That little voice in your head that keeps telling you to wait. Not yet.
Don’t launch a business. Not yet.
It’s not the right time. Not yet.
Isn’t everyone as frustrated as we are with there being so many options and yet so many restrictions? Not yet.
Well, after a while Riley decided enough was enough and that there is no perfect time and so her brand, Noyette, was born. Giving back is at the core of this brand and as if that’s not enough, they have the cutest bulldog mascot that will have you swooning. We spent some time with her to find out more…
Tell us the journey that led you to launching your brand, Noyette…
When I was younger I used to keep every fashion magazine I was subscribed to and alphabetize them by publication & issue month. Fashion was another world to me and a way of expressing yourself that I connected with. I have always been interested in fashion and wanted it to be part of my professional and personal life. I’ve worked in ecommerce and fashion for about 10 years and I wanted to express myself more creatively, but also throughout my career I started to identify more what I was looking for in a brand. Having lived & worked in NYC and LA at different points of my life, I was aware of the garment districts there and started researching what it would take to create my own brand. Another pivotal moment was after the 2016 election in the US, many brands were offering donations with your purchase to various causes and charities for limited periods. It was great to see companies giving back and what they supported. It had me thinking early on, wouldn’t it be cool if that was something brands always did? Which would become a key element of Noyette’s mission. It was a 2 year process to gain momentum and get Noyette off the ground so it’s hard to pinpoint all the steps that led up to it’s inception in some ways. However, I think the name itself is reflective of the moment I realized I wanted to build my own fashion brand and commit to making it a reality.
I love the story behind the brand name, can you tell us how you came about the name Noyette?
I pronounce the name Noyette as No-yet because it came from the idea of telling myself “Not yet, don’t start a brand. Not yet, it’s not the right time.” I ended up realizing there is never really the perfect time to start a business of any kind. When I thought of the name Noyette it just immediately gave me the confidence to start moving forward with the brand more seriously.
Creating editorial pieces that are attainable is your motto, why is this important to you?
I love fashion & all the presentations. Style.com RIP, was something I loved to look at during all the fashion weeks. While I love all the high end fashion, I can’t afford it and I don’t think many people can justify a $1k clothing item – don’t get me wrong these pieces are works of art and beautiful, just not always very attainable. I was really focused on working with a USA manufacturer and keeping my product under $300. So many people told me that wasn’t possible! Being direct to consumer I don’t have to have the high mark up that many brands build in and I also wasn’t focused on profit margins either. I wanted to produce a quality garment (made with the same manufacturer of some very high end brands), but also offer it at a price point I thought was fair and more attainable while still maintaining a fashion forward point of view.
Who’s your ideal customer and how do you want them to feel when wearing your clothes?
My ideal customer is a woman who likes to express herself with fashion. She’s a romantic who is inspired by an editorial point of view and values sustainability (our collection is made from deadstock fabric). She doesn’t take herself too seriously and is a lover of color & prints. When someone says “When are you going to wear that?” she says “Whenever I want to.”
For any aspiring fashion designers, what advice would you offer to those that are just starting out?
I wouldn’t say I have advice for fashion designers specifically, but I think for anyone looking to start their own thing don’t be afraid to reach out to others. I found it incredibly helpful to connect with a friend who also started a brand and have others to connect with for questions. Also keep in mind – no one is doing everything perfectly. You will learn anything you don’t know yet and don’t count yourself out.
Looking back since you started running your own business, is there anything you would do differently?
Can’t imagine anyone doesn’t say they wouldn’t change a few things about their launch. I think I would have tried to connect with more people for support early on. I kept it pretty close to the vest in regards to this project because I didn’t want too much outside influence, but I do feel like as I have grown Noyette that you should see who in your network or even outside your network is willing to help you and to utilize them. It’s a great feeling to get to collaborate with people! I also think I would have had more of a launch lead up where as I was afraid to speak to the brand too early before I had product. You live and learn though!
If you could speak to your 18 year old self, what advice would you give her?
Keep going & listen to yourself more than others. It’s so hard to not go into people pleasing mode when you are young (or maybe that was just me). Look at yourself and your own needs and focus less on making others happy or at what you think they expect of you.
What has 2020 taught you about yourself?
Self reflection is important and we should take this time to do it. Also it has given me more patience. I think in general I have seen people be far more patient with themselves and each other and that’s a real positive. We are always rushing as a society and on to the next thing so fast! Taking a minute to reflect is important. Give everyone a little more grace.
What does self care mean to you?
I ask myself this question all the time and I think I come down to just listening to yourself. What do you need? It changes and one day you might just need a warm cup of matcha tea and the next you need to shut off all your devices and take a walk listening to music. Self care to me is listening to yourself to do what you need in the moment. First person to say I am not always the best at it, but I am trying more and more when I get stressed to say wait a minute what is it that I need right now? What’s not working? It’s so important to have that dialogue with yourself and it’s something I am working on.
Our readers love to travel, what destination is at the top of your bucket list?
So many places! I love to travel so much. I would have to say Singapore because my husband and I had planned a trip there a year ago and with Covid we had to cancel. Happy to stay home for everyone’s safety right now, but can’t wait to travel again in the future.
You can follow Noyette at:
- Website: noyette.com/
- Instagram: @noyette.noyette
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/noyette.page
- Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/noyettebrand/
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