I imagine that many of you have already entered a workshop of leather craftsmen, it is an experience to live.
Apart from the effect of the absence of sound due to the many pieces of skin that soundproof the workshops, the full and complete smell of leather surrounds you, slips on the machine tools, a fragrance that is recognizable among all.



The tanned, prepared skin, there are everywhere, of all colors, types, placed on a table or hung by a hook, one on top of the other in a part of the workshop, we also see a lot of drawings , "patterns" of cuts, and the tools, extension of the creativity of Nina Bodenhorst and Jonathan Wieme, who will come to impose their traits on the leather, there are so many of them and most seem dangerous, cutting like razors.



It is certain that we should not put in all hands this kind of tools, and then anyway, we would not know what to do with it, apart from cutting ourselves. On the other hand, when we observe the sublime bags, belts, card holders, furniture, decorative objects, even dish covers for gastronomy, and other objects of a perfect finish;



which are presented in the workshops of NIYONA, we then see what it is possible to do with all these skins, how this raw leather can become, if we know how to do it, that's the craftsmen, the know-how.

Interview with Nina Bordenhorst.



LB > Nina, Jonathan, we are in the workshops of your design studio NIYONA, a lot of tools, materials and in particular many different types of leather... In craftsmanship there is always this direct relationship with the material, here at NIYONA we are in the world of leather goods, can you tell us a little more about it?

NB > Yes, of course, NIYONA is a design studio that has been specialising in fine leather goods since 2010. We work for architects and interior designers, for designers and the gastronomy sector. And as you say, we start from the material and we put it into volume according to the client's wishes. Our clients give us carte blanche for the design and trust us completely in this realization. In addition to being a designer, our mastery of the know-how of leatherwork and sheathing allows us to create very versatile projects.



LB > Nina, you are vice-president of the association Ateliers Gabriel. Today, 8 companies are members, we can see an expert in art bookbinding, a master glassmaker, a trunk maker, an eyewear maker,... A great diversity of disciplines that require the hand and a particular know-how.
How do you see your professions in, let's say, fifty years' time? Do you think there will be a craft in the future?

NB > The beauty of craftsmanship is that the basis and essence of it is the work of the hand, the work of man. Handicraft is intimately linked to a deep respect for the material and its origin. And therefore the earth. We only create out of necessity for others and with the thought of sustainability throughout the process of this creation.

So in short, the craft can evolve by a tiny adaptation of our tools if the craftsman feels the need or according to the evolution of the material (because of a possible shortage for example).
 But we should know that a craftsman is also an entrepreneur. Often as a self-employed person.
And the most important innovation challenge is there! "How to communicate to stay up to date so that my client finds me, contacts me. Or; "How do I prospect?", "Do I want to grow my business or would I rather work alone?", "Do I want to have an apprentice or delegate more?
These are questions that every ancestor craftsman has had and that our next ones will have too...

The Gabriel Association was created with a desire to share. We meet once a month in the workshop of one of the members in order to talk about subjects that we would like to discuss with our colleagues; Lunetier Ludovic bespoke glasses maker, Antoine van Loocke the cutler, the master glassmakers of the Ateliers Mestdagh, the cardboard maker Atelier V.O., the bookbinder Louise Bescond, the cabinetmaker Alexandre Lowie, Dorothee L'a Fait for silk dyeing, the trunk maker Bodenhorst and the leather worker NIYONA.
This diversity of craftsmen allows us to have long conversations, each one more singular than the other.



LB > Belgium, and Brussels in particular, is renowned for its craftsmanship. Who are your customers Nina, Brussels, Belgian, international?
And how do they associate this image of quality craftsmanship with the necessary marketing of your products? Do you use digital tools, such as internet sales?
Is this way of developing a turnover compatible with your craft activity?

NB > As you say, you can't work on your workbench on the one hand and market on the other. And not all craftsmen work alone. You can't be good at everything. At NIYONA I am a craftsman as well as a salesman, Jonathan Wieme, my colleague and companion, is a leather sheath and also does the communication, and we have our craftsman Jelena Vrankulj who also works with us. So we have a good balance in our team.

Artisans who wish to work alone because they have mastered a unique and complex craft (and do not immediately wish to share it) often have an order book with very long delivery times for which the client is prepared to wait.
In the case of NIYONA we can hardly ask a restaurant that wants to open soon, to wait more than two months ...
Recently I was at Mirazur*** in Nice to deliver their order.
Brussels, the capital of Europe, is a great starting point for our customers. In the case of NIYONA, 10 years ago, our customers were all Belgian, but we have been working internationally since 2015.
The members of Ateliers Gabriel are often invited to international exhibitions, such as Homo Faber in Venice or Révélation at the Grand Palais in Paris, and of course they use all the digital tools to communicate. This is part of the evolution of the craftsman that we mentioned earlier.


LB > Visit.brussels, HUB Brussels and the Brussels Capital Region are the public institutions responsible for promoting the image and quality of Brussels. Do you have any links with these institutions and what would you like to obtain from the public authorities to help you promote your brand and savoir-faire, particularly in these international market segments?

NB > Financial aid is often the most practical for us. Because every craftsman has different needs. And who knows these needs better than the craftsman himself? Often regional institutions try to provide a global answer to a problem or a need.
But we do not represent a global sector as such. Each craftsman has different customers, different ways of prospecting, different trade fairs with different dates linked to his know-how,... We don't fit into the 'craftsman' box, or the 'designer' box or the 'fashion' box...
And this is difficult for the institutions, which is understandable.
Each craftsman represents a profession, a unique world and know-how...