Inspiring Conversations with Nicole Cotin of Kokomi Studios

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Cotin.  

Hi Nicole, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi, my name is Nicole Cotin. I am a Florida-based entrepreneur, visual artist, and professional photographer specializing in creative products, food, and beverages. 

I was born and raised in the Philippines and was the youngest among my 4 siblings. At an early age, I developed a deep appreciation for the arts and so I have always loved to draw. I decided I was going to be an artist the first time I watched the anime “Sailor Moon” at home. I was five, and it blew my mind; I’d never seen so many beautiful colors, movement, stunning outfits, and strong female figures in a single show. Sadly, due to our financial situation, I was not given the chance to chase my dream course of Information Design in college. Though I couldn’t take my dream course, I had a great college experience taking my Business Administration degree. 

After graduating in 2013, I moved to Dubai, UAE, and started my professional career where I worked in the luxury car rental industry as a Sales & Marketing executive. I was great at my job, but the work environment was toxic; I got bullied a lot by my coworkers and was always criticized on the way I looked. I wanted to switch jobs and pursue my dreams in the creative and fashion industry, but at the time, I still did not have any educational background in arts or fashion, and I did not have any professional tools or even a digital camera. All I had was passion, an unshakable belief in myself, and a positive outlook for my future. 

I believed I needed to get creative with my skill set, so I used all the available resources I had to hustle. I learned to manage my time well, spending the majority of my leisure to make fashion illustrations, create digital designs (like magazine article layouts and mock-ups), read a lot of self-improvement and business-related books, and even take a short course on social media at the Dubai Digital Marketing Institute (DM3). I then started posting all my artwork and design consistently on Instagram and became engaged with the art community. I asked questions, experimented, and practiced a lot. Since I also love writing and dressing up, I created a blog where I shared my outfits and all the things I love. It became my full-time creative outlet and even my online portfolio. 

In 2015, my hard work with creating all my online content paid off; I finally got into fashion industry! I thought having an art degree was what I needed, but my experience taught me that passion can drive me to do anything and that having a strong portfolio was far more important when it came to finding work. I was hired by a fashion designer and worked as a Social Media Manager. In less than a year, I was promoted to Creative Director and became involved with all the exciting tasks: fashion photography, styling, digital content, fashion events, and editorial magazines. Here, I discovered my love for photography and took another short course in Color Analysis at London College of Style to expand my knowledge. 

While working, I was still actively blogging on the side. Through this, I was able to creatively collaborate with many restaurants, beauty brands, and fashion brands for content creation. In the following year, I also received a few award nominations and recognition from some local magazine publications. 

In 2018, I embarked on a new career as a full-time food photographer. I was fortunate to land a job working with one of the most influential and well-respected people in UAE: Taim Al Falasi. It was the coolest and most exciting job I had because I was also with one of my closest friends – @corbieeats. Working with Taim Al Falasi Network, I helped a few restaurants and cafes step up their visual game. 

In 2020, I was on a vacation in the Philippines when the pandemic happened. It was all on lockdown in my city, and there were no available flights back to Dubai, so I decided to stay and make the most out of the situation. As hard as it may be, I truly believe being comfortable with change is necessary for growth. I started focusing my efforts on freelance digital work, where I was free to explore my creative side. I rented a small photography space near our home where I did product shoots, while also using it as an art space. 

In February 2022, I permanently moved to the US to live with my husband. While living here, I decided to officially get a company license and continue my photography business. That’s how Kokomi Studios LLC was born. 

I am so humbled for the opportunities coming my way this season. There are so many amazing restaurants and art community here in Florida, and I am very excited to work with them. My goal right now is to continue doing what I love and to create works that are meaningful while also helping others. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I firmly believe that if there is a will there is a way. Especially in today’s trying times, I feel like we are being tested on how badly we want to make it. 

For me, I can’t say if it was a smooth or difficult road I took. I guess it was because I was so in love with the process and didn’t think about the end. Thinking back on it, I feel that while reaching for my goals, I struggled a lot with bullying and trust issues. Some people made a lot of assumptions about me, and I also lost some friends. It was hard. People aren’t fair, social media isn’t fair, but I thought to myself, I can still be fair to myself. Do what I love and what defines me. There are times of self-doubt, but I reminded myself that these dark moments are always temporary. They will pass, and surely, they did. 

The most common struggles I think I run into as an artist and photographer are the creative blocks and being too focused on work. That’s why I learned to listen to my body and take good care of it. I take frequent breaks, stretch, enjoy other physical activities like walking, yoga… anything that gets me up and about allows me to enjoy my work in the long run. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We at Kokomi Studios offer stunning product, food, and beverage photography services for small business owners and forward-thinking companies. 

What we do: 

Photography & Videography – product, food, beverage, and indoor spaces/interiors 

Visual Styling – we help curate and arrange the set and its element to make sure each photo and video not only looks incredible but also makes sense in its context 

Social media feed curation – we help our clients create aesthetically pleasing and visually stunning feeds 

Restaurant & Cafe branding – build your brand, logo, menu & packaging design 

You can check out our portfolio & most recent works on Instagram: @kokomi. studios 

Contact Info: 

Email: bystudiokokomi@gmail.com 

Instagram: https://instagram.com/kokomi.studios & https://instagram.com/nicolecotin 

What else do you do when you’re not behind the camera?
When I am not behind the camera, I can be found managing my other businesses (an ETSY stationery shop and designers accessory store), writing in my bullet journal, singing, reading books, creating digital artwork, strategizing my next creative hobby, or planning with my husband on our weekend food adventures!

Who are your biggest influences in fashion?
I have always loved Tsubasa Masuwaka, Namie Amuro, and Anne Hathaway. 

What’s next, and what can we expect from you in the coming years? What’s your goal?
In the next 2 – 3 years, while continuing Kokomi Studios, I wanted to work on my first art collection and hopefully someday be included in an art exhibition. My life goal is to just continue learning, growing, and expanding my capabilities. I would love to be a mentor someday. It would be so nice to be able to pass on and teach the skills/experiences I had. 

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/nicolecotin
• Other: https://instagram.com/kokomi.studios 

Image Credits
Rozen Antonio