NSS: The Origin Story

NSS is an Italian brand originating in Italy’s third largest city, the beautiful and extravagant Napoli. Starting in 2009 as a blog by the name of naplestreetstyle.it (Nss Factory), with the goal to spread street culture throughout Napoli, the group eventually created NSS Magazine in 2012 (nss magazine srls). Continuing their inventive flow, 2014 brought the creation of NSS Factory (Nss Factory), and in the year 2022, through hard work and preparation, NSS Magazine officially registered as a newspaper. Since then they have never looked back and have been expanding not only across Italy, but across Europe and the world as a whole. December 2023 brought the creation of NSS Edicola, the main project that I will be focusing on in this blog, as I believe it truly encapsulates their movement.

NSS Edicola: A Newsstand Revival

With the arrival of NSS Edicola, the Napoli born brand took the next step in expanding their ever growing empire. To do this, they grew their online and magazine presence into a larger, physical entity which came in the form of a newsstand. “NSS Edicola was born as an act of love for the city, for the protection of the cultural spaces that newsstands represent.” (“Nss Edicola”). The format of a newsstand allowed for not only an in-person shopping experience, but a chance to gather as a community. Gatherings at the NSS Newsstands created and continue to create a friendly environment for the meeting, conversation and collaborations of people from all over, as well as a place to have fun, and enjoy cultural spaces.

The Importance of Newsstands

Newsstands are a dying breed, but not too long ago they connected people around their respective cities, providing details about the world, pop culture, and most importantly, an area for locals and travellers to connect with one another. In a world of digital media, newsstands remain a symbol for human connection, highlighting community, giving the option of supporting local writers, and allowing you to experience a wide range of information in person.

Collections & Tributes

NSS Edicola has made quite a few collections, with each one having different clothing, accessories, souvenirs, books, and other merchandise. These collections are not just random, but instead masterfully curated groups of items that correlate to specific themes. My personal favourite collections are those that are tributes to cities. Some of the cities included in these homages are:

• Roma (Roma 6 Unica!)
• Napoli (J’adore Napoli)
• Milano (Ti Odio Milano Ti Amo)

Within these collections, NSS makes sure to highlight the beauty of their respective cities, as well as spark conversation, tell their story, and of course continue their initiative of reviving newsstands.

Conclusion

The NSS brand is doing something I have never seen before, as they connect the past with the future, provide nostalgia while simultaneously creating new iconic ideas, and curating a community around the world. Their initiatives to revive newsstand culture, while promoting Italian culture is truly remarkable. I have had the privilege of buying the sweatshirt, hat, and t-shirt from their “Roma 6 Unica!” Collection, and they are some of my favourite clothing articles I own. I encourage everyone to checkout their Instagram and website, as well as visit their stores if you are in Italy.

Works Cited

“Nss Edicola.” Nss Edicola, 2025, http://www.nssedicola.com/en/p/community. Accessed 17 June 2025.

“Nss Factory.” Nssfactory.com, 2021, http://www.nssfactory.com/p/about. Accessed 17 June 2025.

nss magazine srls. “About.” Nss Magazine, 23 Aug. 2013, http://www.nssmag.com/en/p/about.