Antoine and Aurelien are the minds behind Beau Nuage. Originally from the South of France, they met at university in London during their bachelor degrees in Mathematics. Their cloudy adventure began in a pouring London in 2015. For two people accustomed to the French Riviera's sunshine, the rain was quickly becoming a fundamental problem and so the idea of reinventing the concept of the umbrella flooded their minds!

The environment at its core

The environmental crisis has been an increasing worry for Beau Nuage and so in September they announced that for the first time, all their umbrellas' canvases and covers will now be made using 100% recycled plastic bottles.
Inspired by the beauty of our oceans and planet, they have launched a collaboration with Italian artist Pietro Tenuta who has illustrated two special edition umbrellas, Universal Blue and Pacific Blue.

 

Hi Antoine and Aurelien

What do you think you would be doing today if you hadn’t created Beau Nuage?

If we had not created Beau Nuage we would have probably been working in Banking or Consulting. Our lives would have been pretty different and we are really glad that we started this entrepreneurial adventure instead!

 

What would you say are the challenges faced in this industry nowadays by brands like yours? 

The umbrellas industry has not evolved much in the last decades: there is zero innovation and it is an industry that pollutes A LOT. The market is dominated by cheap and fragile umbrellas that you can buy for £5 on the street and will have a very short life span, which makes things even worse from an ecological point of view as they will most likely end up in landfill. So to compete and be seen in this market with a more expensive but high quality and long-lasting offering can be tricky.

 

"WE WANT OUR CUSTOMERS TO BECOME TRUE RAIN LOVERS!"

 

What does a normal day at Beau Nuage look like? 

Honestly, every single day is different so there isn’t a normal day! We usually organise our important meetings in the morning, and implement the decisions made during these meetings in the afternoon.

 

Could you tell us a little bit more about your creative process when it comes to designing and making a new product?

First, we run a market research to find out and understand what our customers’ needs are. Once we have this information, we sit down with our design and production teams and see if we can create such a product. We then analyse all the details linked to the launch of the potential new product (production, design, packaging, etc.) and when we feel ready, we hit the “Let’s do it” button!

What do you want to communicate to the person who purchases one of your products? 

We want our customers to become true rain lovers, and to feel that they are part of our Beau Nuage community!

A more sustainable lifestyle is extremely important to us and our customers. Could you tell you do to approach your business in a more sustainable way?

2019 was the year when we set Beau Nuage’s course towards a strong ecological and social commitment. We are now proud partners of the Solidarités International association, which provides access to clean drinking water. We are the only umbrella brand that tests 100% of our products to make sure that our umbrellas have a lengthy life. This work is carried out in partnership with different ESATs which employ people with disabilities. Umbrellas with small tags are donated to the association La Fondation de Nice and umbrellas that are too damaged get recycled. This year, to keep up the momentum, we made the decision to manufacture all our fabrics from recycled plastic bottles. To celebrate this occasion, the Italian artist Pietro Tenuta has created an ephemeral and poetic edition that centers the universe of Beau Nuage around our oceans and planet.  

Do you have any plans for the near future to increase your sustainability even further?

Yes definitely, we will keep doing some research and technological development to find more sustainable materials for other parts of the umbrellas, including the shaft and the handle.

 

If you had to choose only one of the umbrellas that you produce to take with you forever, which one would it be?

I would go for L’Original because it is both robust and pretty lightweight. I also love the GEL handle which adapts to the shape of your hand. In terms of colour I would take the Lagoon Blue.