PHOTO BY ANA CIUBARA PHOTOGRAPHY
NJ Falk has done it all, from film editing to branding to serving as an angel investor, mentor, and a founding and managing partner at APL (athleticpropulsionlabs.com). Here, the L.A. fashionista shares the inspiration behind her signature aesthetic and the designers and trends she’s looking forward to this fall.
I [vividly remember] my mother dressing me up in my first pair of black patent leather Mary Janes. I couldn’t stop looking at my feet in those shoes. At that moment, my mother instantly recognized that her mini-me was a kindred fashion spirit.
I now serve as founding and managing partner of APL—we are the pioneer and innovator of women’s and men’s luxury performance athletic footwear, and as a co-founder and Chief Mentorpreneur (a term I’ve trademarked) at The Forward Female (forwardfemale.com) which is a consulting, networking, and creative agency for female entrepreneurs. As an e-commerce pioneer and expert, I also juggle roles as an angel investor, mentor and strategic advisor for female-focused luxury and consumer brands, including 11 Honoré, Starface, BumoWork, Artha, Modern Picnic, DeMarson, The FLOORR and Mr. Feelgood... and pursue my deeply personal philanthropic efforts from the Women’s Cancer Research Fund, the Fashion Trust U.S., and the Shelter Partnership.
My signature black and white aesthetic is mod-meets-Morticia chic. I am not sure I have ever shared this before, but it is rather ironic, as I actually own an original Charles Addams cartoon in which Morticia turns to Lurch and exclaims, “Oh, it’s you! For a moment you gave me quite a start.” Maybe the reason I stalked that piece in college is because it embodies my willingness to startle by taking calculated fashion risks, and because my mother forbade me to wear black as a young girl.
Yes. My mother for her elegant, chic, discerning and timeless style. She taught me that it is essential to be comfortable in what you are wearing, dress for yourself, and, as Audrey Hepburn famously said, “just do my own thing,” which is my personal mantra, and to get up every day and pull yourself together, no matter the circumstances.
Since I am an OG Monse Maison girl, I am always excited about the brand’s edgy, deconstructed tailoring and graphic prints, which combine to create emblematic casual looks. I also recently discovered the L.A.-based brand Coût de la Liberté by Jeffrey Lubell. I am obsessed with his HR Super Bell pants that make a statement, elongate your silhouette, and come in a beautiful array of fabrications ad colors. For not-so-quiet luxury, I am excited about how Valentino is tapping into my beloved mod sensibility; the daring aesthetic of Nensi Dokaja; Ana Khouri’s artful jewelry; how Fendi, under the creative direction of Kim Jones, is exploring classicism and elegance through the lens of subtle subversion; and of course, everyone knows, I am a diehard Louis Vuitton ready-to-wear fan. Ghesquière’s take on French style is a marvelous dichotomy, and I love how he disrupts the status quo in subtle, unique ways [and] every season is an unexpected fashion riff.
There are so many exciting things happening, including the upcoming opening of our new APL flagship store at 75 Prince Street in New York this fall, as well as our new partnership with the Oracle Red Bull Racing team, my new startup venture with three new partners that addresses a unique, untapped need within men’s fit wear, to my new quarterly Mentorpreneur Mastermind Workshops as part of The Forward Female.
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