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Behind the Seams: How a Nyahallo Piece Comes to Life
Ever wonder how a Nyahallo piece comes to life? Here's a simplified breakdown of the process I follow to bring our designs from idea to reality:
Inspiration & Design
I start by drawing and designing whatever inspires me. Most of my inspiration comes from nature, fantasy themes, and aesthetics that just feel right together. If the vibe clicks, I follow it.
Designs are drawn either by me, my co-designer, or other artists we work with occasionally. Most Nyahallo designs are done in-house by myself and/or my co-designer Ana, though we do collaborate with outside artists when needed. For my own work, I begin with a concept sketch. Once the sketch feels solid, I line and color it—usually keeping the shading minimal to highlight the design itself. At this point, it’s still part of the design phase, meaning it's not a real product yet.
Concept Preorders
If the design gets good feedback, we sometimes run a super early preorder phase called "design concept" preorders. Customers who don’t mind a long wait (8–12 months) can order at a discount. This helps secure interest and fund early production.
Tech Packs
Once a design moves forward, we create a tech pack. A tech pack is essentially a blueprint for manufacturers. It includes technical drawings, color references, sizing charts, construction notes, and every spec needed to create the product exactly as envisioned.
Sampling
Using the tech pack, we start sampling the design. The first sample usually has a bunch of issues—wrong fit, off colors, etc. From there, we revise it until it’s perfect. Most designs take 2–3 samples, though some can take up to 4–5. Each revision can take a month or more, so the full sampling process can stretch out to 8+ months.
Photoshoots & Preorders
Once the sample is mostly finalized, we typically do a photoshoot and launch a preorder. If it already had a "design concept" preorder, this becomes the second round.
Final Production
Before bulk production, we sometimes produce a final "pre-production" unit. If customer feedback shows concerns at this point, we can go back, revise the sample, and reshoot. That way, the final product is one we’re all proud of.
Thanks for being part of the journey! Every step is handled with care, creativity, and a lot of trial and error—but it’s worth it to bring these designs to life.