Something You Need: Noah Collins Design
All photos by Tim Swallow.
Noah Collins, a surfer turned designer but still obviously very much a surfer is someone we’ve had our eye on for, well, a very long time.
Bought to our attention through his involvement with our friends at BALLET and because he’s a damn good surfer, Noah has pivoted into the world of fashion and it appears he’s as bloody good at that as he is at anything else he touches. He designs, sources material, cuts pattens, sews and stitches everything himself which if you’ve ever used a sewing machine in your life you’d know that it’s an extremely impressive thing to do, and if you haven’t, well I’m here to tell you it is. Off the back of his recent show, we had a chat to Noah to talk all things Noah Collins Design.
Tell us about your recent show? How long does it take to prepare for something like that?
Aside from it being my’ show that had my name on the clothes, it was such a group effort that I would never have been able to pull off on my own. It felt as if the clothes and the show in general was an excuse and a vehicle to show and represent what the culture and community in LA are capable of when we all come together to take matters into our own hands with out sponsors, without financial backing, and with out some mainstream cosign and/or validation. So many talented individuals that I am also very inspired by came together to help execute the vision and be all hands on deck to bring it all to life. I’ve never even been to a fashion show before and neither have a handful of the models as well as people that were helping out. We’re all just really inspired in our own individual ways and this show was common ground for everyone to come together and contribute their talents to be apart of a bigger conversation. From the live score, to shooting the campaign that took quite a while (shoutout Donovan), to styling the looks, to partitioning the space, to getting the PA system dialed, to building/welding the clothing racks, to making the custom hangers, to orchestrating the models just an hour before the show, lighting the venue, etc. We really tried to think through as many details as we could to make it all feel as elevated as possible given what we had to work with.
How long did it take to make this? Because that thing is beautiful. And also this? WTF.
The Jacket took me about a week to make. Drafting the pattern took quite some time and then sewing it all together took even longer. I took a different jacket that I had made that I liked the fit of and then changed the construction of it completely by drawing new lines and adding seams in weird places to create contrasting paneling options for different colored/textured fabrics. I started with a vague drawing, drafted a pattern and then kind of problem solved from there until I had a finished piece. It’s kind of like creating puzzle pieces that all need to somehow fit perfectly together. The other shirt was just scrap material from a project that I patchwork-ed together to make a new piece out of.
Did you go to fashion school?
I did not. I had some friends that did, who really sparked my interest. Other than that, I just used my moms sewing machine and learned what not to do and what doesn’t work before actually learning what to do.
Do you think surfing influences your fashion?
I’d say surfing has an influence on the style of clothes that I make for sure. I still don’t even know how to describe the style of everything as it all kind of juxtaposes itself. I really like nice things that are elevated in the materials that are used and have subtle and intentional construction details to make them unique. Nothing with crazy shock value and flashy, but elevated and interesting crossed with a punk element. Things that might make you uncertain of which era they are from. Looking to the 70s 80s 90s and blending some of the silhouettes and key style details of these times while evolving the fit of something making it a more modern piece.
What are some brands that you are inspired by?
I like following what Kiko kostadinov, Acne Studios, comme des garçon, and Our Legacy do as well as how they operate in some pretty unconventional ways. It’s the attention to detail and free approach that they all have that resonates. They do a good job of blending various mediums and construction techniques. You can just tell that whoever they work with has a really open mind to keep pushing and evolving the brand(s) and products in a way that’s personal to them and to the brand(s) that they have created.
Where are you based now? Does that make it easier or harder to do what you do?
I’ve been keeping things light so I can still be a surfer and work on projects when they come up but I’m always drawing and thinking about ncd wherever I go as it has really become my main focus.
What is something about making clothes that people might not be aware of?
Just the time and craftsmanship that it takes to make them from scratch. I’m so far from being really good at it and there’s so much to learn. If people had a more personal connection to the clothes they wear, the people/person that made them, and maybe understood a little bit of the process, they would care for them and value them a little bit differently. I’m aware that its a privilege to gain that awareness and ability to afford nice clothes, but I do think that the more people understand what’s behind the clothes that they wear, that it would change the way they consume and value what they wear.
When you are making a garment, what comes first? Do you find a piece of fabric first and go that would be cool as a shirt or do you start out with what you want to make first and then source the materials? Are you someone that free hands or do you work off patterns?
I feel like almost anything can inspire a detail or idea. I like trying to incorporate details from everyday things that don’t always have a direct correlation to clothes specifically. It can be a detail on a couch cushion or architecture on a building. Yesterday I took a photo of a sack of rice that someone here in Bali had tied to the back of their bike. It had 3 stripes on it and I drew something where similar colored stripes made a warped plaid pattern.
Some times just walking into the fabric store and feeling fabric will also spark an idea of what it could be made into or how it can be contrasted with a different fabric that I found.
I’ve started sketching most ideas but it’s just for the general idea, so I don’t forget. Sometimes I’ll mess something up or cut a hole in something and however I end up having to fix that mistake, kind of redirects the original idea into something I didn’t originally have in mind.
If there were no limitations of where you could take NCD, what is the ultimate vision?
Right now, as long as it can make enough money to keep pushing the level of these shows and the type of products that I can introduce/collaborate on with my friends, that’s all I can really ask for. I don’t want to be too rigid with expectations on the future of it and I think that’s what has gotten it to where it is now. I’m super motivated to keep pushing it in a certain direction, but I’m open to wherever it feels like it should go because I don’t want it to exist in any one box.
It’s all about the bigger picture for me and focussing on real things and real experiences that have real people behind them. It’s a slower burn for sure (especially with Ai etc.), but I’m here for it. Ideally it acts as a bridge for people not typically into art and fashion and gives them something to identify with and to value/appreciate because at the end of the day I’m just a surf kid from LA that’s inspired by a lot of the ideas and conversations that exist in those spaces.
When you’re not sewing or surfing, what else makes you happy?
I enjoy taking photos of random things and people around me whether it be on the street around my studio downtown LA or on a surf trip somewhere third world with a rich local culture.
I don’t play any instruments, but I made a weird ambient track with my little brother the other day (who’s been getting really into music) and I really enjoyed that.
Where can we get our hands on your clothes?
I’ll be launching this new collection and new website this week but other than that, I take appointments at my studio downtown LA when I’m home.
