Nina Bodenhorst

Niyona

Leatherworker

Precision, passion and perfection

Nina combines modern design with traditional savoir-faire
She co-founded leather studio Niyona with Jonathan Wieme
They source high-quality, eco-friendly leather from local tanneries

Niyona is an independent studio specialised in the design and production of high-end leather goods. It was founded in 2010 by industrial designer and artisan Nina Bodenhorst and her partner, the trunkmaker Jonathan Wieme. Nina used to work as a designer/stylist for a Belgian leather goods house while taking leathercraft evening classes. Once she decided to start her own company, she worked for a year with a master craftsman in Belgium. “Back in 2010, right after I stopped working for this Belgian company, I started to look for leather suppliers, old tools and the right machines,” she says. “At the beginning I worked for hours all week long in a cold basement, but in 2013 we opened an amazing space in the centre of Brussels.”

Interview

©Geert De Taeye

©Geert De Taeye

Why did you choose this profession?: I think this craft came to me. I am a designer and I like to create, draw, research and develop new essential and creative objects. But mastering the expertise of leather goods has become a passion over time. I am into details, precision and perfection.
What inspires your work?: I am attracted to photographic compositions, nature in all kinds of forms and architecture, like the sharpness of the Bauhaus or the craft-oriented Art Deco. But some days I can throw all these influences away and be inspired by retro-futuristic, space age objects, architecture and design.
What was the first object you made?: A handbag! It had the shape of a flower and I called it Juliette after my grandmother. Today we design and create unique products, from our bespoke trunks to stationery, table art, wall coverings and interior-related objects.
What does it take to become a master?: Mastery and excellence are the ultimate result of long research, a thirst for learning and progress. Achieving excellence is easier when you are passionate! Being designers and craftsmen defines who we are, our life’s values and what we want to pass on to our children.

Nina Bodenhorst is a master artisan: she began her career in 2010 and she started teaching in 2015