my team of young designers, we created a new sculpture. It was stuffed with the remnants of fabrics from NNEDRE production. Next, we had the idea to continue creating similar art objects in order to attract the attention of other designers and industries, to come up with alternative uses for leftovers from their collections.
Now I decided to continue this project, using this general concept, having worked out the production technology of "Hand". During 2021, we did not throw away the textile waste of my production and recycled it into "wadding" - a recycled material that is great for stuffing and is a more environmentally friendly filler. I continue this project together with new production in Armenia.
Drawing in Nature
I have had a special connection with nature since childhood, as I grew up in a house in a deep forest. The older I got, the stronger I felt this connection and the energy that nature gives me. My second passion since childhood was drawing. No matter what difficulties I encountered on my way, I splashed all of them on paper in the form of vivid pictures.
Now I continue this practice, just as I did in childhood. I remembered this way in therapy with my psychologist, and I use it both to solve complex problems within me, and to reflect my love and state of happiness when I am in harmony.
I go out into nature, meditate, walk with dogs there and draw canvases. During the process, I completely surrender to my instinct and immerse myself in a state of complete unity with the outside world.
Now I continue this practice, just as I did in childhood. I remembered this way in therapy with my psychologist, and I use it both to solve complex problems within me, and to reflect my love and state of happiness when I am in harmony.
I go out into nature, meditate, walk with dogs there and draw canvases. During the process, I completely surrender to my instinct and immerse myself in a state of complete unity with the outside world.
Retreat
Since 2020, I have started organizing retreats from my clothing brand with my friends and amazing yoga and meditation teachers. Then I began to introduce the practice of collective drawing in nature.
Once, some fabric suppliers sent me a defective roll of black canvas. They did not agree to take the defective fabric for themselves, and in order not to throw it away, I began to use it as a canvas, creating large canvases in nature.
The essence of my technique lies in building a trusting atmosphere between the participants. The practice of drawing is done on the last day of the retreat, when people know each other quite well and when we had joint conversations about what questions are inside each of us. After that, people are happy to share their emotions and splash them onto the canvas.
Once, some fabric suppliers sent me a defective roll of black canvas. They did not agree to take the defective fabric for themselves, and in order not to throw it away, I began to use it as a canvas, creating large canvases in nature.
The essence of my technique lies in building a trusting atmosphere between the participants. The practice of drawing is done on the last day of the retreat, when people know each other quite well and when we had joint conversations about what questions are inside each of us. After that, people are happy to share their emotions and splash them onto the canvas.
Feel free to contact me
Nelli Nedre
Artist and fashion designer
Phone: +1 312 918 97 65
Email: nelli.nedre@gmail.com
Email: nelli.nedre@gmail.com
