For Natalie De’Banco, The Party Is The Process

Introducing The Membership Files, a recurring series where NYLON spotlights its favorite tastemakers across beauty, culture, entertainment, and more.

Ask Natalie De’Banco what makes a great party, and the answer has very little to do with the guest list. “Everyone just needs a good DJ friend,” the Bronx Banco founder and creative director tells NYLON. She applies the same logic to a runway show: Even the best collection needs the right music. Otherwise, “you’re done.”

De’Banco’s obsession with fashion education started long before her seat in the front row. “My first memory was at 6 years old, playing with buttons and fabric at my grandmother’s house,” the designer tells NYLON of her early life in Australia, which later inspired her to study interior design. Recognizing her entrepreneurial spirit in crafting pieces and selling them on eBay, a schoolteacher nudged De’Banco to consider fashion full time — enter, her first pop-up in Bondi Beach. “In Australia, it’s all about retail stores — people love to touch and feel. Personally, I love the connection to the customer, and showing the full collection,” De’Banco adds.

After splitting her time between Australia and Hong Kong, the creative director moved to NYC, where her resort-minded designs picked up a little edge, with inspiration ranging from nostalgic cinema to a strategic song on loop during the design process. “Now that I’m opening our NYC store and doing more e-comm, we’re focused on the brand as a lifestyle — oversized leather jackets, accessories, denim. I’m so excited about our denim collection; each piece is different from the next.” As it pertains to personal style, De’Banco has it on lock. “It’s very difficult with social media to define your own sense of self. I was quite lucky when I was growing up, it was only Facebook. If I liked something, I thought, ‘I like that.’ Now, it’s more important than ever to find your own style, and not be distracted by everyone else.”

Ahead, De’Banco takes us into the world of Bronx Banco one cocktail, soundtrack, and styling tip at a time.

Where is the best place to throw a party in NYC?

New York has so many places. You can throw a party in the street. I look at a party and a fashion show as so similar. I did a show at the old bank in Tribeca, and you guys did one there a few days after me. Hall des Lumières is one of my favorite venues.

What’s the secret to a great party?

Great music. This even applies to fashion shows — I can make the best collection, but if the music’s not good, that’s it — you’re done. I think everyone just needs a good DJ friend.

What is the best cocktail in the city, and from where?

I am a champagne girly, but I do love the spicy ginger margarita from Chez Margaux.

What’s your getting-ready soundtrack for a night out?

I love ’90s and 2000s R&B. It’s just sexy and moody and it always puts you in the mood. Music is such an important part of my life as a designer — first I find the song, and then I get to work. Every time you hear the finale of my shows, it’s the song I designed to. I listen to it over and over again.

What’s a standout song you’ve designed to?

The last one was Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer.”

What show would you get on a plane to see?

RÜFÜS DU SOL in Ibiza. I’ve never even been there, but that’s my dream.

Where do you look for design inspiration?

For me, it’s easy because I studied design. You identify it through old books; I like old movies — usually, it’s something historical. Go back and research what you love the most. Go back to your past and your roots. What did you like when you were little? That’s where we’re grounded. That’s where real inspiration comes from.

Is there a movie whose fashion you’re obsessed with?

Milla Jovovich in The Fifth Element. Do you remember her white outfit? For my first fashion week in Sydney, she was my inspiration. I made a dress that looked just like that. I need to find the picture for you.

What’s your best-kept beauty secret?

A good makeup artist.

What’s your favorite thing you’ve received in the mail recently?

Julia Fox’s book, Down the Drain. I love a physical book. It feels very nostalgic.

What’s one confidence hack you would gatekeep if you could?

I always try to be a little overdressed. Big shoulder pads make me feel confident. When I walk into a room with big shoulders, I feel like I can do anything — it’s my style secret weapon.