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

• 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 opposing styles. My dream has always been to create a line of shoes that could please my women, these women who inspire me every day. Nodaleto was first of all 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 grow and mature at the same time as the brand evolves, which is why the collections represent me quite blatantly. The shoes of a woman-child, the passage from adolescence to adulthood, maturity… The Nodaleto woman is confident, dynamic, sensitive, strong and sexy. A true identity, but above all true to herself. I like to see that girls of different origins, ages, styles wear my shoes, it is my greatest satisfaction. This is how the Nodaleto magic is operates…

• How did you get started on your entrepreneurial adventure?

It's been 3 years now since I started the project, I had a lightbulb moment... I was waiting for the right moment and to have the shoulders to start the adventure. I started creating, designing and setting up the brand at 24, I knew that I was embarking on the adventure "of my life". 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 Image Nodaleto) who helped me develop all aspects of the brand, from the story to the color, to the campaigns... You can obviously start alone, but it is above all teamwork that helped me to undertake and be able to follow through on my ideas and desires.

• What are your wellness tips for living life in the fast lane?

I don't really have any tips, I've always been a bit hyperactive and lucky enough to be able to travel a lot. This year since the launch of Nodaleto , we have undertaken a lot of projects, pop-ups, showrooms, shootings, trips and presentations abroad. This first year has gone by at lightning speed and I sometimes wanted to take a break to have time to realize how far I have come (thanks to the lockdown, I can do it every day). I think that time with family and friends is 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 clients. My best friend Najwa Harfouch even posed for the brand and it is a dream that we have wanted to realize for more than ten years.

• Your favorite 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 as soon as the lockdown ends: 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 you can find D+ for care on the 1st floor of the main store, editor’s note).

• Where do you feel at home?

I feel at home as soon as I feel confident, as soon as I have my bearings. 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 am obviously at home in Paris, but it is mainly thanks to my entourage, because they are “my home”. I am also very often in Los Angeles, I find my bearings there too, my sister, my friends and my habits. Which shows that you can also feel at home thousands of kilometers away.

• What is your vision of fashion?

I have a rather particular vision because it is something that I grew up with and that developed very quickly in me. I was a simple observer for a long time, I recorded a lot of information and images in my head and I think that Nodaleto is the 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 and making a bag or a pair of shoes. Hundreds of steps that are still carried out by hand and irreplaceable in Luxury. That is why it was very important to me that Nodaleto is a quality product and creation that lasts over time. Fashion is a true art and must provide joy, always continue to make people dream. It is creating magic, thanks to talents and a lot of work that is often hidden.

• Your fashion icons and inspirations?

I have radically opposed inspirations… From minimalism to kitsch… I like to be able to play with atmospheres and decors. Mainly architecture and design (from the 50s-60s-70s). I am a big fan of Mario Bellini, Pierre Paulin, Carlo Nason… Anti Lovag and American Mid Century architecture. Lots of cult films and series (from the 90s-2000s). I like to be able to mix intellectual and superficial. I have no problem imagining Rachel Green living in La 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 creations are and will remain timeless. For me, he is the greatest strength and one of the greatest talents of all time.

• Your wildest dream for Nodaleto?

Nodaleto It's 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's a dream to create unusual objects in collaboration with other artists.

• Despite the years and the "empty closet" operations, what are the pieces that you will never part with?

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

• What acquisition(s) are you most proud of?

I always try, even when I buy myself gifts, to make them symbolic (especially jewelry). Even new ones, they must always represent something. When I was taking exams, if I got good results I always bought myself a pair of shoes. Even if I don't wear them anymore, I like to look at them and remember a memory. Often, as soon as I buy a piece of jewelry, I wear it and never take it off (I have rings on each finger and 4 necklaces around my neck). I am especially proud of my vintage acquisitions, when I feel like I have found a treasure. I often fall for flea markets or Flea Markets... I can fall for armchairs (e.g. my Mario Bellini armchair - photo below, editor's note) or any piece of jewelry or object at Chrome Hearts, very far from my world.

• In 2020 you will not leave...

Like in 2019: my babies Bulla Black .

• D+ for care, what does that mean to you?

A new daily gesture.

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

I have a hard time being serious and swallowing gigantic pills… I like the taste and the results that the DAY+ cure . My skin, hair and nails quickly became stronger and I became addicted.

• Between us… do you recommend D+ for care to your girlfriends or is it your best kept beauty secret?

To tell the truth, it was a friend who advised me to do the treatment, and then I in turn recommended it to those around me! Without a doubt!

• And finally… “Less is more” or “More the better”?

“Less is more”, obvious! And today more than ever!

A big thank you to Julia for sharing with us her inspirations and her daily life as an entrepreneur!

Find the products of the Nodaleto brand founded by Julia Toledano on the online store: https://www.nodaleto.com/