NILAU

Luxury leather goods reinvented

The fashion world is a very contentious environment. Overshadowed by the giants of low-cost textiles and mass production, there are nevertheless a number of passionate young designers, eager to offer the sector a more responsible and measured reputation. Marie Veyron, founder of Nilau, is one of them. With her French, local, and sustainable luxury leather goods brand, this designer proves that it is possible to create fashion built on a respect for people and the environment.

By Marine Pasquier

Emphasis on artisanal, short-circuit production

Marie Veyron grew up in the Auvergne-Rhône Alpes region, in a farming family. The Veyrons raise ostriches. This unusual animal, whose skin fascinated Marie as a child, yields a rare and precious leather, at once exotic and local, but above all entirely traceable. A lover of fashion, Marie launched her own brand of leather goods, inspired by her family history. Her credo: revalorize unique leather coming from the food industry and perpetuate traditional expertise, while maintaining firm roots in her native region.

Combining aspirations and materials, Nilau offers 100% French high-end leather goods, with a rich history. Marrying natural, light linen with pure, nuanced leather, each piece expresses the simplicity and complexity of beauty. Handcrafted in short-production circuits, Nilau bags are the result of a dozen hours of work between the breeder, tanner, and leather craftsman, with less than 300 kilometres travelled over the entire creation process. The goal? To show that know-how and precious materials can be found locally, from farm to processing.

Timeless feminine designs

On the design side, the lines and designs are timeless, with curves evocative of a certain poetic elegance. Nilau bags are customizable and suit all types of women. Amongst the brand’s iconic models: the Alca, inspired by a traditional-style schoolbag; the feminine half-moon shape of the Néra, or the Bépine bag, a modern take on the vanity kit. Each model is available in six colours and comes at a fair price for everyone involved: artisans, the brand, and customers—free to choose what they consume.

AMPHORA