Automotive design has made her an expert at trend and color prediction, since cars are designed years in advance. It’s more than just a job to her; it's her life passion. Nicole expresses her vision by curating great design that generates a sense of well-being, identity, and confidence that, in turn, empowers its users. Nicole gets to express her passion for color, design, and most of all, fashion every day.
She took her creative mind and ambition to Central Michigan University, where she studied Fashion Design. Nicole graduated in 2002, leaving student life to start a design career in automotive Color and Materials. Being a female in a male-dominated industry didn't scare her though, it pushed her. As a multi-dimensional woman who grew up in the heart of the Motor City, she was a natural when it came to the industry and knew she could give a unique perspective on automotive design. She was quickly praised for her innovative ideas and set out to pave her way as a leading woman in the industry.
Nicole moved to southern California, where she joined Mazda North America Design and got her first taste of designing the CMF (Color Materials & Finishes) for an entire car. Shortly after, she moved to Shanghai, China, where she stayed for 4.5 years. While in China, Nicole built a color and materials design studio for a major automotive supplier as well as educated and trained the local team on the specifics of color design. Outside automotive, Nicole let her creativity radiate by designing handcrafted jewelry. With her expertise in leather from 14- years in the automotive industry, combined with her love for color and fashion, she released her first jewelry collection, "Up All Night," a unique collection of vividly colored leather hand wrapped with gold detailing. The collection launched at Henri Bendel, its flagship New York store.
After Shanghai, Nicole joined Nissan Design America in 2013 where she worked on several projects from concept to production, including most notably, the CMF for the 2019 Nissan Altima which was featured in Automotive News for its one of a kind orange body color with color shifting properties. She also designed the chic interior materials, which turned heads at Nissan as she was quickly promoted to be the first female Color Manager at Nissan's Global Design Headquarters in Japan. In 2017, Nicole won the Eyes On Design Award for Best Concept Vehicle and Best Innovative Use of Color, Graphics, and Materials at the North America International Auto Show for her work on the Vmotion 2.0 concept car. As a female designing for women, Nicole strives to create an environment that inspires and motivates women, yet still gives them a sense of peace and harmony. To her, it’s not just a car, but more like a home away from home, and functional for a busy life.
Looking to the future, her passion for cars still lives within her. Nicole created “Her Drive In Style”, a show where you get to ride along with industry professionals and get an inside look on some of the newest, hottest, sexiest cars on the market.
“Color design is not just a job to me, it’s my life passion.”
