My neighbourhood Rutland
CLOTHES DESIGNER NADIA IZRUNA MOVED TO THE TINY COUNTY AND FOUND A SIMPLE WAY OF LIFE THAT SUITED HER STYLE AND FAMILY
I’m pretty pleased with this corner of the English countryside we’ve found ourselves in,” says Nadia Izruna, creator of clothing store Nadinoo. “It’s peaceful and feels safe. Cities like London have too much of everything – they feel saturated. These days, I prefer a quieter, simpler life.”
Nadia, husband James and their daughters Emi, two, and Lula, five, moved to a village in Rutland when James got a job in nearby Leicester. It was a welcome place to come to a halt following a peripatetic life, living in Libya ( her father’s country of origin), Nuremburg (where she worked for Puma and where she met James), London and South Africa. The bustle of city life and the pressures of working for an international brand have been replaced with a pared-down and neighbourly way of living. “It’s friendly here,” she says. “People are proud of where they live and get involved with community projects. Each village has its own fete. And we can get out into the country easily: we often go cycling as a family to Rutland Water.”
A new home and way of life also enabled Nadia to steadily grow her clothing business, Nadinoo, while fitting it around caring for her two young daughters. These days, she works in her home studio in the mornings, then picks up Emi and Lula so they can all have fun together in the afternoons. “My working hours are a little less than they used to be,” she says, “but working part-time means I have got my life back, and we all spend more time together.” »
“IT’S FRIENDLY HERE. PEOPLE ARE PROUD OF WHERE THEY LIVE AND INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY”
Nadia launched Nadinoo (coined from a childhood nickname) in 2009 from a studio attic in Germany after leaving her job at Puma, where she designed women’s clothing. “I craved the process of pattern cutting and sewing,” she says. “I wanted to make simple, Japanese-inspired, easy-to-wear clothes that reflected my way of life and I felt it was the right time to do it.” Her hunch proved right – her sturdy-yet-chic clothes designed “to suit all stages of womanhood” were quickly picked up by bloggers and the business took off.
Like the clothing she makes, her home is stylish and unfussy. “The house is only two years old,” she says. “At first we resisted new-builds – like many people, we were after a period property – but now we really like it. It looks like it’s always been here, and the rooms are generous and light. The architect lives around the corner in a similar property, so that’s an encouraging sign!”
Furniture is a carefully blended mix of vintage (mirrors), handmade (dining table and benches by Unto This Last, and ceramic pots), inherited (Ercol nesting tables), and high street (Heal’s sofa). Glossy plants tumble from shelves or burst abundantly from pots. Prints and textiles add life and colour. It feels restful and orderly. “I like a calm, tranquil setting,” says Nadia. “I need to be able to relax at home.” And when the desire to get out and explore arises, Rutland with its all its understated charms is waiting right there on the doorstep.