Working as a fashion designer for 40 years has given Nicole Miller opportunities most people can only dream of. She’s worked with major celebrities like Angelina Jolie and Beyoncé, and had her designs featured in every major fashion magazine. She’s also served as a Miss USA judge, been featured on The Apprentice, and guest-judged America’s Next Top Model. But despite her busy life, Miller’s still having fun. “I travel a lot and try to be open-minded to not get stuck in ruts. I always have a lot of young people around me, so I always try to listen to them,” Miller says in an exclusive interview with Her Campus. “The older you get, you get set in your ways. You have to always be ready to experiment more and try new things.”
The designer first opened a Nicole Miller store in 1986 on Madison Avenue, New York, and as she launched new collections, her brand gained recognition for its trendsetting designs and innovative silhouettes. Now, Miller’s pieces are sold at over 1,200 stores in major cities including New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and Chicago.
Like many young girls, Miller was first introduced to fashion by her mother. “I grew up with all these fabulous pictures of her in Paris, and she was quite fashionable. We always got French fashion magazines, so I was obsessed with clothing from early on,” she says. “We used to go to New York and go to all the department stores. I loved going shopping in New York from the time I was little.” This also led to her love of French fashion designers, following the works of Pierre Cardin, Claude Montana, and Thierry Mugler.
Before she became a full-time designer, Miller had internships that helped prepare her for the harsh reality of the industry. “[During my first internship], the company went out of business after two weeks,” she says. “It was so sad because the designer came in that morning and the showroom was stripped. It was a real insight into how cruel the fashion industry can be.”
As a graduate from Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), Miller still connects with fashion students. On April 4, 2025, she shared her expertise as a mentor for LIM College’s 80th Annual Fashion Show. “It was a lot of fun, and they were a great bunch. What was nice was that a lot of them were very ambitious. I’m always amazed when I see a class of college students like that.”
If she could go back to college herself, Miller’s dorm room wouldn’t look much different. “I never had any decor. It was already kind of decorated, so it was just posters,” she said. “There was this poster I brought back from Paris, and I remember I had that up. I was in Paris sophomore year, so I brought the poster back and I had it for junior year. I was more minimalist anyway, so I don’t think I changed in that respect.”
Although her decor preferences haven’t changed much, her personal style has evolved over the years. “I wear a lot more pants than I used to. I used to wear a lot more dresses, but I tend to live in pants a lot. I have 30 pairs of black pants of all kinds — every silhouette, every fabric — so I’m trying to break out of that right now,” she says. “I don’t like pastels and I don’t like beige. So everything that I own is either black or it’s a bright color.”
With an ever-changing brand that’s more inclined than ever to connect with Gen Z, Miller is still having fun with new projects and diving into her creativity. “I’m still designing a little bit and making some special custom clothes now and then, so I can still do some creative stuff when I have time,” she says.
Over the years, Miller’s daily life has changed, but her jam-packed schedule remains the same. “Even though I’m not doing fashion shows anymore, I’m still so busy all the time. I end up doing a lot of podcasts, interviews, and photoshoots. We do QVC now, so there’s a lot of preparation for that, and then a lot of times they want me to be in the photo shoots, too,” she says.
For aspiring creatives, Miller recommends gaining internship experience and putting yourself out there. “It’s all about connections. You also have to be your own self-promoter, and always be advocating for yourself,” she says. “Social media is also really important, which didn’t exist before. So it’s really important to have a broad range.”