Born a middle child into a large and boisterous Italian American family full of strong women and entrepreneurial men in the suburbs of New York City, Nicki, a shy introvert, found her place and comfort at an early age in creation. A longtime observer of people and maker of things, she would go on to study psychology and fine arts at George Washington University in Washington, DC, before returning to the New York Metropolitan area. After a short stint working for renowned architect Frank Williams in NYC, she was accepted into Parsons: The New School for Design, where her love affair with the craft of making clothes would begin.

After many years of working at both luxury and contemporary womenswear brands as well as on some short film and music video costume design projects in NYC, she went on to launch her eponymous label NICKI COZZOLINO, an upper contemporary womenswear line which she later changed to NICOLINO. The brand was quickly carried by a handful of high-end boutiques and was featured in numerous prestigious magazines.

A few years later, in need of a break and new inspiration, Nicki would decide to leave NYC, and in doing so, close her company. With four overweight suitcases and three hats stacked on her head, her then one-way ticket to France and reverse migration of sorts back to Europe would lead her on an unexpected journey back to herself, her passion and the inevitable birth of a new brand baby - and the reason your reading this right now - Vieilles Âmes.