I met Noah about 6 months ago as we were both recruited to work on a fashion editorial together. Noah and I were casted as the two producers on the production. We were two of a team of six, a project manager, a photographer, a stylist, and a hairstylist/make-up artist. Noah and I clicked immediately professionally, it was a creative synergy, and his outside of the box thinking was creatively pushing and developing. I wasn’t too surprised to find out Noah was a designer as he has a real gift for storytelling through fashion, its almost like he has the ability to see what everyone is seeing and turn it upside down and create something completely different but in the most natural and simplistic way. Noah’s designs are heavily influenced by his home city in Vancouver, the young 21-year-old Tsawwassen native is known for his simple designs with natural earth tone colouring inspired by the fog, forests, and ocean back home. I was very excited to interview the young artist and get a glimpse inside his ever changing design process.
fff: What was it that drew you to Montreal Originally?
N: I was in my final year of university and had planned on going to UBC to study medicine, when I had gone to New York to visit my brother who was following his dreams and studying music. I saw how much he had grown in such a short period of time and how he really came into his own, it was inspiring… and I wanted that for myself. I was always really interested in design and had been drawing for years, but really had no portfolio; LaSalle College is one of the only schools offering design without a portfolio needed. I got in and then 5 months later was living in Montreal. I feel very grateful though, I truly love Montreal, and the City inspires me everyday.
fff: What was that like, moving to a new city so young? You must have been what, 19?
N: I was actually 17; I skipped a grade 6 so I was actually younger graduating high school in BC. It was nerve wracking for sure, but I had this deep feeling within that it was something I had to do. I have always been a little more mature for my age, and this caused me to really have this need to grow up a little faster… not in an age sense but in a challenge sense more so. So moving was something that challenged me and forced me to development in ways I wouldn’t have if I were still in BC.
fff: Do you find the two cities have influenced your Design style at all?
N: Oh yes, definitely! I’d say my design style is a mix of three cities, Vancouver in the sense that each design has a sense of comfort and laidback-ness, Montreal in the sense that my designs are quite eclectic and unique… just as the city and people are, and finally Shinjuku, in Japan in the way that I drape the fabric. But Vancouver and Montreal have made me who I am and I feel that you really see those two influences in every piece I design.
fff: What would you say is the driving force behind your desire to design?
N: hmm… well, first off I’m someone that needs to work with my hands, whether it was to become a surgeon or a designer, both would involve me working with my hands… that is something I always knew I needed to do. Aside from that I would say my main driving force is communication, I can sometimes have a hard time communicating what’s in my mind with others. Design lets me do that in a way that feels natural, I can show people how I’m feeling or how I’d like to appear through what I chose to wear and design. Its really a selfish form of expression before anything else.
fff: Where do you see Montreal Fashion heading?
N: oh man, the Montreal scene is moving… and fast. We are so quickly moving past major cities and making a real name for ourselves as a major fashion city. It’s so incredible because the industry can be so competitive but the majority of Montreal is so supportive of one another, and pushes one another to be the best they can. There is really a mentality that there is room for everyone at the top, I mean of course there are artist that don’t share this mentality… but those are the artist that end up missing out on the amazing collaborations happening between designers in the city.
fff: What are you goals for the upcoming year, as a Designer and Individual?
N: Hmm… as a designer to create a full and proper catalogue of my designs up to date, and to archive them while I continue to work as Head Designer at stone rose. My second goal as a designer is to make my first ever full collection, I’m really inspired by writers and that emotional relief I hear they feel after completing a piece. I would life to find that emotional relief through designing and creating a story through a series of garments. As for myself as an individual, I would like to expand my horizons; I plan on doing a lot of travelling this year in hopes of seeing things through ‘new’ eyes. That and maintaining the relationships in my life, I feel really fortunate to have a great group of people around me.
Sitting down and talking with Noah was so refreshing, his simplicity is inspiring and his need to collaborate with others in order to grow is admirable. I personally always feel that two heads are better than one, and to meet other individuals that view life that way is so exciting. We live in such a competitive society that can often separate us from one another but we really are at our best when helping and working with one another. It makes me hopefully for society and the industry when I meet up and chat with other gen y’s and learn that the majority of us share this mentality. I hope you guys enjoyed learning about Noah, and what drives him.
See you next week for our city down with Fashion Journalist Claudia!
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