Meet The Maker: In Conversation With Nouare

We recently welcomed Nouare to our Thought Living family, and have loved getting to know this wonderful business a little better. Nouare is a one-woman jewellery brand based in Brighton, offering beautiful, affordable jewellery pieces that promise to be well-loved for years to come.

We had a chat with Marie from Nouare, and talked all things jewellery. Read on to find out more.

Where did the name ‘Nouare’ come from?

I decided to call my brand 'Nouare' as it means 'black' in French if you spell it 'Noir'. At the time I was always dressed in black (it's still a strong colour in my wardrobe), and Nouare is feminine, strong and delicate, all at the same time.

How did you start your jewellery business, and how has it grown since the beginning?

I started a Jewellery degree in 2017, which is when it turned into a real passion. Nouare was created in 2017 during my degree when I started making jewellery for myself, friends and family, keeping in mind that I would never take it too seriously as I wanted it to stay fun; but I always had in mind that my craft would have to be sustainable and eco friendly as this is important to me.

Each piece has a meaning that has significance to me and I hope this is true for other women too. I call them "eco warriors" as I imagine creating a little army each time I have an order. They are like a little amulet to wear everyday as I want them to last forever.

I never made a business plan or researched how to grow my business, the only thing I did since the beginning is to stay true to myself and my customers. Today I am really happy to see how my business has grown with more customers and stockists each year and hope I will continue the journey for a while.

Is there a particular material you prefer working with?

I love to work with every kind of metal but the material I am having the most fun with is wax. Wax carving is pretty easy to do anywhere with a handful of tools. I even created a wax carving kit during lockdown for my customers to have fun and create their own ring or pendant while having to stay at home.

Do you have any other exciting projects coming up in the future?

This year has been a little bit different due to Covid-19; and I was also pregnant with my son. I didn’t want to make big plans as we never know what tomorrow looks like, but some projects are growing slowly for next year.

What have you been doing to live more sustainably recently?

I am always trying to be conscious when buying, I improve my way of consuming every day by questioning myself whether I need it or if it has a positive impact on the people who made it and the planet. But more recently, as I just had my little boy, I really want to do things in the most eco-friendly way by using reusable nappies or wipes, and I mostly buy second hand clothes or pieces from small businesses.

Discover Nouare over on our site now