About us
It begins in the eternal city.
All roads lead
to Rome.
This is also the story of how NUO came into being. This is where Marta Antonelli, a fashion designer with a strong conviction and an even stronger will, studies.
A young designer is looking
for a vegan yet sustainable
leather alternative
for her latest collection.
This task is proving more difficult than expected.
The use of leather is out of the question for the vegan woman. Her pronounced awareness of nature encourages her to use a sustainable material made from renewable resources - which unfortunately makes the search even more difficult. Her strong desire for such a material also awakens the interest of her father, Marcello Antonelli - a longtime expert in the textile industry. He feels challenged and also sets out on the search.
And helps her
father to the idea
of his life!
And helps her
father to the idea
of his life!
father to the idea
of his life!
The answer could not be easier.
Marcello quickly discovers that a material is particularly suitable for his daughter's needs. It is an ancient material that has accompanied people for thousands of years: Wood! And in its most noble and environmentally friendly form - as veneer. But even thin veneer sheets are only flexible to a limited extent. In the following months he develops techniques to make wood flexible. After a long research phase, he finally achieves the breakthrough.
Veneer. Fabric. Laser.
An
unprecedented material.
unprecedented material.
The thin veneer wood is made flexible by sanding, backing a textile and finally by laser cutting the veneer surface. Through his numerous experiments, Marcello Antonelli also discovered that different laser patterns are possible without affecting the flexibility of the material. Further information about the production process
Foundation MyMantra srl.
Thanks to their will and vision, their innate passion for fashion and design and above all their love for animals, Marta and Marcello made their breakthrough. They develop a new type of wooden wickerwork: NUO - which at this point in time still gets the working title "Ligneah".
They see the need for further development and worldwide presentation of this unique material and found the company MyMantra srl.
2012
2014
Marta uses NUO for her first accessories collection. With the constant support of family and friends, the company grows rapidly.
Some of the most renowned designers discover NUO for their catwalks and help MyMantra achieve its first big successes.
Ligneah use in first shoes and bags
Italian design strength meets German technological strength.
Cooperation between MyMantra and Schorn & Groh
Due to the increasing awareness of designers and the demand for larger production sizes, MyMantra is faced with the task of finding a suitable cooperation partner with wood competence and production power who can provide the necessary size.
This is how the cooperation with the German company Schorn & Groh, a worldwide leading veneer manufacturer with more than 60 years of experience with the valuable material wood, was born. Schorn & Groh produces all veneer products according to the quality seal "Made in Germany".
2017
2019
The provisional name Ligneah will be abandoned as part of the cooperation. NUO gets its current name and a completely new brand identity.
At the same time a new subsidiary of Schorn & Groh GmbH will be founded for the best possible growth of NUO, which will concentrate exclusively on the further development, production and sales of NUO: NUO GmbH is created with its own management.