“InsideOutMoz is what we are, what we represent in this world, what we want to present the world, how we express ourselves,” said Nádia Muando-Jacomet, owner of InsideOutMoz Design on Etsy.
While Nádia says that she went to school for music, that’s not what she sees herself doing long term.
“Music was maybe my parents’ passion, but it is not my passion,” she said. “Fashion is something that I went out and had to find for myself.”
Much of her inspiration for each piece comes from traditional Mozambican patterns.
“The tradition says that women must have capulana [a traditional fabric] to wrap around the skirt and the waist to carry the baby,” said Nádia.
Her husband Sam Jacomet explains that in Mozambique, women are expected to be a wife, mother, and housekeeper.
But Nádia wasn’t having it.
“I was like, ‘Mm, no. I’m not wearing it like this,’” said Nádia about Mozambican traditional garments. “If I’m going to wear it, I’m going to make something.”
In 2017, Nádia took six months away from her job in Mozambique, Africa, to go to Washington, D.C. where she showcased her clothing designs.
“We bring the patterns and mix with normal fabrics so that we can have a more modern garment,” she said. “We try to bring the vintage into the African into the modern.”
Garment Gems
InsideOutMoz
+ African Print Fanny Pack
+ African Print Paper Bag Pants
+ Bomber Jacket
+ Cropped Peacock Feather Print Camisole
+Puffy Sleeved T-shirt Dress
ClothingMyVintage
+ Claybrooke Sport Collared Sweater
+ ’90’s Reebok Cinch Waist Windbreaker
+ Shaquille O’Neal Jersey
+ Striped Arizona T-shirt
+ Tommy Hilfiger Striped Polo
But before long, she had to return home to work at an insurance agency.
“I had to be out of fashion for one year, and I was not doing what I wanted to do,” explained Nádia.
Sam says he’s always wanted to explore the world outside of South Dakota.
“Especially from a small town where I came from, it seemed so distant, but I was determined,” he said. “My wife and I share that determination of following the dream at any cost, and that mindset landed us together.”
Stationed in Mozambique with the Peace Corps at the time, Sam met Nádia when she struck up a conversation with his visiting friend. Sam wound up modeling some garments for Nádia’s photoshoot.
After over a year and loads of fiancé visa paperwork, Sam and Nádia tied the knot on November 30, 2019.
Back in Sam’s home state of South Dakota, Nádia opened her shop on Etsy in the late spring of 2020, selling her contemporary, modern clothing with Sam’s help.
“Nádia is very artistic. She can play the guitar even though she doesn’t want me to tell you that. She used to be in a band.” -Sam
“This is what I want to do,” said Nádia. “This is my opportunity to show myself to the world.”
Sam orders fabrics and works on the business side of things from his office, while Nádia creates her own clothing designs and handmakes the garments herself upstairs.
Sam works on marketing, advertising, photography, and more, holding up their business with no experience. He says YouTube has been a big help.
“We try to do it right, and with our mistakes we’re diving into all the different aspects of running a business,” he said.
“I make a lot of mistakes that wind up being good,” explained Nádia.
“And then I tell her that it’s fine, and she has to redo everything,” Sam added with a laugh.
And while Sam does odds and ends to keep the business up and running, he also has an Etsy shop of his own where he sells vintage clothing that he finds thrifting.
With InsideOutMoz and ClothingMyVintage, the couple is able to work together in fashion full time, hoping to make each of their customers happy.
“I HAD A LOT OF PHASES IN MY LIFE, AND I’M IN THE FABRIC PHASE RIGHT NOW.” -NÁDIA
“We are real people,” said Nádia. “We are worried about you being happy with what you receive.”
“We really care about our process, and we care about our quality,” added Sam. “We just want to make good things and present that to people.”
On Etsy so far, InsideOutMoz has made nearly 200 sales, and ClothingMyVintage has made over 500, though each shop has made sales outside of that platform as well.
Inventory Inquiries
Instagram // @insideoutmoz
Etsy // InsideOutMozDesign
Instagram // @clothingmyvintage
Etsy // ClothingMyVintage
Nádia and Sam were determined to defy the limitations of their lives, and together, they did just that.
Sam left off, “Even though we come from two different parts of the world, we share the same outlook and purpose in life, which ultimately includes serving others, following our dreams, and to empower others to block out the doubters.”
