Gracing the pages of Nylon, Vogue Italia, Cosmo, Oyster and Unleash’d, combined with a loyal fan base of notable celebs and bloggers including Chloe Norgaard, Ellie Goulding and Aimee Song has equated to quite a major year for Bali-bred, cult-favorite brand, THIS IS A LOVE SONG. Speaking of major, did we mention that TIALS recently designed all of the outfits for Major Lazer’s Lose Yourself music video feat. Moska and RDX? Yep – TIALS is on fire and we’re chasing the flame.
What began in the basement of an underground Bali nightclub, has evolved into a global concept store offering a coveted collection of festival favorites and fashion-forward pieces. The musical tie-in is evident in not only the name, THIS IS A LOVE SONG, but in the ethos behind the brand; born from a love of parties, honoring community, music and above all, spontaneity.
In lieu of festival season on the horizon, we caught up with the brains behind the brand, Nina Hadinata and Stephanie Vermaas to get the scoop on all things TIALS. And just like the core of TIALS, these two Bali babes are driven by fashion, music and a love for living in the moment. Scope our interview below, shop your festival favorites here and keep your eyes peeled for their newest collection – CrazySexyCool, dropping in July at ASOS, Karmaloop, Pacsun, Dollskill and more. Some sneak peeks, below!
Photo: Steve Gripp
CULT: How did the two of you meet?
Steph: We actually have mutual friends – Bali is really small! But we started to hang out a lot more when Nina still owned her bar in Bali. I was a regular there every weekend because it was the best lil spot to hang.
CULT: What was your favorite part about owning that nightclub, Nina – how did you use that knowledge to develop the concept behind THIS IS A LOVE SONG and LOVE IN TENTS?
Nina: Without that bar, I would never be doing what I am doing now. I love the feeling you get when you’re able to combine music and community; the community was, and still is, a really big part of why I do what I do.
Steph: The bar also became the physical space for the THIS IS A LOVE SONG concept store, where we now sell our label.
Photo: Steve Gripp
CULT: Where did the name THIS IS A LOVE SONG come from?
TIALS: It was the title of an interview we read in Nylon!
CULT: There’s obviously a strong musical tie-in to the clothing brand – how do you feel that fashion and music are connected?
TIALS: They go hand in hand! It’s how you express yourself to the world.
CULT: You spend a majority of your time split between Bali and the US. What are some of the biggest differences in fashion and music between the two?
TIALS: There’s definitely much more variety in the US, but that’s probably because Bali is an island so we’re limited in our fashion and music resources, but the irony is, we’re not limited when it comes to utilizing resources to make fashion. In terms of music, gigs are more intimate; we would never wait in line like you would do here, so thats nice! But Bali can sometimes be too laid back so it’s a great balance when we’re here [in LA] because there’s so much going on and in terms of dressing up; it’s less monotonous than the usual Bali flip-flop attire!
CULT: Favorite part of LA (so far)?
Nina: LA is always a great time – we have made some really great friends. Whiskeys, chit-chat & epic sunsets are my favourite parts of LA.
Steph: The palm trees!!!
Photo: Steve Gripp
CULT: How do you handle working creatively as a couple – are there challenges to keeping business and personal separate?
Nina: It’s definitely a challenge. I wouldn’t say that it’s easy, but it’s key to learn to separate the business with the love. I would like to say we have mastered this as well as any two humans who spend 24/7 together.
Steph: I think you just have to remember to make time after work to do couple stuff too. Always keep it special!
CULT: Your perfect day consists of…
Steph: Sleeping and catching up on TV shows!
Nina: And some good food 🙂
CULT: What can we expect from this next season’s collection?
TIALS: One word. MIAMI!
CULT: Words to live by:
Nina: “In this moment, in this second.”
Steph: “Now or never.”
Photo: Steve Gripp
Follow: @thisisalovesong
*Young Blood is a series that highlights innovators and creative visionaries; youthful spirits employing their talents and visions across diverse fields of practice. The rebels who refuse to play by the rules. The ones making a difference. The Young Bloods.
