Rosie, Blake and Kendall are all fans. We speak to the designers behind the label making leather jacket-wearing an art.
The saying goes, if you’re going to do something, do it well. The designers behind Paris-based label Nour Hammour have taken this mantra seriously, perfecting the art of one wardrobe essential: the leather jacket. A legion of high-profile fans, from Blake Lively to Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, seem to agree. In just three years, the label has gone from being a made-to-order line to a perfectly curated collection of ready-to-wear jackets. And that’s just the beginning.
At the brand’s helm are the gorgeous duo Nour Hammour and Erin Conry Webb, who are the perfect ambassadors for their brand. As we Skype them at their Paris atelier. They’re both wearing the label; Webb’s dressed in the bestselling fringed Retrograde style – as worn by Blake Lively – while Hammour is cloaked in the classic Lana. “It’s made from stretch leather so it expands with whatever you’re wearing underneath,” she explains. “I’m nine months pregnant at the moment so this is my uniform every single day.”
Hammour hails from a Syrian family, spending her formative years in Washington and later Paris, while Webb grew up just outside San Francisco. The pair met in Paris, at Instituto Marangoni, where Hammour started making jackets for friends, studding them by hand. “It was the hit item at our university,” Webb says. Before long, strangers began clamouring for the pieces and Nour Hammour the label was born.
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Nour Hammour designers Erin and Nour
The design duo are certainly well-travelled and this inspires their designs. Webb says: “For girls who are living in New York or London or Paris, the weather is crummy all year round. The one thing you grab every day is a leather jacket.” Hammour adds: “Even in Dubai, when you go to the mall it’s freezing and you need to have a jacket on.” And then of course, there’s Paris. With an atelier in the heart of the City of Lights it’s no wonder Parisian style influences Nour Hammour’s collection. “You should see Erin and I on the street,” laughs Hammour. “If I see a girl walking in front of us I’ll take photos with my phone and say, we need that detail in a jacket! Our eyes are wide open all the time.”
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The Lethal jacket, Dh7,120
It’s this alertness that keeps Nour Hammour fresh. In 2013, clients had to make a pilgrimage to Paris to commission a bespoke design. Now customers can shop via the online store, on their phones or even via social media. “We get orders through Instagram posts,” says Hammour. “It’s really exciting to see how people will see something they like on their phone and go shop for it right away.” Webb adds: “The amount of users who browse our website are about 90 per cent mobile users.” Recently, they ventured into the world of virtual reality, creating a 2D-rendered capsule collection for Kendall and Kylie Jenner’s mobile game – available to buy in real life as well, naturally.
The Schism jacket, Dhs8,925
Now that they’ve perfected the leather jacket, what’s next for Nour Hammour? As well as creating two more annual collections, the label will be expanding to include full looks, starting with the perfect leather leggings. “We’ve started with this great line of leather trousers which we’re really excited about,” says Hammour. Webb adds: “I can’t wait to wear them.” You and us too, girls.
Nour Hammour is available at Boutique 1, Dubai
Words: Natalie Hughes
