My sister, Leila never set out to build one more blog or one more artsy website. What began as a hobby, a way to celebrate the creative people in her orbit, slowly and quietly grew into something far more enduring. Ninu Nina, the platform she founded, is equal parts editorial journal and love letter to the artists, photographers, designers, activists and changemakers she finds inspiring. The name itself gives everything away: borrowed from the whimsical 70s Robin Williams comedy Mork & Mindy, it carries the same lighthearted irreverence that runs through her every interview, every post, and every choice she makes.
Early-career creatives, bold ideas, strong visuals—these are the coordinates of Leila's editorial compass. She describes her ethos in terms of MTV's old war cry: "you hear it first." Before the algorithm decides what's relevant, before the industry validates what's important, Ninu Nina ( a play on the words boy/girl in Spanish), is already paying attention and asking questions.
I've always been obsessed with music, MTV and music videos. Kids in my class wanted to be lawyers and doctors but I wanted to be a video director. Working in editorial has somehow allowed me to be a part of this creative world.
Inspirations:
Leila says her influences resist easy categorization. Music spanning genres, eras, and moods—sits at the center, orbited by a deep reverence for nature and an eye for fashion that is anything but conventional. She loves brands that treat clothing as art, and independent designers who prioritize craft over anything else.
I ask her about favorite brands and designers and she says—Jil Sander, Helmut Lang, Miu Miu just as much as a comfy pair of jeans and a plain t-shirt, which she'll readily tell you is her happiest outfit. The through-line isn't a brand she says, it's a point of view. "Part of style is being able to explore, mix and match, and let your personality shine through. You can't just go into a store and dress in a brand from A to Z, how boring is that? Or hire a stylist to tell you what to wear, hmm no thanks."
I've seen my sister explore her style over the years. But she says New York City shaped her fashion consciousness in ways she traces directly to specific people. Stylist Camilla Nickerson at Vogue and the legendary Patricia Field are major reference points—the latter a figure she intersected with more than once, collaborating on editorial productions. She also says "I love mom's style, specially in the 80's , I'll never forget seeing her wearing a red Ferarri race track suit with heels, she looked absolutely spectacular".
The same philosophy she applies to fashion she also applies to art. " I'd rather buy or collect photography than fashion. "Forget what the industry tells you is valuable. Always buy things you love that speak to you."
Designers & Creatives She Champions
- Magnetic Midnight
- Sarah's Bag
- Paula Mendoza Jewelry
- Jade Tribe
- Jil Sander
- Helmut Lang
- Miu Miu
- Cacharel
- Moschino from the 90s archive
The Director Who Never Was
Had things gone differently, Leila says she might have been calling shots on a music video set. Her creative north stars—Mark Romanek, Anton Corbijn, Floria Sigismondi and many more are the directors who turned the music video into a visual art form during the late eighties and nineties. Their work still shapes how she thinks about imagery, storytelling, and the relationship between sound and vision.
Her path curved through film production instead, landing her on projects she describes with characteristic self-deprecation as being "among the worst-rated on Rotten Tomatoes." And yet she speaks of that time not with embarrassment but with a sense of pride, the kind that comes from doing the work, from being inside the machine, from learning what she loved through proximity to all of it.
I love the arts and photography in particular. Working in film production, even awful ones, has helped me develop an eye.
The Future of Ninu Nina
Ask Leila about monetization and she deflects cleanly. That's never been the point. Ninu Nina has remained ad-free by design—a choice that keeps every editorial decision rooted in genuine interest rather than commercial obligation. In her own words " There are no sponsored features, no brand arrangements colouring the coverage. I am allergic to the words algorithm and influencers."
The moments that matter to her she says are simpler than any growth metric. " Most of the time I interview friends. More recently I get artists who introduce their work via email or through their pr agency. That's usually how it starts, or I'll come across their work at a gallery, fair, or while traveling. I'll just take note of their name and randomly message them. For the conversations I much prefer to meet in person but most of the time I send questions via email so they can answer them when they have the time. Connecting is very important and having intentional questions ready in advance. I love doing my research before starting an interview. "
Ninu Nina will continue to grow the way it always has: organically by word of mouth, on its own terms and led by my sister's curiosity. I am so proud of her for creating a space where creativity and connection are the only currencies that count. Where the rule is simple, if it's worth her attention, it's definitely worth a feature.
