About Us
The fashion label MONUMODE, founded in Los Angeles in 2022, is the creation of yours truly, Nazik Salatyan
I was born and raised in Yerevan, Armenia during the Soviet era, where it was very common for people to sew their own clothes, go to seamstresses, and take measurements to order dresses. Patternmaking and sewing were mandatory subjects in upper grade schools for girls. It was also common for all schools to enforce strict school uniform policies, where only the most courageous and creative students were able to stand out, as there was a very thin and blurred line between looking good and getting in trouble for not following the dress code. It was my grandma, Angelle, who taught me the art of maintaining this balance.
Born of Armenian refugees who had fled genocide in the Ottoman Empire, Angelle’s life began in Aleppo, Syria, from where the family moved to French Lebanon, where Angelle received her education in fashion design at the Académie libanaise des Beaux-Arts. In 1947 the family moved once again, this time to Yerevan, Armenia settling in the region of Monument – my hometown, after which Monumode is named. Angelle became the master of purveying top French fashion with the subtlety and nuance required by strict society in which she lived. While officially she was an instructor for sewing and pattern making in upper grade schools, she was a sought-after designer and producer of high fashion.
When I was growing up, my grandma spoiled me by letting me reign free in her workshop where patterns were created, and clothes sewn. She taught me the basics and even some finer points of her trade. Although it was always my dream to follow Angelle’s professional footsteps, practical considerations lead me in another direction. I earned a degree in computer science and dove into technology. Fate and fortune eventually gave me the opportunity to immigrate to the United States and have a family. Here, once my children were old enough, I decided to follow my childhood dream of becoming a fashion designer.
Los Angeles Trade Technical College was my daily destination for two years. I graduated at the top of my class and received multiple awards and honors. With my degree and new skills, I worked as an independent designer as well as a lead designer at Lanoosh Childrenswear for several years where I was involved in the A to Z of production.
With the fusion of a lifetime’s worth of passion, a solid technical education and valuable experience at hand, I finally decided to take the dive and create the Monumode brand that focuses on sustainability. We produce clothing on demand and without waste. As soon as we get the order, we cut, sew and are ready to ship within a week. The savings we generate in cutting excess labor time and materials are allocated to higher wages for our employees.
Monumode is inspired by the beautiful women around me, by simplicity, by subtlety and efficient elegance.