“Diversity is what we want to celebrate through our brand” says Nour Ben Cheikh, the 28-year-old designer behind accessories label Èlbé. Together with her partner Clémentine L, the Tunisian designer puts culture forward with the label. Just one look at their latest campaign, and it’s clear: multiculturalism is at its core.
“We wanted to establish an identity that can speak to different ages and cultures, but also backgrounds, something that wasn’t conceptual, but emotional,” she adds. And emotion is fêted every step of the way at Èlbé, down to its name. Taking after the design duo’s initials, “L” and “B”, the name means ‘heart’ in Arabic.
The Paris-based brand — manufactured in both France and Tunisia — is sustainable too. “We’re constantly searching for second hand materials, left overs” Nour clarifies. The duo has even limited their collections, producing only a select amount of pieces. “We believe that small quantities are the key to a reasonable and responsible industry” she explains.
The two met whilst working at a luxury fashion house in the French capital, where they both found themselves bothered with excess. “We were always making samples and researching using old materials, like left-over leather, or metal elements that were developed for other purposes. This is what we liked: creating with what was already available,” Nour explains. And in 2018, they decided to come together and create an eco-friendly brand of their own.
Today, their collections consist of everything from jewellery and scarves, to hats and bags. Their Horizon hoops, is made from left over material from a Parisian bead stockist. Their Patio bag, handmade in Tunisia is also made of excess leather they source.
elbe-lb.com
Photo Courtesy of Emma Burlet
