Sometimes preppy, other times punk, other times nautical. Noah makes versatility a key point of its culture, a method to get away from contemporary streetwear and redefine it at the same time.
Everything speaks of ocean and sunny suburbs in Long Island. Noah is a transparent layer on a certain kind of life.
After years as creative director at Supreme, Brendon Babenzien found Noah in 2015. A regular guy, a father in his 40s who until today feels uncomfortable to be called a designer. His brainchild seems to be contained in a bubble, out of the thundering clamour of the industry. Origins, experiences. Everything speaks of ocean and sunny suburbs in Long Island. Noah is a transparent layer on a certain kind of life. Rapidly rose to prominence, now it boasts flagship stores in NYC, L.A., London and Tokyo. The atmosphere is the same everywhere, relaxed & simple.
It is a call for letting loose and accept anyone, even if not particularly involved into the brand aesthetics. An aesthetics that retraces lifestyles and roots but does not stop moving. Surfing, skateboarding, subcultural music. Brendon grew up this way and there he finds the real flame, where people have no alternative but to invent their codes by themselves. The ultimate creative forge whose intuitions have only to be translated into garments. It is an everlasting exploration to research what already exists and make it wearable.
Being liquid is the cornerstone. Apparently distant universes coexist, barriers come down, divisions have no longer a purpose. Baseball jackets, casual suits, vintage shirts and slogan tees are interpreted following this formula. Sometimes preppy, other times punk, other times nautical.
Noah makes of versatility a key point of its culture, a method to get away from contemporary streetwear and redefine it at the same time. No hype, no trends, no fierce rush of shopping. The aim is to offer extremely durable products, extraordinary quality and a personal viewpoint. Because fashion is not only related to talented personalities expressing their inner journeys.
Noah belongs to something else, to that small circle of niche brands capable of look at the society, dive into it, and offer the right things at the right moments in the right spaces. Balance.
The project is entirely about linking people. The manipulation of basic menswear as well as the experimentation on fabrics are mere instruments. Inventiveness becomes exclusively a projection of self in favour of the others. Memories, vibes. Brendon talks about himself, about what he likes and what he everyday does. The rest of the ornaments are absolute nonsense. Clothes are the visible results. Essential lines, bold colours, but actually they could be anything: the process starts long before that. This is the power of thinking.
DARING FACTOR: Noah dares to be confident. It eliminates all the superfluities and filters with the stoic conviction that the audience will understand the message. During the years has been able to affirm itself as a magical combination of authentic beliefs. From the streets to the world’s most exclusive concept stores, through nothing more than frankness. Noah carries to extremes the beauty of self-expression, managing to transform the past of an individual into a collective set of emotions.
Noah carries to extremes the beauty of self-expression, managing to transform the past of an individual into a collective set of emotions.
Written by
Rocco Colella
Photos by