Brand Profile: Noah Clothing
Well, here we are. Our first article discussing a sustainable brand — which specifically describes themselves as not being a sustainable brand. Good start.
Noah Clothing was started in New York City by Brendon Babenzien, former creative director of the legendary skate brand Supreme. The brand is his uncompromising vision for garments influenced by skate, surf and music cultures, combined with elements of traditional menswear.
Rather than focusing primarily on bottom line profits, Noah vocally stands for quality, integrity, and originality. Profits are regularly donated to causes the brand wishes to support, whether that be Black Lives Matter, Direct Relief or 1% For the Planet. Their fabrics, which are given individual profiles on their website, are ethically produced in ways that won’t hurt the planet. Their ss20 collection is dedicated to the health of the world’s oceans, with important information promoted alongside campaign images, and slogans such as “no fish, no future” driving home the message.
All of this brings us back to the question in hand: why does Noah NYC reject the label of a sustainable brand? The answer is simple: humility. At the end of the ss20 lookbook Noah announces that the brand isn’t even close to true sustainability, but instead are working to become a responsible company with a more ethical supply chain, more renewable materials, and marketing that tackles rampant consumerism.
Even if it isn’t a truly sustainable label, Noah goes a long way to help the planet, compared to other brands in its price range and style. As a clothing brand, Noah is trying to tell you something as much as it’s trying to sell you anything. In fact, Babenzien regularly states that his decisions with the brand are focused on integrity, and not profit.
The absolutely fantastic blog section of the Noah website includes a variety of segments, from the Soho store team’s efforts to go plastic-free for a week, to the influence of Patagonia on the brand’s ethics. There are also articles for events like Earth Day, World Water Day, and Black Friday, when, in the face of damaging intense consumerism, Noah makes a point of closing their stores, and campaigning that “not shopping is not a crime”.
The list of great initiatives goes on and on: when a batch of swim shorts were produced with the inside labels sewn wrong, Noah advertised it, selling them at a reduced rate instead of destroying them to keep the company’s luxury image- a practice continued by far too many high-end brands. Moreover, the brand runs annual “coat drives” to donate outerwear to the homeless in New York, offering a 20% discount voucher in exchange for any new or lightly used coat handed into the store. Beyond this, Noah even knowingly sacrifices some consumer experience by keeping their packaging minimal. The brand acknowledges that ‘our packing sucks’, but asks for feedback on whether customers would rather have more luxurious or less harmful packaging for their items. Once again, the humility of the brand shines through.
Fundamentally, this activism underlies a brand that, at its core, designs great clothes and produces them at a very high quality. A few of my personal favourite pieces include the Provence Cashball puffer jacket, made with a 95% pre-consumer waste filling that works better than down fillings. The brand also makes some awesome corduroy pieces, including winterweight running shorts and a full suit and beret in leopard print (trust me). In fact, Noah’s entire fw19 collection is a masterclass in modern elevated streetwear, best exemplified in their hoodie made from insanely luxurious Loro Piana wool-silk pile fabric.
We can’t really say enough good things about Noah Clothing. Maybe they’re not truly sustainable, but Noah is championing a vitally important responsible approach to clothing, and making big waves in the industry. You can find inspiration on their website and follow @noahclothing on Instagram to see more from this great brand.