Misha Nonoo
Born
Bahrain
NationalityBritish
Bahraini
EducationACS Cobham
Guildford High School
OccupationFashion designer
Spouses
​
​
(m. 2012; div. 2017)​
Mikey Hess
​
(m. 2019)​
Children2
RelativesHouda Nonoo (cousin)

Misha Nonoo is a US-based British-Bahraini fashion designer,[1] best known for her eponymous line of women's ready-to-wear.

Early life

Nonoo was born in Bahrain to an Iraqi father of Jewish descent and an English mother.[2] Her family moved to London when she was 11, and she attended ACS Cobham School and Guildford High School in Surrey.[3] During high school, Nonoo worked as a fashion model represented by Nevs Agency. She moved to New York City in 2009, and worked in menswear for a tailoring company.[4]

Career

In 2011, Nonoo launched her own fashion label. While working for a tailoring company in Manhattan, she designed and made women's jackets in her free time after work. Nonoo was spotted at Prune restaurant by a senior buyer from Intermix, a chain of designer fashion boutiques, wearing one of her own designs, and receiving a purchase order of $150,000 for her first collection.[4]

She was a finalist in the 2013 Vogue/CFDA Fashion Fund.[5][6] She was named to Forbes' 30 Under 30 in Art & Style list[7] as well as Crain's New York Business’ 40 under 40 in 2015.[8]

In 2015, Nonoo received media attention for producing an "insta-show" via Instagram.[9] She was the first designer to produce a fashion show exclusively on Instagram for her spring collection during New York Fashion Week.[10]

By September 2017, Nonoo had released seasonal collections and begun manufacturing all products on-demand, claiming this reducing waste and lowered costs for her customers.[11][12]

In 2019, Nonoo collaborated with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex on a clothing collection for the women's charity group Smart Works, along with retailers John Lewis, Jigsaw and Marks and Spencer.[13][14]

Personal life

Nonoo married Alexander Gilkes in Venice, Italy in May 2012 with Lana Del Rey performing at the wedding.[15] Their divorce was finalized in the summer of 2017.[16]

Her cousin, Houda Nonoo was the Kingdom of Bahrain's ambassador to the US.[15]

She became engaged to Michael Hess, an heir to the Hess Oil fortune.[17] They were married in a Jewish ceremony at Villa Aurelia, Rome on 20 September 2019,[18] and held a reception at Cinecittà Film Studios. The wedding was attended by numerous royal and celebrity guests including Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom, Wendi Murdoch, Dasha Zhukova, Prince Harry with his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Ivanka Trump, daughter of the then President of the United States.[19] Jason Derulo and former Beatles member Sir Paul McCartney, performed at the wedding.[20] In spring 2020, the couple welcomed their first child, a son.[21] Their daughter was born in 2021.[22]

References

  1. ^ "Fashion designer Misha Nonoo on collaborating with the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle". ABC News. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  2. ^ Doherty, Rosa (28 November 2017). "Meet Misha Nonoo – the Jewish 'matchmaker' who brought Harry and Meghan together". The Jewish Chronicle. London. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  3. ^ McMahon, Barbara (25 June 2018). "When Meghan Markle met Misha Nonoo: the woman who helped 'seal the deal' with Harry". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  4. ^ a b "How a chance encounter helped launch Misha Nonoo's fashion company". Good Morning America. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  5. ^ Malle, Chloe (12 November 2013). "Best Dressed: CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Dinner". Vogue.com. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
  6. ^ Pieri, Kerry (29 January 2013). "Girl Behind the Brand: Misha Nonoo". Harper's Bazaar. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
  7. ^ "30 Under 30 - Forbes". Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  8. ^ "Misha Nonoo - Meet Crain's New York Business Class of 2015 40 under 40". www.crainsnewyork.com. 29 March 2015. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  9. ^ Gilchrist, Malina Joseph (19 September 2015). "Top 10 Moments from New York Fashion Week". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
  10. ^ Ilyashov, Alexandra. "This Designer Showed On Instagram Today Instead Of IRL". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  11. ^ Bain, Marc (22 November 2017). "Risking all her success, a thriving fashion designer decided to rebuild for the future". Quartz at Work. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  12. ^ Shatzman, Celia. "Misha Nonoo Launches Made-To-Order Clothing For Her Fashion Line". Forbes. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  13. ^ "Misha Nonoo On Working With Her Friend Meghan Markle, "A Very Clever Lady"". Vanity Fair. 13 September 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  14. ^ "Designer Misha Nonoo on Working with Meghan Markle". Time. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  15. ^ a b Solway, Diane (1 August 2012). "A Venetian Affair". W. And so this past May, one year after he launched Paddle8 and converted to Judaism to marry fellow Briton Misha Nonoo, 25, a rising fashion designer, Gilkes wed in grand style in Venice.
  16. ^ "Meet the woman rumoured to have matchmade Meghan and Harry". Evening Standard. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  17. ^ "Meet the man every A-lister is on vacation with this summer". Evening Standard. 7 August 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  18. ^ Maitland, Hayley (21 September 2019). "Everything You Need To Know About Misha Nonoo's Lavish, Royal-Filled Wedding". British Vogue. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  19. ^ Zapata, Kimberly (21 September 2019). "Gayle King Radiated at the Wedding of Misha Nonoo, Meghan Markle's Friend". Oprah Daily. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  20. ^ "Misha Nonoo sat Gayle King at the head wedding table, was serenaded by Paul McCartney and Mikey Hess | | Express Digest". 22 September 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  21. ^ "Meghan Markle's Friend Misha Nonoo Welcomes First Child with Husband Michael Hess: 'We Are So Excited'". Peoplemag. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  22. ^ "Meghan Markle's best friend Misha Nonoo details daughter Marina's difficult start to life". HELLO!. 3 November 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2023.

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