The Nubes x Frank Leder story
Nubes’ first maker and creator of the Advocate Shirt
We first came across Frank’s work when Nubes was a mere sapling with barely a logo to its name. We were still deciding what direction we wanted to take Nubes and our ideas about the first product were in their infancy. There is a beautiful cosmetic shop near Nubes HQ (our apartment) called MDC which sells perfumes, soaps, oils and candles etc. from across the globe from producers such as Astier de Villatte and Santa Maria Novella. Given that we are in that shop practically every weekend, we eventually came across a range of German cosmetics called Tradition. The fine, vintage-style packaging was the first draw and then the smells spiked our curiosity further. Staff informed us that this product was produced by a local designer “Frank Leder” who also made the staff uniforms which were these lovely, oversized blue shirts. Following a few “oohs” and “ahhs” from us, we purchased the post-shave cream (one half of Nubes is an avid shaver of the face). Subsequently, we have seen Frank’s cosmetics in boutiques as far flung as Mexico City and noticing the packaging still has the same draw.
A few weeks later we were rifling through a local boutique and came across Frank’s other work. We noticed the label first off and then saw these amazing shirts which said “these shirts are made from 1960’s German bedsheets”. Mind blown (note our views on sustainable fashion – we dig it really). The first thing we noted about the shirts was the quality – the fabric was soft and tailored with such precision – this had to have been made in Germany. Nubes was still thinking about what the first product should be but we had always wanted to create a shirt so invariably the collective daydreams started… “what if we could work with Frank Leder to produce our first product?” It seemed like pie in the sky stuff but we had to take a chance. By pure coincidence we recognised one of the models on Frank’s website who we had previously met and has since become a dear friend. Our motto is an adage coined by Seamus Heaney to “walk on air against your better judgement” so we took a leap of faith and asked our friend if he could put us in contact with Frank (old school networking at its finest).
Our friend obliged and Frank invited us to his atelier for a meeting. This in itself was the height of generosity – this was our first product and we were unknowns (for all Frank knew we could be a pair of absolute weirdos – he now knows this to be true). Frank showed us around his space and our minds were blown once again. He is an avid collector of curiosities and his place oozes with all the style and sophistication of an early 20th century apartment. One of these curiosities that really resonated with us was Frank’s ‘cloud’. This is an antique cabinet with a huge cloud of horse hair which Frank obtained from the British Maritime Museum. Ever since starting Nubes, clouds have cropped up all over the place almost as a ‘sign’ and this time it was telling us we were in the right place. Also, we were going to base our shirt on Oisín’s old barrister shirt and of course, the barrister wig is made of horsehair (was this the universe pinging signals at us?).
We spoke with Frank for about two hours (all of this non-Nubes related topics) and finally Frank asked what our project was. We took him through the idea of the Advocate shirt and he agreed there and then to work with us. This sort of generosity seems so rare today and for Frank to give us his time, show us his place and then agree to work with us was such an honour. In terms of working out the shirt, we had discussions about what we wanted – the three collars, POCKETS, slightly oversized and of course to work with the 1960’s bedsheet fabric we had been drooling over all this time. Over the coming months, Frank had a prototype produced in collaboration with his tailor and we came to view it, made some slight tweaks and then the final prototype was sent to the shirt factory just outside Berlin which Frank has had a relationship with since he started his label. The rest, they say, is (Nubes) history.
Oisín was very excited…