Nayna Gandhi ©2026
Vol. 01  ·  Portfolio 2026 New York, NY

Fashion,
brand & story.

A portfolio of design, marketing, and visual work — where I've been, and what I've made along the way.

Available for summer & post-grad 2026 nayna@uchicago.edu
Brand Strategy Fashion Design E-Commerce Styling Visual Art Retail Brand Strategy Fashion Design E-Commerce Styling Visual Art Retail
§ 01  —  Editor's Letter p. 004
About

Hello,
I'm
Nayna.

I'm a Psychology major and Visual Arts minor at the University of Chicago, graduating June 2026, with a working life split between two coasts — designing runway collections with MODA in Chicago and learning the business of fashion through internships in New York.

My interest sits at the intersection of brand, storytelling, and the why behind what people wear. I've built wholesale strategy for an emerging label, supported e-commerce and showroom operations for a couture brand, and — on the other side of it — designed and constructed a total of 10 runway looks shown to audiences of 1,700. The through-line is the same: I like understanding how a brand speaks, and making sure what it says looks as considered as it sounds.

Currently based between New York and Chicago. Open to conversations about summer and post-grad roles in fashion marketing, PR, brand, and buying.

§ 02  —  Cover Story p. 012

01

MODA Specimen, Spring 2026.

Role
Designer
Show
MODA Fashion Show
Audience
1,700+
Year
2026
MODA Specimen 2026 — black slip dress, photographed against the elephants at the Field Museum

From sketch to runway — conceptualized, patterned, and constructed for MODA's premier student-run show at the Field Museum of Chicago.

§ 03  —  Sketchbook p. 018
Design begins on paper — figure, silhouette, intent.
Original illustrations from two MODA collections. Each plate moves from concept to finished garment — color, cut, and construction worked out by hand before it reaches the runway.
Collection I Spring 2026 — MODA Specimen
Fashion illustration — brown fringed top and wide-leg trousers
Plate ISS 26
Fashion illustration — strapless grey mini with fringed boots
Plate IISS 26
Fashion illustration — pale blue corset with sheer cape and maxi skirt
Plate IIISS 26
Fashion illustration — menswear, sleeveless aubergine top and wide grey trousers
Plate IVSS 26
Collection II Spring 2025 — MODA in Motion
Fashion illustration — red tiered ruffle skirt with embroidered halter
Plate VSS 25
Fashion illustration — teal sequined mini with high boots
Plate VISS 25
Fashion illustration — purple sequined gown with sheer scarf
Plate VIISS 25
§ 04  —  Selected Work p. 024
MODA in Motion 2025
N° 02
MODA in Motion
Spring 2025
MODA Specimen 2026
N° 03
MODA Specimen
Spring 2026
MODA in Motion 2025
N° 04
MODA in Motion
Spring 2025
MODA Specimen 2026
N° 05
MODA Specimen
Spring 2026
Cleo Camp
N° 07
Cleo Camp
Brand · 2026
MODA Specimen 2026
N° 08
MODA Specimen
Spring 2026
MODA Specimen 2026
N° 09
MODA Specimen
Spring 2026
MODA Specimen 2026
N° 10
MODA Specimen
Spring 2026
MODA in Motion 2025 backstage
N° 11
MODA in Motion
Spring 2025 · Backstage
MODA Specimen 2026
N° 12
MODA Specimen
Spring 2026
§ 05  —  Studio p. 036
Studio work from the Visual Arts minor — painting, color, figure.
A parallel practice to the fashion work, developed through the University of Chicago's Visual Arts program. The thread is the same — color, composition, and an interest in how surfaces carry meaning.
Five-panel painting series installation Five-panel series · acrylic on canvas
Figurative painting — woman in hat with willow branches
Figure study — acrylic on paper
Figurative oil painting — two figures on yellow
Two figures — acrylic on canvas
Two abstract color studies on paper
Color studies — oil on paper, diptych
Large abstract painting — chaotic expressionist color
Untitled — oil sticks and oil on canvas
§ 06  —  Index p. 048
§ 07 — Colophon

Let's make
something.

nayna@uchicago.edu
LinkedIn Instagram CV (PDF)