In the early days of Sutranovum, Nathan spent a year working on the vision in Christchurch, Dorset, England. At the end of that period, he watched "Into the Great Silence," a documentary about Carthusian monks. North of the City of Grenoble in France, located in the Chartreuse Mountains sits the commune of Saint-Pierre-de Chartreuse. The monks there get up at 12.30 pm to start their day! Contemplation is their main focus. Despite having never been part of an organized religion, Nathan considered being a monk in that tradition, spending a week at Parkminster Monastery in West Sussex. The quietude and adoration in the atmosphere resonated deeply with him. The dogma didn't. 

The Carthusians are the brewers of Chartreuse, the alcoholic spirit.  The story goes that a merchant wandering through the mountain valley of the monks shared his recipe for the distinctive spirit now known as Chartreuse. It is rumoured to have hundreds of herbs in it, though the ingredients are a closely guarded secret. The monks invested in the best equipment money could buy which liberated them of money concerns so that their devotion to the contemplative life is prioritised. When Nathan left Parkminster, the monks recommended he marry and live a simple life. He did exactly that. The marriage lasted about 6 years before challenges came; as it dissolved and the dust settled, Nathan returned to his work on Sutranovum. He has lived in 32 countries and visited more than 80. We are now developing high-quality practical clothing and bags too, all inspired by life's many vistas and devoted to the contemplative life. There is no secret recipe here. There is just the devotion to simplicity, rugged quality and inspired connection.