Perfect Timing

by Kristen Heinzinger

The Spring/Summer collection from Nicholas and Christopher Kunz, the sibling duo behind Nicholas K, is one to watch. This season marks their third collaboration with Casio, and mods were adorned in apparel that paired perfectly with the new G-Shock S Series Cool White collection—a happy coincidence, and one that happens season after season. What makes their relationship tick?

How did your collaboration with Casio begin?
Nicholas Kunz: Casio approached us. We get a lot of sponsorships coming our way, but for us it’s important to have a brand that actually works well with ours. It’s the same story, the same DNA. And we grew up with Baby-G.
Christopher Kunz: Initially when they said they wanted to work with us, we were thinking about the old-school, very big G-Shocks. Once we sat down and we looked at all the things that they did, we realized it already fit with our product.
Nicholas: Our tough girl is not very conventional in the way that she’ll wear a watch. She’ll wear it strapped to her backpacks or her bags, and around her belt. If she were out hiking, it’s where she would put her watch if she didn’t want it on her hand.
What’s new with your Spring/Summer ’16 collection?
Nicholas: The inspiration is called “base jumper,” so we wanted to go a little sportier this season. We were into high-density ripstop nylons. In terms of colors, we were really into the white, and we did the shoot with Casio on the beach to capture the transparency and flowiness of the fabric.
How did the campaign shoot come together?
Nicholas: We bought a vintage parachute. A long time ago they were made out of silk. We envisioned an all-white ethereal-looking collection, but high-contrast and modern. We shot on the beach in Cape May, New Jersey—there was a WWII bunker there, so there’s a contrast of really architectural lines with the beach.
What’s your relationship with Casio like?
Christopher: In terms of lifestyle and the types of industries they focus on, that fits with our personal interest—the outdoors and those types of things—so it’s a natural fit. Someone I met there sends me a few watches, and I’ll give them a little test-drive. It’s totally in line with my life outside of my work. Nick travels a lot and likes to dive, and that fits with what type of product they offer.
Nicholas: Their tougher, sportier side makes sense for us. It’s more of a personal and professional relationship. It goes beyond the runway.
What are some of the tests you’ve put them through?
Christopher: The original G-Shock was one of my first watches. I do a lot of diving, and they have all been submerged in water—150 feet is the farthest I’ve gone. And I do a lot of backpacking, and I’m always off trails, so everything gets beat up, including myself, but the G-Shock can get through anything.
In what ways were the watches worn this season?
Nicholas: We have some rope belts that were wrapped, and we put them on in unusual ways, like across the shoulder. It’s kind of how we wear our watches. Sometimes I don’t like things on my arms. If I’m hiking, I’ll put it on my bag!

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Watch Woman! With Sue Vander Schans, Casio’s director of marketing and communications
You’ve collaborated before—what’s different this year?
We’ve been working together since September 2014, and we’re still integrated into the runway, but this season we sat with Nicholas [Kunz] and showed her the colors and styles we were introducing. She immediately picked up the Cool White series as it encompassed the colors of what her collection would include. We decided that our effort to bring the runway to life should include a separate photo shoot. So we scheduled a shoot in an environment that captured both the femininity of the Nicholas K collection and the toughness of the G-Shock collection.
How did you originally partner with the designers?
​We originally approached each designer who catered to a stylish yet sporty ​woman. We wanted to be included in their shows, and then after working with Nicholas K we determined that our brands worked together seamlessly, so why not look at how we can collaborate further?
What’s your relationship with Nicholas and Christopher like?
Natural—not forced. We’re comfortable with them in every sense of the word. Chris has been wearing G-Shock for years, so when he heard we were introducing a ladies’ collection, Nicholas and he knew if there was a watch that would make sense for them, it would be G-Shock.​

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