Nacona Fierro was born in California on August 13th, she is a Leo with a Pisces rising and a Scorpio moon. She was raised in Southern California in the Valley, and Honolulu, Hawaii. And grew up in the Rock 'n Roll & the feature film industry. Ansel Adams was a hero of hers.
At a very young age she was infused with art through her father's design company and influential friends of her mother's in the film industry. Of whom would be the first to lend her a 35mm Nikormat Camera at the tender age of 12. Shortly following she would teach herself photography and the craft of silk-screen separations by hand.
She would practice first by cutting ruby-lith for her fathers artists at the age of 13.
She studied at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, researching cinematography and design. In the mid-90's she would stumble upon a Photoshop 2 manual and would experiment on her roommates Apple G3(w/updated graphics card). And it was on!
She was itching to leave San Francisco during the "Dot Com Boom" and decided to move to Portland Maine. Upon arrival Fierro attended a 6 week graphic design intensive at the Maine College of Art. At which when Stefan Sagmeister came to town to give a lecture to the school, to welcome his arrival, she infamously took to the streets to wheat- paste posters that caught his eye.
He later left her a note in a book of his that her girlfriend gifted her with a message and his email.
This would be her formal introduction to the world of design. Nacona then became a graphic designer for The Portland Phoenix (the nation's last independent newsweekly), all the while spending her free time creating events and dance parties around town.
She later traveled the world to go on tour and do merch for a list of artists too long to name. She fell in love with New York after moving there for a project with Boy George to help create, design, and produce his fashion label B-rude. Which gave Onorato Wixom / OW! PR their start.
Nacona Fierro became so good at design she acquired some awards both national and regional in design, she used this publicity to create experiences and brand her own short-film festival, dance club, and numerous art exhibitions which bridged the downtown scene, music and food.
She then moved to Brooklyn and became the art director at Quist Industries. Working with commercial artists and street wear designers. It was here she honed her chops and became a leading color separator and worked with many brands to produce proprietary techniques and thus sealing her position as one of the most forward thinking production artists in the ever so changing landscape of fast fashion. She made a huge impact on the industry teaching and sharing her knowledge to better her peers of all levels.
Fierro then moved on to BKNY Printing where she managed the art department and most notoriously assisted in a series of t-shirt events with Staple Inc & T-World Magazine that were hosted all over New York City, to launch their new format, a hard cover art book.
Working as Special Project Manager she assisted numerous agencies including:
APPLE + IBM | MUJI | ACURA | BK INDUSTRIES | RAG & BONE | BLOOMBERG | BRIAN WOOD | HEARST | MASS APPEAL | JAY Z | NEW YORK TIMES | ADIDAS | WHITNEY MUSEUM | AEG LIVE | OGILVY | VERA WANG | T-WORLD | STAPLE | WIEDEN + KENNEDY | ALICE & OLIVIA | FACTORY PR | NORTHSIDE MEDIA | SOLOMON R. GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM | POPULAR MECHANICS | AFROPUNK | ATLANTIC RECORDS | DRAKE | ALEXANDER WANG | PELOTON | LIMOLAND | MIGHTY HEALTHY | ALLSAINTS | KINFOLK | MUSEUM OF SEX | BEATS BY DRE | LIL’ LOUIS VEGA | MADE ME CLOTHING | KITH NY | NO LIMIT | THE NEW YORKER | BESPOKE NY | BIG GAY ICE CREAM | PENTAGRAM | OMG POP | BROOKLYN MUSEUM | CON EDISON | COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY | ONLY NY | CONDE NASTE | MACY'S | WEST ELM | JEREMEYVILLE | DANNY TENAGLIA | KWEENZ DESTROY | LION BABE | 718 SESSIONS | DESIGN WITHIN REACH | HOUSING WORKS | EXTRA BUTTER | EMI CAPITAL RECORDS | EXTRA BUTTER | NEW YORK TIMES | PR | FILM SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER | HIT+RUN | WARBY PARKER | ROUGH TRADE RECORDS | YERBA MATE | JEFF KOONS | CFDA | FIT
She then took an offer from Omni Creative Solutions. Which leveled up not only her knowledge but her spirit.
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"It's here were things began to really change for me. Not only was I working with dream accounts like Disney, Nintendo, Hot Topic, WWE, Kangool, Chevrolet, and The James Dean Foundation, I was also assisting the owner with licensing for our own mens, women's and kid's division in a 50,000 sq ft warehouse at MSA apparel, it was extremely challenging and allowed me to grow in ways I would only come to understand years later.
When the company out grew our Brooklyn facility, our business had tripled by that time and had planned to move to New Jersey. The owner allowed me to stay in Brooklyn to run his art studio, Gowanus Print Lab. I fulfilled a life long vision, and connected with countless individuals both young and seasoned, creating real pathways for working artist to realize not only their goals, but their dreams. Produced collaborations, sponsorship opportunities, and interdependence for all.
Gowanus Print Lab also housed a gallery which enabled a spectrum of relationships and exhibitions within the screen print community.
Lastly, I have a rolodex(xtra points if you do to), of some of the most talented forward thinking collaborators in existence. They are first and foremost, my friends."
Let's be friends and make some art together.