Icon of the month: Julia Toledano, creator of the brand, Nodaleto

8 Min Published on 25 January 2022 Interview by Victoria Leriche

This month we are delighted to interview Julia Toledano, designer of the beautiful leather goods brand Nodaleto. A true fashion inspiration, her remarkable pieces are a hit. They simply conquered us with their pure lines and their offbeat, yet timeless style. Discover in this interview her artistic universe, her entrepreneurial path, her vision of fashion but also her best Parisian addresses.

What is your vision of the Nodaleto woman?

It all started with my female entourage... The women in my family, my sister, my aunts and my best friends. They are from different generations, they have very different tastes and opposite styles. My dream has always been to create a line of shoes that would appeal to my women, the women who inspire me every day. Nodaleto was my nickname... my personality, my diary. I wanted to create the shoes I had always dreamed of... I grew up with this dream in a corner of my head and I have been living it for 3 years now. I'm growing and maturing as the brand evolves, so the collections represent me in a very obvious way. The shoes of a woman-child, passage from adolescence to adulthood, maturity... The Nodaleto woman is confident, dynamic, sensitive, strong and sexy. A true identity, but mostly true to herself. I love to see that girls of different origins, ages and styles wear my shoes, it is my greatest satisfaction. That's how the Nodaleto magic works...

How did you get into entrepreneurship?

It's been 3 years since I started the project, I had a click... I was waiting for the right moment and to have the shoulders to start the adventure. I started to create, design and build the brand at the age of 24, I knew I was embarking on the adventure of a lifetime. I wanted to take my time to build a solid project. I worked on the concept, the models and the universe on my own for a year. Then I met my partner Olivier Leone (director of the Nodaleto Image) who helped me develop all aspects of the brand, from the story to the colour, to the campaigns... You can obviously launch yourself alone, but it is above all a team effort that helped me to undertake and to be able to follow through on my ideas and my desires.

What are your tips for living life to the fullest?

I don't really have any tricks, I've always been a bit hyper active and lucky to be able to travel a lot. This year since the launch of Nodaleto, we have undertaken a lot of projects, pop-ups, showrooms, shoots, trips and presentations abroad. This first year has gone by at lightning speed and sometimes I wanted to take some time off to realize how far we've come (thanks to the confinement, I can do this every day). I think that moments with family and friends are precious and that when you create your brand, it becomes a daily priority. It is therefore essential for me to be able to combine the two, to involve my private life in my active life. My friends, my entourage, are always involved and are my first customers. My best friend Najwa Harfouch even posed for the brand and it's a dream we wanted to realize for over ten years.

Your favourite addresses in Paris?

I am lucky to have a very creative entourage... My best friend has just opened the best Japanese restaurant in Paris (Olivier Leone is in charge of the artistic direction of the restaurant), which will open at the end of the confinement: ONII-SAN: 82 Rue des Archives, 75003 Paris.

Then, THE FRENCH BASTARDS: 61 Rue Oberkampf, 75011 Paris

Ferdi: 32 Rue du Mont Thabor, 75001 Paris

Café Kitsuné Palais Royal

Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche (where D+ for care can be found on the first floor of the main shop).

Where do you feel at home?

I feel at home as soon as I feel confident, as soon as I have a reference point. I love to travel and discover... Even in a hotel room, in a house, I need to recreate a familiar atmosphere or to recreate some of my habits. I'm obviously at home in Paris, but it's mainly thanks to my entourage, because they are my "home". I am also very often in Los Angeles, I find my reference points there too, my sister, my friends and my habits. So you can feel at home thousands of miles away.

What is your vision of fashion?

I have a very particular vision because it's something I grew up with and it developed very quickly in me. I was just an observer for a long time, I recorded a lot of information and images in my head and I think Nodaleto is a reflection of this accumulation of ideas and creativity. My passion: the product. I have always been fascinated by the way and the creation. I have always been attracted to the accessory. The number of hours spent working on and making a bag or a pair of shoes. Hundreds of steps that are in Luxury still executed by hand and irreplaceable. That's why it was very important for me that Nodaleto is a product of quality and creation that lasts in time. Fashion is a true art and must bring joy, always continue to make people dream. It is creating magic, thanks to talents and a lot of work often hidden.

Your fashion icons and inspirations?

I have radically opposite inspirations... From minimalism to kitsch... I like to be able to play with atmospheres and settings. Mainly architecture and design (from the 50s-60s-70s). I'm a big fan of Mario Bellini, Pierre Paulin, Carlo Nason... Anti Lovag and American Mid Century architecture. A lot of movies and cult series (from the 90s-2000s). I like to be able to mix intellectual and superficial. I have no problem imagining Rachel Green living in the Stahl House built by Californian architect Pierre Koenig in 1959, in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles. I am a big fan of Azzedine Alaïa. He was a true craftsman and his designs are and will remain timeless. He is for me the greatest strength and one of the greatest talents of all time.

Your wildest dream for Nodaleto?

Nodaleto is already a dream... The craziest thing would be to see the brand grow and develop it in other sectors... We have already launched a collaboration with the artist Anissa Kermiche. We created a vase in the shape of our Bulla Corta. It is a dream to create unusual objects in collaboration with other artists.

Despite the years and the "dressing room clearances", what are the pieces you will never part with?

I rarely part with my pieces (I find it hard because I get attached). When I do, it's often to donate clothes to charities or to make a "mistake", an impulsive purchase that might please someone else. But I'm more of a collector (I've always been a shoe collector). I like to know that my clothes or accessories will last over time, that they will always be in fashion or that I will be able to take them out again in a few years.

What is/are the achievements you are most proud of?

I always try, even when I make my own gifts, to make them symbolic (especially the jewellery). Even when they are new, they should always represent something. When I was taking exams, if I did well I always bought myself a pair of shoes. Even if I don't wear them anymore, I like to look at them and remember them. Often when I buy a piece of jewellery, I wear it and never take it off (I have rings on each finger and 4 necklaces around my neck). I'm most proud of my vintage acquisitions, when I feel like I've found a treasure. I often fall in love with flea markets or flea markets... I can fall in love with armchairs (e.g. my Mario Bellini armchair - photo below) or any jewel or object at Chrome Hearts, which is very far from my universe.

In 2020 you will not leave...

As in 2019: my Bulla Black babies.

D+ for care, what does that entail to you?

A new daily gesture.

What is your relationship with food supplements and how has D+ for care revolutionised it?

I have a hard time being serious and swallowing huge pills... I love the taste and the results that the DAY+ cure has given me. My skin, hair and nails became stronger quickly and I became addicted.