About Us

Welcome to Uniquely Nico Atelier

Uniquely Nico Atelier is a British accessories brand creating sculptural, handcrafted bags for brides, special occasions, evening events, and beautifully individual style.

From the edge of East Anglia, each piece is made to order with care, intention, and a deep appreciation for craftsmanship. Our bags are designed to feel distinctive, elegant, and memorable — statement pieces for weddings, celebrations, race-day dressing, formal events, and women who want to carry something truly unique.

Every bag is handcrafted in-house and, when dispatched, finished with a personal note, reflecting the care, time, and creativity that go into each design.

We believe in slow craftsmanship, thoughtful design, and creating pieces that are not only beautiful to wear, but meaningful to own.

Colourful sain crochet handbags on a table with ribbons and a shelf in the background

Our Story

Uniquely Nico Atelier began during the COVID lockdowns, while I was living and working in Kuwait with my family.

A dear friend and colleague, Ashley, taught me the basics of crochet, and from there I became completely absorbed in learning more. My best friend since my first day of school, Liesl, introduced me to YouTube crochet tutorials. YouTube then quickly became my classroom, and I spent hours practising, testing, and refining what I could do with yarn, texture, and form.

My mum, who has crocheted for as long as I can remember, was thrilled that this was now something we could share — even if explaining certain techniques over WhatsApp from afar was not always easy.

When we returned to the UK, I kept crocheting and experimenting. One day, I picked up some t-shirt yarn I had been gifted and decided to make a bag for my wife to use for school. Again, YouTube guided the process. The bag was so well received that my wife immediately asked me to make more for colleagues who had admired it.

From there came Christmas and birthday gifts, bags for weddings, a mother-of-the-groom bag, statement pieces for events, and more.

What began as a creative outlet grew naturally into something bigger. Those early commissions encouraged me to take my side hustle to the next level and launch my couture crochet business.

Stack of colourful satin ribbon crocheted in pink, white, yellow, green, and blue.

The Craft Behind the Bags

My work is rooted in crochet, but it is always shaped by exploration, adaptation, design development, and uniqueness.

I follow the work of a Korean crochet artist and was especially drawn to the beauty of the Korean cesta bag weave. I loved its structure, elegance, and sculptural quality. For it to become part of Uniquely Nico Atelier, however, I knew it needed to be carefully adapted, developed, and made my own.

That process involved creating multiple test bags, refining the pattern, sourcing the right satin ribbon supplier, and adjusting the construction until I was satisfied with both the design and the quality of the finished piece.

The metallic luxe cord bags followed a similar journey. Working with gold and silver luxe cord required a different handling approach and further pattern adaptation to achieve the sculptural finish I wanted.

This process of refinement continues to shape the atelier. Every collection begins with experimentation, and every finished bag reflects time, patience, and a commitment to getting the details right.

A woman in a black dress holding a silver crochet handbag next to a man in a tuxedo.

The Atelier Today

Today, Uniquely Nico Atelier focuses on handcrafted bags for bridal, occasion, and event dressing.

The collections continue to grow. Alongside the current Satin, Pearl, and Crystal Ovoid ranges, I am developing new standout additions to the Pearl Satin line, further designs within the Crystal Ovoid range, and the Heirloom Ovoid collection for the mother of the bride or groom.

I am also preparing to launch The Aurelia Clutch, a satin-woven clutch designed to be a refined companion for many occasions.

At present, every bag is made by me personally in my atelier on the edge of East Anglia. Each piece is handled with care from making to finishing, and every order is sent with a signed personal note and the bag’s unique number.

Three people, Nico, Susan, and Noah, standing together outdoors, posing for a photo.

A Family Business

Although I make each bag by hand, Uniquely Nico Atelier is very much a family business.

I am happily married to my best friend, Susan, whose perspective is invaluable to the design process. She helps me think practically and honestly about how a bag should work — what feels right, what feels too large, what may not be practical enough, and what a woman genuinely needs a bag to hold. That insight has been central to shaping pieces that are not only beautiful, but wearable and considered.

Our youngest, Noah, a recent Business School graduate from the University of Hertfordshire, supports the social media, digital marketing, and sales side of the business, helping bring the atelier to a wider audience.

Together, we combine craftsmanship, practicality, and family support at the heart of everything we do.

Nico, the founder of UNA, is wearing a colourful shirt with a blurred outdoor background

The Nic: Founder

Alongside running Uniquely Nico Atelier, I am also an educationalist and doctoral researcher, focusing on educators’ professional development in digital transformation projects.

That part of my life may seem far removed from crochet, but both worlds are connected by the same values: curiosity, creativity, development, and the desire to build something meaningful.

Uniquely Nico Atelier brings together technical skill, artistic exploration, and a love of making with purpose. What matters most to me is creating bags that feel special — pieces with presence, beauty, and uniqueness.

White satin crochet handbag with 'UNA' branding on a marble surface with a floral arrangement in the background.

Our Philosophy

At Uniquely Nico Atelier, we believe in handcrafted design with intention, thoughtful slow creation rather than mass production, and sculptural bags that feel elegant, distinctive, and memorable.

Our work is guided by quality, individuality, and lasting beauty. Each piece is created to accompany celebrations, mark important moments, and offer something more personal than the ordinary.

Every bag reflects the values at the heart of the atelier: care, craftsmanship, considered design, and a belief that accessories should feel as meaningful as they are beautiful.

Bride holding a silver-textured crochet handbag against a blurred background of a couple walking together.

A Closing Note

Thank you for visiting Uniquely Nico Atelier.

Whether you are a bride, part of the bridal party, attending a special event, or simply looking for a beautifully individual bag, I hope you find something here that feels made for you.

Every piece is created with care, and it is a privilege to make bags that become part of life’s most memorable moments.