The Hidden Heritage collection, the first from Nina Après Swim, is a timelessly designed collection by Australian designer Natasha Nikolovska. The collection, inspired by Natasha’s historic hometown of Ohrid, North Macedonia, is brought to life in the Hidden Heritage campaign. Filmed by local talent in the cobbled streets and historic buildings of Ohrid, the vision of the collection is truly realised in film. Take a look into the making of the Hidden Heritage collection campaign to discover the collection as it comes to life. 

“To capture the essence of the Hidden Heritage collection, there was no better location than my hometown Ohrid: an old, history-filled city, perched on the hills overlooking the serene Lake Ohrid and crowned by the imposing Tsar Samuel’s Fortress,” says Natasha.

And so, it made perfect sense that the campaign would be filmed here. Close to designer Natasha’s heart, Ohrid was an initial point of inspiration when starting out designs for the Hidden Heritage collection: “I came across some photographs that I took quite a few years ago, while visiting my hometown. Interestingly, I found myself admiring the beauty of Ohrid, as one of the many visitors over there.” 

From the place where she grew up, the beautiful and historic town was the setting in which Natasha developed her design aesthetics and values and it is ideal that the lakeside town is captured in the essence of the Hidden Heritage collection and what it was created for: high-end travel in stunning seaside locations. 

It was fitting that the collection campaign be shot against the backdrop and stunning elements of the architecture of Old Town Ohrid. The architectural inspiration is visually represented in the shapes and embroidered patterns of the Hidden Heritage collection. As Natasha explains, “the beautiful rich rust and dusty pink palette of the church of St Sophia is portrayed in the Sophia dress and swimwear,” while the Sophia pieces’ plunging necklines and scooped out backs are inspired by the arcs and curves of the church’s ancient architecture.

Echoing the remarkable early-Christian basilicas, “the embroidery of the Basillica shirt is inspired by the ornate shapes and architectural artistry of the town’s many basilica churches, with their beautifully sculpted tall arches, colonnades, and spectacular domes.” Inspired by these decorative elements, Natasha reflects: “With its well-preserved floor mosaics and fragments of decorative sculptures and ancient columns, this location, one of the inspirations behind the collection, was perfect for showcasing the carefully crafted designs.” 

The campaign behind the Hidden Heritage collection was crafted by a dedicated film and creative crew, whose efforts and creative strengths went into bringing the designs and aesthetic of the collection to life. “It was a long-planned and carefully prepared long-distance collaboration,” Natasha explains. “The human connection proved well and truly alive, with amazing artisans in India finishing the garments, working closely with the Sydney-based team and the film production crew in North Macedonia. Film director Maja Mladenovska, one of my closest and dearest friends, currently living and working in Ohrid, gathered an amazingly talented team, producer Darko Popov, cinematographer Dimo Popov and stylist Milena Tanaskoska.” With a vision to capture the passion and personality of the collection, the final footage and campaign seamlessly brings together the location and the Hidden Heritage pieces. It is a true reflection of the sophisticated, well-travelled, cultured women that the collection has been thoughtfully and purposefully designed for.