The Scottish Highlands isn’t necessarily the first location you’d consider living when you own a luxury fashion brand. But for Scot Cathleen Nicol, there’s no place she’d rather be.

This spring, superstar Gwyneth Paltrow’s courtroom wardrobe single-handedly kickstarted a trend where her clothes and accessories whispered, rather than shouted, their value. Whatever you want to call it – quiet luxury, stealth wealth, or soft power dressing – the focus is on the materials, the cut, the craftsmanship and the sustainability in this very high-end approach to minimalist dressing.

Cathleen Nicol, 40, owner of C.Nicol – the luxury leather bag brand known for its timeless elegance – was particularly interested by the noise surrounding Gwyneth’s quiet fashion choices because, she says,‘C.Nicol bags slot perfectly into this current hushed aesthetic.’

It is exactly Cathleen’s quiet take on luxury, understated design and craftsmanship that has her clients enthralled. ‘Bold logos and hardware on trend-driven designs absolutely have their place but for C.Nicol it’s almost the reverse our clients prefer, true classic styles crafted with exceptional quality.’

So how did this mum of three find herself at the forefront of the luxury accessory industry? The arrival of her third child made Highlander Cathleen reconsider her demanding career in corporate communications. The pressure of the job, based in the Middle East, became incompatible with the demands of raising three small children and Cathleen felt she needed and wanted a change. ‘I’d always been creative. That was my passion,’ she says. So, she decided to retrain and follow her dream.

Cathleen won a competition to study handbag design at the London College of Fashion’s Dubai campus which she combined with a fashion business course. Still no easy feat with a busy family life. ‘I loved taking part in London College of Fashion’s short course programme. The courses were full-on and condensed but I loved it and still keep in touch with my handbag tutor Ann Saunders.’

On graduation in 2015 Cathleen launched her own handbag label, C.Nicol. ‘A desire to do something more creative with my professional life and to start my own business were drivers in starting the brand.’

Just 12 months later, Cathleen was in New York where C.Nicol took one of the top prizes for best ‘resort style’ bag at the IHDA awards – an annual programme for international handbag designers. ‘Just to hear I had been shortlisted for this award was amazing… to go on to win was a dream.’

The acknowledgement this award brought gave Cathleen the confidence to see a future for C.Nicol. ‘Having entered into fashion design and business just a short time before winning the IHDA award, I did feel a bit like an imposter, but I have overcome that now. I design what I love and what I think others will love, I work with an amazing team and am really grateful for how the business has grown over the years.’

The range of shoulder bags, simple leather totes and crossbody bags in sophisticated colour palettes are easy to carry in multiple ways, and roomy enough to fit in the essentials. ‘Every handbag is made in a manufacturing studio by a team of craftsmen, led by our chief maker who has been creating handbags for some of Britain’s top leather brands for 20 years.’ The brand is contemporary, clean, cool and classic in sophisticated wearable shades. Its timeless appeal saw the brand quickly garner some high-profile clients and was tipped as ‘one of the British bag designers you need to know now’, by the international fashion press.

Riding the crest of a wave, C.Nicol was quickly becoming the ‘it bag’ label for women looking for beautifully made luxury leather accessories at an affordable price point. And then came March 2020. ‘Covid felt like the plug had been pulled on everything we’d known to keep our personal and professional lives protected.’

Cathleen and her family have been settled back in the highland town of Grantown-on-Spey since 2019 and, eight years on from launch, C. Nicol is making its post-pandemic comeback. ‘Over the past 12 months the business has started to grow again and we feel confident in making firm future plans and investing in growth. C.Nicol is run by a small team and we work with some fantastic partners – I’m really lucky in having these people around that have been part of the brand more or less since the start.’ A brand new relationship with retailer, Kiltane now gives the brand a physical presence in Edinburgh where customers can get up close to view the quality of the products, ‘e-commerce is a vital part of the business but having a place where we can showcase is ideal. For clients to touch, smell, and hold the bags can make all the difference.’

By cleverly straddling both contemporary and heritage – Cathleen has created a modern classic range of accessories that any woman would be proud to wear. ‘We only use high-grade leathers from tanneries with sustainable practices and luxury textiles from Scotland woven with attention to detail, clean lines and subtle branding.’

And what comes next for C.Nicol, ‘We have an office and showroom in Grantown on Spey and all design, sampling, and the day-to-day running of the business takes place there. Later this year we will open up our showroom for retail appointments and it is in the plans to offer a bespoke design service next year.’

Visit CNicol.com follow the brand on instagram or pop into a Kiltane boutique near you.

Special thank you to Danielle Dixon for photography.

Hush Luxe