Behind the Goods: Spotlight on Natalie Nelson of OKETO
Founded by Natalie Nelson, OKETO is the result of over two decades of experience in the fashion industry, specifically designing denim and implementing sustainable design and supply chain practices. For Natalie, the inspiration behind OKETO is her Afro-Caribbean heritage and the effortless style of her mother, who balanced cool utilitarian denim with the warmth of coral and gold jewelry.
That "restraint with warmth" is infused into every single pair of jeans OKETO develops. Natalie approaches each pair with an "anti-fit" philosophy, utilizing engineered Japanese denim that doesn't just follow your shape but creates a new, architectural one. OKETO designs are grounded in a design process that puts the wearer at the center of it. OKETO is designed for the woman who invests in herself with total conviction.
Q&A: How did OKETO come to be?
I spent over twenty years in the denim industry watching it ignore the woman I was becoming. She had taste, a point of view, and a body that had lived something. I talked to a lot of women who felt the same; no one was making jeans for her. So I did.
What inspired the OKETO summer ‘26 collection?
Carnival Bacchanal.
The idea that Afro-Caribbean rhythm and architectural precision aren't opposites; that joy can have structure, and structure can have soul.
What are you currently reading?
"The Poetics of Space" by Gaston Bachelard. How we inhabit the spaces we create the philosophy of shelter, form, and what it means to feel held by a room. While I'm in Paris I've also been sitting with a Matisse book, after seeing the exhibit. The colour and the cutouts feel like the same conversation, just in a different language...
What's the most meaningful piece in your closet?
A trouser jean from Azzedine Alaïa's Spring/Summer 1986 collection. He understood the body as architecture long before that became a conversation, the fit is so considered it never leaves you. It's also why I started OKETO.
Favourite scent?
I'm drawn to bright citrus and vetiver during the day, something warm and a little sharp, like sun on skin. At night I want soft rose with amber, never too sweet. Feminine, but with an edge.
Summer bag essentials?
A denim shirt, lip balm, a notebook. The rest figures itself out; I've learned that the less I carry, the more present I am.
What trends are you loving for spring?
The return to considered dressing. Less noise, more intention; pieces you reach for because they're right, not because they're new. Denim worn with the same ease as a tailored trouser. That's the shift I'm most excited about.
What song inspires you?
"Feeling Good" by Nina Simone. There's a woman in that song who has decided; that's the only place I want to design from.
What is your go-to snack?
Dark chocolate, something with salt. I always have some in the house.
Favourite place in the world?
The Virgin Islands. It's where I'm from and where the brand comes from; the colour, the coral, the rhythm underneath everything. Paris keeps pulling me back too, but that's different. That's where I go to be immersed in inspiration.
Why we love OKETO & Natalie
We're drawn to creative minds that have a strong intention, passion and purpose behind them and Natalie from OKETO is a personification of those admirable qualities. We're grateful to those who put themselves out there by creating and developing something tangible that we are fortunate to experience. OKETO designs understand and adapt to the wearer and not the other way around.