To wish our friends at NICCE a happy birthday we took four future megastars for a spin in their latest collection.
Meet Archy Moor, MINAS, BaggE and Deela, four rising artists who are no strangers to the concepts of passion, creativity and commitment. Forging paths in their respective scenes across the UK and beyond, it’s community that unites these musicians, individually driven by local connection and collaboration. A decade after the Ibiza summer that birthed the iconic streetwear label, NICCE continues to surround itself by good music and a network of supporters as they platform this group of emerging talent. In celebration of 10 years, the brand reflects on their journey so far whilst looking to the future, uncovering the value of community, style, creativity, and locality to these four artists today.
Once returned from the white island, it was a Hackney bedroom that became home to the NICCE team. They steadily built a community across London, joined by up-and-coming talent from across the music world. It’s this integral neighbourhood personality that resonates with Nigerian-born, Dublin-hailing rising prodigy Archy Moor. For Moor, “Local connection is very important. It’s good to just feel at home somewhere, wherever that might be.” Fast forging a reputation as the future of UK hip-hop, fashion and beyond, the rapper continues, “I try and root all my music in realness regardless of the genre it falls under, it’s this mad accumulation of Irish and Nigerian that I’m now spinning in a new light”.
Also resonating with an origin story crossing international borders, James Minas emigrated to the Welsh Valleys from Athens before travelling in the circus with parents who were heavily involved in the 1980s punk scene. MINAS’ music embodies this eclectic journey, not only through the outfit’s punchy sound but through James’ literal need “to share stories of life” in places he’s lived. Starting as a solo project that’s expanded into a live band with his good mates, James says he couldn’t do MINAS without them.
It’s the familiarity and neighbourhood connection of an upbringing in blocks that proud North-Londoner BaggE holds as significant. Raised in a working-class family within the close-knit community of flats, the neo-soul artist’s creative process is also fuelled by a “genuine passion” for meeting new people, as she puts updated twists on nostalgic sounds. Asked to sum up her music in three words, BaggE chooses “A homecooked meal”, encapsulating the warmth of her mission to “resonate with your emotions, particularly those experienced by people of colour and the LGBTQ+ community”.
Another musician translating locality in her own way, British-Nigerian rapper Deela was raised in Lagos and attended boarding school as a child. It was this seclusion from family that taught her the importance of supporting your peers. The experience also contributed to her belief, she shares, that “life would be so much better if people valued the community a bit more.”
Looking back, NICCE have always sought to provide a platform for creativity, understanding the importance of inviting fresh faces into their fashion family. In the mid-2010s it was the likes of DJ Skream, Yung Fume and Novelist who got involved playing nights and listening parties at the Shoreditch store. Support for grassroots talent continued after a 2018 move to Bethnal Green Road, as the team opened a recording studio inside the office. BaggE resonates with this collaborative spirit, describing it as playing a “huge role” in her musical journey. She expresses, “I have a genuine passion for meeting new people, which fuels my creative process. Learning new skills and co-creating with others is a source of immense joy for me.”
With the worlds of style and music intrinsically linked, all four artists explore self-expression through their fits. BaggE also explains she’s always had the freedom to shape her image, reflecting that “a strong sense of identity as an artist is crucial”. Deela describes having “no constraints” on what she wears, whether it’s “tomboy-ish or glam”, her adventurous choices reflect an artistic openness. The vibe for MINAS: “casual, with comfort”, with bravery to go “as loud as possible” if he’s feeling uninspired. Ever committed to authenticity, Moor isn’t constrained by public opinion or trends and the message is simple, “I don’t dress to impress, I just do it for me”.
Much like the NICCE brand, despite their journeys so far, this is just the beginning for these four rising artists. Their bucket-list dreams are varied: from playing at Glastonbury (Moor), establishing themselves as a household name (BaggE), or simply getting to a point where they don’t always need to work (Deela).
Where do they see themselves in ten years? For Deela and BaggE, mammoth tours and global collaborations are calling, both hoping for the chance to take their music and artistry around the world. Alongside shared ambitions of musical accomplishment, Moor’s answer is closer to home. He imagines, “Probably a countryside home with a wife and a kid, maybe a dog outside”. MINAS hopes to be healthy, in a place where therapy and music have helped him feel proud of his achievements, alongside “the same mates [he’s] doing this with now”. Proving it’s not always about big time, it’s these foundations of neighbourhood, community and talent that provide the ideal platform for future success. A lot can happen in a decade, watch this space.
Producer – Xae Cotterell
Photographer – Dani K Monteiro
Assistant – Zeyaad
Movement Direction – Demi Rox
Stylist – Tiffany Riazanova
MUA – Fleur Radford
Hair – Raphael Areadios
Words – Isabella Cassidy
BTS Video – Sasha List
