Fils Unique was founded by Nicolas van Heule, a lawyer-turned-designer passionate about art, craftsmanship and beautiful objects.
Born in Brussels, Belgium, an only child to an architect dad and a pharmacist mom, Nicolas grew up in a creative environment, sketching and writing ever since he could hold a pencil. Even though a path to a creative life seemed obvious, his fascination for words initially led him onto a legal path.
Starting out as a finance lawyer felt rewarding, and he realized he could also express his style through bespoke suits, hand-stitched details, colored socks or... cufflinks.
In 2014, Nicolas moved to New York to represent his law firm in the US. With the endless creative opportunities that the city had to offer, he embraced his creativity with a jewelry-making class. He mastered traditional techniques, learned each and every step of the process and started to handcraft his very own cufflinks. When more than a few friends started demanding a pair of their own, he decided it was time to start creating a full line of cufflinks.
When the law firm asked him to return to Europe, he turned down the opportunity and instead, took on a new risk: launching a cufflinks brand. Fils Unique was born with a mission to create thought-provoking, beautiful objects with a subtle touch of elegant rebellion.