The Mojo of Music featuring Nina Luna
For Minneapolis based singer-songwriter Nina Luna, music and fashion aren’t separate realms—they’re intertwined expressions of her creative identity. As an artist she understands that her sense of style is just as important as her sound, with both working together to create an authentic, multidimensional persona that hooks her audience.
Having tirelessly released singles for the past 6 months, Nina’s newest album Restless Romantic: The Singles is a compilation of that work. Her DIY and entrepreneur spirit thrives on the release with a variety of different subject matters, styles, and alt-pop avenues for her sound.
In a recent conversation, Nina Luna opened up about how her eclectic style reflects the evolution of her music, how her fashion has been inspired by living in different cities, and how she intentionally blends bold and vulnerable elements into her personal and professional look.
Nina’s early relationship with fashion was shaped by her mothers strong sense of style. Growing up, she and her younger sister wore matching outfits, a tradition that continued until Nina reached middle school. Her mother, worked in advertising at Dayton’s and as a musician herself, had her own personal style. This instilled in Nina an appreciation for fashion, even if their tastes didn’t always align. Her mother’s influence, however, laid the groundwork for Nina’s own unique approach to fashion, which blends elements of softness and toughness, femininity and an edge.
“My mom always loved clothes and fashion when I was growing up. She would buy me and my sister matching outfits. My mom likes things that are very coordinated. In middle school I started to push back. I had my own ideas about stuff I wanted to try. She had a good sense of style. It just isn’t necessarily my style. My style was more eclectic, less matchy. “
-Nina Luna
Nina’s time living in New York for 10 years significantly impacted her sense of style. In New York she could wear absolutely anything you want. She found there was always somebody doing something bigger and bolder and weirder. Living in a city where individual expression isn’t hidden, Nina felt free to experiment with her wardrobe in ways that felt authentic to her. Seeing all the creative ways people would dress helped give herself permission to experiment.
Although Nina grew up in the suburbs of Lake Minnetonka, she was exposed to the artistic vibe of Minneapolis during her teenage years with Prince that absolutely had their signature style. Returning to Minnesota in 2019 revealed a different set of challenges. The region has not always embraced bold fashion choices. While wearing a black leather jacket raises attention in the Midwest, in New York it wouldn’t be a big deal. But that contrast between the two cities has kept her inspired to stick to her style.
“I’ve always tried to intentionally keep my feeling of having a signature style alive, even though it’s not necessarily encouraged here. I think most people choose to stay in Minnesota because it’s comfortable. People do things a certain way, and it feels predictable.”
-Nina Luna
Her approach to fashion mirrors the themes in her music—described as “natural mysticism and sacred sensuality combined with a lust for life and a fiery edge.” She notes that her wardrobe often features a combination of flowy, organic elements with tougher, more structured pieces. She likes to feature the juxtaposition of the flowy, organic, and feminine intimates, while wearing the tougher elements like black boots, leather jackets, and even studded accessories. She disclosed that the little bit of toughness definitely comes from walking the streets of New York and wanting to have a little bit of armor on. This dynamic blend of softness and strength also appears in her choice of materials.
“I’ve always liked the idea of dressing like a pirate,” she laughs, referencing two Keira Knightley movies, Pirates of the Caribbean and Pride and Prejudice for their romantic, layered aesthetics. There’s a story to the clothes in those movies. It’s soft and feminine, but carries strength at the same time. Nina’s music incorporates these same layers of texture and vulnerability, from ethereal melodies to fiery, assertive lyrics.
Her own fashion inspirations come from various corners of the creative world. Florence Welch (Florence and the Machine) has always been a fashion icon for her. She also finds herself drawn to the eclectic style of FKA Twigs, whose mix of velvet, leather, and lace resonates with her own experimental approach to style.
Nina’s interest in photography has further honed her understanding of how fashion translates into visual storytelling, particularly with being on stage. She used to wear all black, thinking it was edgy and sexy, but realized it didn’t translate well in photos because you wouldn’t see the details. She’s found in order to make a bigger impact with her look, she has embraced a more layered, textural approach, opting for a mix of materials and colors that create a visual intrigue.
Having hired photographers in the past to take photos of her, now having more control and knowledge over photography has blossomed her creativity. You see that in how she captures her own style and aesthetic. Her hands-on approach to visual creation has deepened her awareness on how fashion impacts an artistic presence.
As previously mentioned, Nina’s leather jacket is from Zara and has held up well over the years. It’s the top coat of armor in the outfit. As a first visual impression piece, it sets the tone of contrast when you then spot the layers underneath. The next layer is a sheer long-sleeved blouse with wavy lines running down the piece. The bell sleeves stick out from the arms of the jacket, adding a drapery vibe and playfulness in look. This was one of the Etsy pieces she found with the curated pack from The Collective Wardrobe.
The long white tablecloth dress is from Urban Outfitters and has a variety of details cascading down it, with panels of stitching, triple lines of ruffles, and a checkerboard of thicker lines. Nina was drawn to the buttons on the back of the dress and decided to wear the piece backwards, showcasing those details. This gives her the ability to unbutton and add that further layer of softness into the outfit, revealing the back lace undergarment.
The black chunky Doc Martens feature a zip side and straps that come across the top. Covered in silver studs and piercings, the over-the-top vibe of the shoes drew her in. The back even features dual pointed rings with the trademark tag popping up. Nina isn’t into expensive jewelry, instead relying on a signature necklace or two until they get tarnished or lost. The top beaded necklace from H&M. The larger lower necklace features a Saint on it and was a bit more expensive. The earrings were a gift from her mother on her last birthday.
“There’s another thing I’ve been trying is to be a little more over the top with my jewelry. I love it when other people wear tons of rings, but it always feels a little bit annoying when I have them on my fingers,” Nina states.
“I’ve worked with producers over the years, but I think the thing was for me that a lot of the time it wasn’t that I couldn’t let go of control, but I felt like I wasn’t very good at conveying the ideas that I had. I felt like I had ideas that I could and should be executing. This is something that my artist self wants to do and another outlet of creativity. It’s helped me to hone my sense of brand as an artist and my sound,” Nina shares.
Her newest album Restless Romantic: The Singles are all songs she’s written, produced, recorded, mixed, and mastered herself (with the exception of “Lines” being mixed by Lukaz Wheaton.)
Following her journey of releasing a new single every two weeks, her artistic individuality is portioned out with Instagram reels of her outfits, specific new cover photos for each new song, and behind the scenes of her thought process on putting together a look. Oftentimes it uniquely ties into the new dimensions of the song.
The mix and match nature of the newest album creatively stretches Nina’s sound with layers of electronic keys, synths, horns, and acoustic guitars. Nina’s voice has a cohesive softness throughout the album that feels close and breathy. “Autumn Wind” is a prime example of that vulnerability and emotional sensitivity that Nina so expertly taps into. “Faltered” features a flowing wave of layered vocals that channels some Folklore magic.
Among the highlights includes the romantically healing song “Waste of Time.” The simple production of the verses are filled with optimistic energy hiding under the surface, while the choruses have an “at-peace” moxie. Written about today’s beauty standards, “Lines” is the epitome of this series, in that it addresses the overwhelming messaging of how botoxing is taking away our ability to show emotions, all the while using a full-on pop melody to connect with young women.
The album is a masterclass in development as you can track and follow ideas and production tricks that Nina explores. Her experimentation of mixing, layering, and creatively adding effects to her voice is eclectic and captivating to follow that progression. Nina’s visuals carry throughout her social media and feel so authentically tried to her song-writing. When you understand the way she builds an outfit, her songs and ethereal layers are only another skin she wears.
“I thought it was really fun because she picked out things that I never would've picked out and it was enjoyable to play around with. They're all secondhand, so I'm like, cool, guilt free on that, very affordable. And then it felt like a fun little creative challenge to be like, we've got these eight new pieces. What are you going to do with 'em?”
-Nina Luna
When it comes to shopping, Nina’s approach is deliberate and sustainable. She enjoys thrifting and purchasing secondhand clothes. She’s even discovered on Etsy that there are vintage sellers that will curate a bundle of clothes for you based on your Pinterest board and sizes. She did that in the spring with The Collective Wardrobe and was pleasantly surprised by the things that were picked out that challenged her imagination.
Nina also shops from brands like Free People and Urban Outfitters, but she avoids buying pre-designed outfits that might lack personality, instead mixing things together in a way that feels unique. Her closet reflects her desire to keep things manageable and intentional, with each item serving a clear purpose. She doesn’t like excess as it feels overwhelming. The intention behind adding something has to be from a place of commitment in wearing it.
There is one small exception hanging in her closet. She purchased a huge fake fur hooded black coat that looks like a mob wife coat. She loves how warm it is and ended up wearing it a couple times last winter, but it just didn’t snow enough to make it out on a regular basis. She’s hoping for a true Minnesota winter to fully stretch the fur and turn heads on a more consistent basis.
“What I always hope to think when I see somebody else is this, and so I hope they think that about me is that I want them to be like, oh, wow, this person is the real deal. This person is taking it seriously. They've clearly got their shit together. They're doing big things based on the way they're dressed. I've had to actually challenge myself to make sure I'm showing up that way, no matter what the gig is.”
-Nina Luna
As a female artist, Luna has often found herself navigating societal expectations around how an artist should dress, particularly on stage. She admits to feeling more pressure in the past by wearing something more form-fitting, but now understands it’s more about the vibe of the outfit. Nina has a clear goal of not wanting to dress in a way that feels disconnected with who she is. She emphasizes the importance of authenticity, recalling how she’s always admired artists like Lady Gaga, who consistently showed up looking like a star, no matter the event. That kept her inspired to treat every gig as a chance to showcase her fashion and music as a visual medium.
In the end, Nina Luna’s mojo is as much a part of her creative journey as her music. It’s a reflection of who she is—tough, ethereal, layered, and unafraid to stand out. Whether on stage or off, her wardrobe is an extension of her artistry, communicating her unique vision to the world in ways words alone never could definitely.
Check out the links below for ways to follow Nina Luna and all the topics we mentioned above.
Nina Luna website - Instagram - Spotify - Piratecore - The Collective Wardrobe - Florence Welch - Free People - Zara
