Following a blog post earlier about the cost of his jacket, Noah founder Brendon Babenzien recently sat down with Jocks and Nerds to discuss the plight of fast fashion. In the interview, he explained, “Every time you buy something that is made cheaply, it means someone else is picking up the cost. You save money because someone else is making less, and perhaps working in conditions that no human should suffer.” With a start in fashion as a teenager working at his local surf shop, Babenzien began to grow more atune to the inefficiencies and environmental hazards of the clothing industry. “We ship fabric from Japan to Italy to be sewn, and then to the States to be sold. Then back around the world to customers who order online. This is an environmental disaster. But for now, it is the best we can do.”
When asked about how Noah finds its suppliers, he quoted the following statement:
“I simply look for good stuff when it comes to textiles. My focus is quality. I work with a lot of older mills that produce high quality goods. I take the same approach with factories. The simplest approach to factory sourcing is to work with people I know and where I can verify the factory conditions. A simple approach for us is to work in the countries that have fair labor laws and environmental laws. Most of the factory sourcing starts with a recommendation from someone I trust.”
Babenzien remains hopeful for the current generation as there’s been an increase in transparency via accessible resources online and social media. He cites Patagonia as a big influencer around ethical fashion and discusses where he positions Noah within the industry.
“Essentially, we don’t consider ourselves a fashion brand. We are not trying to be cool. I am much more interested in helping shift the cultural understanding of what ‘cool’ means. We’re hoping that people’s choices become a defining factor in whether or not they are perceived as ‘cool’.
In today’s world, ‘looking cool’ is enough. You can be a complete bastard or you can be buying things that you know do damage, but if you look cool, or if you’re handsome or you’re friends with someone famous or are someone famous yourself, you’re given a pass. So the answer to the question is: we are encouraging our customers to buy things from us for the right reasons and not to bin them. If you’re in line with us culturally, the idea of trend or fashion doesn’t have any bearing.”