Back in February, news broke that Brendon Babenzian was leaving his post at Supreme to relaunch his own label, Noah, he'd founded and eventually shut down years earlier. That was almost eight months ago and now the brand is finally seeing the light of day as Babenzien christens Noah's first flagship store in downtown New York, which opens today at 195 Mulberry Street.
The space itself is simple and intimate. A squared-off room with a leather couch, two large, ornate rugs and a glass coffee table as the centerpiece, it's quite warm, accented by the wood trimming around the windows, large, potted greenery and a burlap wall. It feels cozy and ties into Brendon's swath of interests from surfing to music. The fitting room is even decked out in a nautical flag design to further the theme. "I wanted people to feel they could come in and stay," Brendon says. "We want you to buy things of course. But it's equally important to talk about the things we like. It isn't designed to just take their money and push them out." When you do eventually get around to leaving, it'll probably be with a bunch of product in your hands. Pieces sit firmly in the middle ground price-wise and strike that perfect balance between streetwear staples and a more grown-up sensibility. Tees are about $48, tops and bottoms start at $180 and jackets start at $400 and go up to $1,200.
Noah officially launches with the store's opening and shares the space with a product selection that includes a rack dedicated to items from Union Los Angeles, as Brendon is very close with owner Chris Gibbs, and select pieces from Paraboot, Aprix along with projects from some of Brendon's friends, like custom bandanas from Shin Murayama, who Babenzien met for the first time last month at the Noah pop-up at Bergdorf Goodman.
These product selections help "finish" the place he says. That and the fact that Noah will sell exclusively through the flagship store, its online store—which is set to launch next week—and at Union Los Angeles helps control the message. "If you only bought a handful of these items and tried to put them in the store next to all these fashion labels, would we make sense?" he asks. "I don't know, but I know I don't want to find out."
Noah's flagship location is open from noon to 8p.m., 7 days a week, at 195 Mulberry Street.
[Photos via Andy Hur]
