About Us - Nouvelle Nomad
Welcome to Nouvelle Nomad,
Melbourne's home of beautiful authentic vintage Moroccan rugs and artisan made wares. Treasures for your home and for your travels.
Every rug in our collection has a unique story to tell, full of history and character. One of a kind artworks - mostly aged between 30 - 80 years old. Handwoven by the women of the various Berber tribes and traditional handcraft regions of Morocco.
Sourcing our rugs is a slow and mindful process - taking the time to carefully select each of our pieces for their uniqueness, quality and design. With the modern Australian home and lifestyle in mind.
We're a business committed to our ethical practices and sustainability values.
- Buying vintage closes a loop and makes the most of a beautiful resource that already exists in this world rather than producing more. The ultimate in sustainable homewares.
- We work directly with traditional artisan makers who are masters of their craft. Using up-cycled textiles and sustainable materials to produce our products.
- As member of 1% for the Planet, 1% of every sale is pledged towards environmental projects through the organisation's approved NFPs and charities. With last year's funds spent on native tree planting and carbon offset projects through Greenfleet.
- We also love to give back to the communities that welcome us by supporting local charities in both Morocco and Melbourne.
VISIT US
109 Victoria Street, Fitzroy (Just off Brunswick Street)
We're open for walk in visits on Saturdays 10-3pm
Monday to Friday our studio is open by appointment only. Just get in touch via email, Instagram DM or phone to arrange a time.
hello@nouvellenomad.com
STOCKISTS
A selection of our Australian based collection is available to view in store at the Mark Tuckey Melbourne showroom.
4 Anderson Road Thornbury
Open 10 - 5pm Thusday to Saturday
Hello!
I'm Bridget. Based somewhere in the world between Melbourne and Marrakech.
I founded Nouvelle Nomad back in 2016 as a way to share the joys of travel and adventure, while collecting beautiful vintage and handmade treasures along the way.
Partnering with local family businesses, artisan makers and specialist carpet traders here in Morocco to source this unique collection from the traditional handcraft regions of the mountains, the deserts, the carpet auctions and the souks.
Always with the same ethos in mind - a focus on authentic vintage and sustainably handmade artisan wares direct from the makers.
All the while exploring, traveling and discovering all that this welcoming and diverse country has to offer.
Over the last 7 years Nouvelle Nomad has been more than a business to me - it's been a community, an adventure, and a way of life. What started as a nomadic adventure, evolved into moving from one side of the world to the other, and then back again.
The connections and friendships formed to people and places, Marrakech's creative community, and the vibrancy of the city that has been my second home keeps me forever inspired.
I hope that you'll find something in the collection that sparks some joy in you, reminds you of your own travels, or that adds a touch of adventure to your home. And that my travel journals and stories from the road will perhaps inspire your next trip to Morocco too.
Connect with me here on instagram where I love sharing the journey.
And get in contact any time if you have any questions about the collection or need some help with your selection. Or if you're passing through the same part of the world as me!
I look forward to hearing from you
x Bridget
OUR PRODUCTS
Nouvelle Nomad rugs are vintage, one of a kind, hand made artworks. Mostly aged between 30 - 80 years old, handwoven by Berber women long ago from local hand spun wool, and with natural dyes and colours.
Each rug in our collection has been hand washed and repaired in Marrakech in traditional methods, so as to carefully preserve and closely match repairs to the original weaving and materials as possible.
With many of these weaving styles no longer in use in newly made rugs, and the growth in popularity over the last few decades, authentic vintage is becoming harder to find. We work closely with our local sourcing partners to carefully describe and correctly represent our products, their estimated age and their origins.
For our cushion collections we up-cycle vintage carpets and textiles, and work with local makers to produce.
Our leather products are hand made in Marrakech by local artisans using naturally vegetable tanned leather and vintage textiles.
And our ceramics collections are sourced directly from traditional artisan communities around Morocco.
PEOPLE
The connections and relationships built over the years through business and travels are everything. Nouvelle Nomad exists because of these friendships, the face to face time spent together, and the knowledge that has been generously shared.
Transparency of how and where we source has always been important. Continuing to work with carefully selected partners and suppliers that share our values since launching in 2016.
PLANET
As a member of 1% for the Planet, 1% of revenue is pledged towards environmental causes through the program's approved charities and not for profits.
We're always actively working through ways to lighten our footprint, choosing the more sustainable options that reduce waste and emissions from travel and logistics.
And reduce our impact by supporting native tree planting projects with Greenfleet.
GIVING BACK
We regularly support not-for-profit organisations that give back to the communities that welcome us.
A few causes in Morocco that I love to support and that you may want to support too are:
The Amal non profit in Marrakech. Empowering women through culinary skills, and regular food drives for local families in need. (You should visit their lovely restaurant in Marrakech next time you're there!)
The The Marrakech Artisan Fund - supporting Marrakech based artisans and their families affected by border closures and lock downs through the Covid pandemic.
In Melbourne we support the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre who provide help, jobs and resources to refugees and people seeking asylum.
My story - How I got here
Back 2016 at the time of starting Nouvelle Nomad I was living in the Basque coast of France. I was working as a marketing director in the surf industry and had spent the last 15 years of my career with fashion brands and major retailers in Australia, the UK and Europe.
On a quick 5 day trip to Morocco one long weekend I'd spent days getting lost in the souks and brought a beautiful vintage rug home with me to my apartment in Biarritz. And so the obsession with these beautiful textiles and the bohemian city of Marrakech began.
When it came time to leave my job and my life in France to head home to Australia, I took the opportunity to start on my own entrepreneurial journey.
Being a part of the endless cycle of mass production and seasonal campaigns of the fashion industry was starting to no longer feel like it aligned with the impact I wanted to have in this lifetime.
So I set up my brand consultancy business, choosing to work with sustainability and impact lead organisations. And launched my own brand Nouvelle Nomad from my laptop on a stop over in Morocco. Buying my first collection of rugs on the way home.
I set out to build a business that aligned with my own values. That allowed me to follow my passion for slow and mindful travel, allowing me to regularly get lost in the world. A brand that supports slow production with local makers, celebrating the beautiful treasures that already exist in this world rather than producing more.
Building Nouvelle Nomad has been an incredible journey over the last 6 years. My solo travels through Morocco turned into 2, 3, 4 months at a time exploring all that this magical country has to offer while running my business from the road. Meeting and collaborating with an inspiring community of makers, creatives and entrepreneurs along the way.
Until in 2019 I'd decided to be based in Marrakech full time. So I set up a home full of artisan made furniture and textiles I'd picked up in the markets and the souks, created a space to welcome friends and family when they came to visit.
Covid changed all that and a 2 week trip home to visit family in Australia at the start of 2020 turned into 2 years.
Finally able to return to Morocco this year to pick up where I left off, it's been such a joy to get back on the road, and back to working with friends and long time suppliers again to produce our Summer '22 collections and photoshoots.
I hope you'll love the new collections as much as I've loved curating them. And that some of my travel journals and stories from the road will encourage you to take that special trip to Morocco one day too to experience this magical country for yourself.
If you're ever passing through the same part of the world as me and would like to get in touch, you can drop me a line below or email bridget@nouvellenomad.com
Connect with me on Instagram here
Or visit my other page over at bridgetjohn.com.au where as a consultant I offer strategy, advisory & projects - for adventurous brands.