#DreamyDesigns #PlayfulPersonality
Welcome Nick & Nora® fans. We hope you enjoy our original, conversational, and whimsical designs. We'd love to hear from you and we encourage you to share your thoughts and stories with us.
This site is for informational purposes only, and does not sell any products.
Welcome to the imaginative & whimsical world of Nick & Nora®
Our Story
Design Philosophy
Design Philosophy
Circa 1975, Steven Abrams (a.k.a. Nick) and Linda Rae Tepper (a.k.a Nora) ruled the world of vintage fashion from the seminal store The Ruby Slippers.
Inspired by the retro Americana displayed in their shop, they launched a line of fashion eyewear, establishing the iconic Shady Character label. This label included the highly sought-after
Circa 1975, Steven Abrams (a.k.a. Nick) and Linda Rae Tepper (a.k.a Nora) ruled the world of vintage fashion from the seminal store The Ruby Slippers.
Inspired by the retro Americana displayed in their shop, they launched a line of fashion eyewear, establishing the iconic Shady Character label. This label included the highly sought-after James Dean eyewear collection.
By the mid-1980s, the entrepreneurial duo expanded their brand into accessories, pajamas, and boxer shorts under the label ShadowBoxer.
To prevent confusion with another boxer brand, Abrams and Tepper rebranded their fashion startup as Nick & Nora®, honoring the high society sleuths Nick & Nora Charles from Dashiell Hammett’s novel, The Thin Man.
Under Abrams’ strategic vision, Nick & Nora® transformed into a lifestyle brand. In 2004, Target approached Abrams and Tepper with an opportunity to expand their brand to a broader audience. Initially intended for a two-year duration, this partnership proved to be exceptionally productive, lasting twelve years.
Design Philosophy
Design Philosophy
Design Philosophy
"Ultimately, it doesn't matter whether you impress a retailer, a distributor or a licensee. What matters is impressing the CUSTOMER . It's the customer who sees the kind of quality we produce, the integrity behind our designs, and the creative thought that went into our brand."
Linda Rae Tepper
Creative Director /Principal
"We can't be e
"Ultimately, it doesn't matter whether you impress a retailer, a distributor or a licensee. What matters is impressing the CUSTOMER . It's the customer who sees the kind of quality we produce, the integrity behind our designs, and the creative thought that went into our brand."
Linda Rae Tepper
Creative Director /Principal
"We can't be everything to everyone, and that's part of our core philosophy. We've created a niche with our design sensibilities and we're sticking to it!"
Steven Abrams
Managing Director/ Principal
As Dorothy Globus Twining
Museum Director of F.I.T pronounced: "Linda Tepper is an American designer with a unique vision and delicious sense of humor. Her marvelous designs and unique sensibility have made an important contribution to the American design landscape."
Nick & Nora® is twice the recipient of the Tommy Award for the use of printed textiles in Men's sleepwear and loungewear categories. Our designs are permanently included in the F.I.T Museum.
Nick & Nora designs are Registered® and Trademark ™
Lifestyle Brand
Design Philosophy
Lifestyle Brand
Under the strategic guidance of Steven Abrams, Nick & Nora® strategically aligned itself to license its extensive library of print designs, expanding its brand beyond its initial focus on sleepwear and loungewear.
This approach transformed Nick & Nora ® into a lifestyle brand, encompassing a diverse range of products designed for various h
Under the strategic guidance of Steven Abrams, Nick & Nora® strategically aligned itself to license its extensive library of print designs, expanding its brand beyond its initial focus on sleepwear and loungewear.
This approach transformed Nick & Nora ® into a lifestyle brand, encompassing a diverse range of products designed for various home and household settings. These products include bedding, dinnerware, kitchenware, bath products, and children’s sleepwear.
According to Abrams, “The popularity of our prints has led to a desire among consumers to incorporate them into their daily lives beyond sleepwear. The expansion into home and housewares was a natural progression, as people want our designs to be a part of their surroundings.”
Over time, Nick & Nora® has diversified its product offerings to include Terry cloth robes, cosmetic and travel accessories, silk loungewear, paper goods, partyware, casual women’s footwear and slippers, toddlers and children’s daywear, and bedding products such as knit and woven flannel sheets, duvet covers, comforters, blankets, and pillowcases. Additionally, the brand has ventured into kitchenware, including tablecloths, napkins, placemats, kitchen towels, oven mitts, aprons, and floor mats. Bath products include shower curtains, bath towels, laundry bags, closet and laundry room products. Furthermore, the brand has developed ceramic dinnerware and stoneware, as well as casual dinnerware for both adults and children.