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

L'icône du mois : Julia Toledano, créatrice de la marque Nodaleto

8 Min Published the 25 January 2022 Interview by Victoria Leriche

This month we are delighted to interview Julia Toledano, creator of the stunning leather goods brand Nodaleto . A true fashion inspiration, her remarkable-looking pieces are a great success. They simply won us over with the purity of their lines and their offbeat, always timeless style. Discover in this interview his artistic universe, his entrepreneurial journey, his vision of fashion but also his 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 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 the back of my mind and I have been living it for 3 years now. I grow and mature as the brand evolves, which is why the collections represent me quite blatantly. The shoes of a woman-child, the transition from adolescence to adulthood, maturity... The Nodaleto woman is confident, dynamic, sensitive, strong and sexy. A true identity, but above all true to itself. I like to see that girls of different origins, ages and styles wear my shoes, it's my greatest satisfaction. This is how magic Nodaleto operates…

How did you get started on the adventure of entrepreneurship?

It's been 3 years now since I started the project, and it clicked... 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 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 (Nodaleto Image Director) who helped me develop all aspects of the brand, from the story to the color, to the campaigns... You can obviously go it alone, but It is above all teamwork which helped me to undertake and be able to follow through on my ideas and desires.

What are your wellness tips for living at a hundred miles an hour?

I don't really have any tricks, I've always been a little hyper active and lucky enough to be able to travel a lot. This year since the launch of Nodaleto , we have undertaken many projects, pop-ups, showrooms, shootings, trips and presentations abroad. This first year went by at lightning speed and I sometimes wanted to take a break to have time to realize how far I had come (thanks to confinement, 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's a dream that we wanted to realize for over 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 confinement 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 we 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 points of reference. I love traveling and discovering... Even in a hotel room, in a house, I need to recreate a familiar atmosphere or recreate some of my habits. I am obviously at home in Paris, but it is mainly thanks to those around me, 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. So you can also feel at home thousands of kilometers away.

What is your vision of fashion?

I have a rather particular vision because it's something I grew up with and which developed very quickly in me. I have long been a simple observer, I have recorded a lot of information and images in my head and I think that 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 accessories. The number of hours spent at work and making a bag or a pair of shoes. Hundreds of steps which are in Luxury still executed by hand and irreplaceable. This is why it was very important to me that Nodaleto is a quality and creative product that lasts over time. Fashion is a true art and should bring joy, always continue to make people dream. It's creating magic, thanks to talents and a lot of often hidden work.

Your fashion icons and inspirations?

I have radically opposite inspirations… From minimalism to kitsch… I like being 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 Mid Century American architecture. Lots of cult films and series (from the 90s-2000s). I like being 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 creations are and will remain timeless. For me, it 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 wardrobe” operations, what are the pieces that you will never part with?

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

What are/are the acquisitions of which you are most proud?

I always try, even when I give myself my own gifts, that they are symbolic (especially jewelry). Even new, they must still represent something. When I took exams, if I did well I always gave myself a pair of shoes. Even though today I no longer wear them, 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'm most proud of my vintage acquisitions, when I feel like I've found a treasure. I often fall for flea markets or in Flea Markets... I can fall for armchairs (eg: my Mario Bellini Armchair - photo below, editor's note) or any jewelry or object at Chrome Hearts, very far from my world .

In 2020 you will not leave...

As 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 find it difficult to be serious and swallow 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.