Nabil Samadani
Nabil Samadani
Designer/Creative Director and small brand consulting
Venice, Los Angeles, California
saltsurf.com
instagram: @nabilsamadani @saltsurf
WHAT DO YOU DO?
“I own a brand called SALT SURF. It’s a Los Angeles based (originally started in NYC) surf brand with a clean minimal aesthetic and a fun open-minded approach to surfing. Our goal is to create an inclusive surf community!”
WHAT STEPS DID YOU TAKE TO GET TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW?
8 years of hard work. I learned to do everything on my own... I have some training as a graphic designer, but I'm self-taught as a creative director and in the apparel realm (design, manufacturing, etc).
HOW DO YOU STAND OUT IN YOUR FIELD?
I stand out because I really know how to wear many different hats and I know how to work hard. I started my company entirely on my own, and still to this day it is mostly a one-man show. For that reason, I've learned a lot of different skills, and especially strengthened my creative skills (as a design, direct and photograph all creative content for the company).
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?
Working on all things SALT SURF. Also personally I'm working on a lot of hand skills... picked up knitting again recently, and sewing some for-fun personal projects. I find these kinds of skills to strengthen my work-based creative skills as well. It is important to me to have a balance of the two.
WHAT'S YOUR STYLE/PERSPECTIVE/TASTE? DO YOU HAVE A PROJECT THAT REPRESENTS THIS?
My instagram best represents my style & taste: instagram.com/nabilsamadani
WE ALL HAVE MULTIPLE SKILLS OR WORK IN VARIOUS INDUSTRIES, WHICH ONE DO YOU WISH YOU COULD FOCUS ON MORE?
Creative direction and small brand strategy/growth.
WHAT IS FRUSTRATING YOU RIGHT NOW?
The world. Ok, well, the politics and the hate of the world. The world now, more than ever needs more beauty and love.
IF YOU COULD HIRE SOMEONE FOR $20/HR, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE THEM DO TO MAKE YOUR DAY EASIER?
I would hire someone to manage my day to day tasks and keep me organized.
LET'S BRING OUT THE TIME MACHINE. WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE TOLD YOURSELF, WHEN, AND WHY?
Become a doctor and make a ton of money.
IF YOU COULD TALK TO AN EXPERT TO GAIN MORE INSIGHT ON SOMETHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE ABOUT?
I would love to talk to people who have managed to make their creative work the source of their success. Especially those who still have a personal connection and passion with the work they do.
WHAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES/PROJECTS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
Graphic design, creative direction and helping small brands/business'.
DESCRIBE YOUR IDEAL JOB/CLIENT/COLLABORATION.
I love working with small creative teams. I enjoy the collaborative process, and the feeling of being part of a team outside of just yourself.
WHAT IS YOUR HOURLY RATE, RETAINER, OR SALARY RANGE?
I typically charge my clients $75/hour.
WHO IS A CREATIVE THAT HAS HELPED YOU ELEVATE YOUR WORK?
It's a tough question to answer about specifically who has helped to elevate my work, because there are so many! I feel lucky to have a really wide base of friends and mentors who all contribute to elevating my work, and it's really a wide range of talents and types of people. One of my good friends Will, who was formerly an intern of mine, has grown to be a really amazing photographer over the years, and seeing his growth has inspired me to push myself a lot. I have another friend, Nazanin, who lives in Australia, who has been my "creative consultant" for a long time. We knew each other when we both lived in NY about 5 years ago. She is simply someone whose opinion I trust on creative matters, so I find that I still consult her even though we're on different continents, because those trustworthy opinions are hard to find! I also love the work of photographer Vivian Sassen... her color work and her ability to make the every day extraordinary is remarkable. I think designer Maryam Nassir Zadeh is also an influence because she manages to do the same, while embracing imperfection and allowing the viewer to see beauty in that. And also Jacquemus. He's managed to make it ok to still create simple beauty in fashion. He rejects the notion of ugly-pretty, which is surprisingly refreshing. I could go on...
HOW SHOULD SOMEONE APPROACH YOU ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER?
Either via text or email is fine. A brief project description would be ideal!
HOW DO YOU STAY CREATIVE?
Creativity comes from inspiration. Inspiration for me, comes from nature. Simple.
This member profile was originally published in July 2019.