Est. New York, 2003 · Independent
23 Years of
Cultural
Dialogue.
The conversations that shape culture rarely happen in the places you're told to look. We've been finding them since 2003.
Origin
"The inspiration was always behind the scenes, with the people you rarely hear about."
The most important cultural conversations aren't happening where you think. They're not in the magazine editorials, Art Basel, or the blue-chip gallery announcements.
They're happening in studios, after-parties, and corners of the internet where people are connecting on topics and themes that actually matter.
Leila Antakly started this platform in New York, then called ninu nina, while working as an editorial assistant at Italian Vogue. She saw it immediately: the real energy wasn't on the page. It was in the dressing rooms and backstage corridors. In the conversations between make-up artists at 2am. In the ideas being passed between model agents at the Mercer, or fashion assistants trading notes at Pastis, or photographers' assistants talking over each other at opening nights in Chelsea.
The gatekeepers were limiting what everyone could access. The creativity was being filtered before it could breathe. That's how these conversations started, and that's why they've never stopped.
Through interviews, we bring you access to today's most compelling artists. These aren't superficial trend pieces. They're deep dives into the ideas shaping our world, told through the perspectives of people living them.
Our Approach
Together we scope and explore.
We listen, and we ask.
It's intentional.
Leila built a community of contributors, cultural observers, because cultural change is collaborative. The best insights come from multiple perspectives, not a single editorial gate.
In a media landscape dominated by algorithms and advertising, we are a space where substance matters more than reach. No corporate sponsors dictating coverage. No commercial pressures shaping editorial decisions.
Just thoughtful storytelling, editorial freedom, and a commitment to the voices that need to be heard and shared.
We are not interested in what's trending. We're interested in what's true. And over 23 years, we've learned that those two things are rarely the same.
Editorial
Independence above everything. Always.
Voice
The overlooked, not the over-covered.
Depth
Conversations, not content.
23 Years · Selected Milestones
A Conversation That
Never Stopped
From New York editorial rooms to galleries in Berlin, Milan, London and beyond.
After 23 Years
The work expands
beyond the page.
As a result of two decades navigating creative culture, we also work directly with artists, collectors, and institutions who need a guide.
The person behind it
Beyond the interviews.
Her career began at Vogue Italia, though she'll tell you the real inspiration started much earlier as a teenager growing up in the UK. Syrian and Colombian with a deeply global perspective, she's passionate about social impact, human rights, and using communication as a tool for awareness and change. She serves on the committees of several nonprofits focused on children and education.
Twenty years across brand positioning, content strategy, and business development with designers, stylists, and agencies like Wilhelmina. Always building communities. Always connecting the people who should know each other.
Her general philosophy? Work hard, stay curious, and don't take yourself too seriously.
When he's not napping on important documents, or traveling the world, Coco is Leila's most loyal collaborator and bff.
A Personal Note
"I started these conversations because I was tired of culture being translated by people who weren't really listening. Twenty-three years later, that hasn't changed. Neither has the reason I keep asking the same questions."
Founder and Editor · Antakly Projects
New York to The World · Since 2003