Designer & Maker
My name is Giovanna Cafaro and I'm an Italian-American artist & designer. I was born in upstate New York and at the age of eighteen I moved to New York City to explore my curiosity for art and fashion. It was during my time in New York that I gained the experience, inspiration and formed the relationships that led to the beginning of NDA.
My parents are from Naples, Italy and immigrated to the United States in the early 1970's. My mother Pasqua is a talented tailor who began sewing and making at the age of five. Throughout my childhood my mother taught me how to sew, make clothes and showed me that self-expression can exist through fashion.
After graduating from The Fashion Institute of Technology with a degree in fashion design, I utilized my talents designing leather footwear and accessories for Dolce Vita, Nina/Delman, Kenneth Cole Collections and The Frye Company. I also spent a year as an apprentice to a bespoke footwear maker in Brooklyn learning and fine tuning the art of making with leather.
NDA is a culmination of the values that are most important to me - authenticity, sustainability, creativity and beauty. The result is a collection of pieces that are timeless, versatile and will compliment any item in your wardrobe.