Nick Bower

Nick Bower was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. In 1976, at twenty years of age, Bower left South Africa for London. There he studied fashion at the esteemed Central Saint Martins, receiving a BA with honors. His next move took him to Rome, where he worked for Valentino Couture. Knitwear became something of a speciality, with Bower also spending time working with Versace.

Couture, however, was a long way from the surf culture that had fascinated Bower since his youth. He and his wife Jane moved to Laguna Beach, California in 1985, a place that allowed Bower to further explore his interests. He took work in the surf wear world, spending a significant amount of time with Gotcha Sportswear.

Twelve years after moving to California, Bower landed at Stussy. Since then he’s worked on the men’s line along side Paul Mittleman. Two years ago he initiated and designed Stussy Deluxe. With a new collection and website dropping for fall 2010, I caught up with Bower to discuss the concept behind Deluxe and his background in design and sportswear.

The photographs included in this feature were taken by Peter Sutherland.