There is a punk rock spirit at the root, and I want to be myself in everything I do.
-Nice reason. I'd love to hear if there are any salient ones in which the two of you felt uncomfortable with manufacturing without environmental awareness or CSR.
Brendon: I think it's the same everywhere, and I think 40 years of seeing such things has led me to make this choice. Today's society is a bit lazy and overproductive, and the products that are made are only for convenience, and most of them are cheap and used up. Everywhere there is overproduction and too much stuff. As I get older and learn more about various things and understand how things work, I realize how bad the current situation is. Responsible management is not being done, and that is the norm. For example, emissions, human rights abuses in the industry, and many other problems that the world is facing today are caused by this. It is always the world's poor who have to pay the price, and that is wrong. Once you know the reality, you can no longer make such irresponsible choices. It is much more difficult to run a business, and of course profits will decrease, but it will also reduce the harm to the earth and people.
-It's not Mies van der Rohe, but Less is More. Not only design, but also society and life.
Brendon: We have a punk rock spirit at our core, and we want to be our true selves in everything we do. The fashion industry has a habit of everyone doing the same thing at the same time for the sake of efficiency, but we don't like that, so we do what we want, when we want, and make high-quality products that can be used and enjoyed for a lifetime once purchased. That's what's important. But many companies try to lump everyone together and make everyone look alike in order to sell something, and then the next year they say something different in order to sell something new.
-I think that the words "CSR" and "sustainability" are becoming more and more common, but I also feel that they are becoming more and more a slogan for commercialization, without any real substance.
Esther: It's really terrible. It's like brainwashing.
Brendon: It's not realistic, and it's not going to happen in the first place. That's why we are communicating the importance of the relationship between the company and the consumer. Our goal is to create better products and to accept the possibility of reducing profits. Companies can continue to grow and expand, but the real problem is that there are a lot of people who think it's okay to do so. I think it's crazy and that's just worship. We believe that if you make responsible decisions and operate responsibly, there is a limit to growth, and it can't last forever. But do you really need that kind of big money like a big corporation? I think we all need to reconstruct our ideas of success and true wealth. To do that, we have to change the entire society's perception of it. It's really getting out of hand.
-I think that fashion is attractive in part because it is ephemeral. Items and brands that shine because of their short lifespan. What is the secret to Noah's coolness and sustainability as a company?
Brendon: Noah doesn't follow trends, and his creations are simple and classic, with a strong emphasis on tradition. But the key to our coolness and interest lies in how we present it to the world and what we say about it. Most of the items are things I've worn since I was a teenager, and I encourage people to choose items based on who they are, not on trends. I think this will draw people's attention to what we are doing, and I think they will enjoy Noah's clothes.
Esther: Yes, yes. Freshness is also created by combining new clothes with old clothes, and I think it is important how you combine new clothes with your old clothes.
Brendon: This is a complex issue, but because corporations, especially the fashion industry, have become more sophisticated in their grasp of consumer psychology and are able to manipulate the masses, in many cases, people buy things the way the corporations want them to. They're imprinted over and over with, "This is cool," and because people are creatures who want to be accepted by those around them, they buy things for that reason. Whether or not they really like it, whether or not it's personal, whether or not it expresses themselves, is secondary. We are faithful to what we think is interesting, and we make good clothes and run a responsible business. If people can relate to that, that's great. We don't spend hundreds of millions of dollars on advertising. If that happens, I think it will be a breakthrough in today's media-driven world.
-I really hope that their way of thinking can be conveyed to more people, even though it may be difficult for many people to meet them and hear their stories in person.
Brendon: However, we know that what we do is not for everyone, and everyone has different interests and ideas. We want to be realistic, at least for those who shop at Noah's, and we hope that this resonates with more people, but if it doesn't, that's fine, too. If it's not realistic for them, I don't want them to buy it.
