You know that feeling when you realize you’ve found a brand that speaks to your values – no compromises. That’s how I feel about Noize, a Montreal-based brand I stumbled upon a few years ago on social. The company produces trendy outerwear at great price points and – the best part – no animals are harmed in the making of their fashion. No leather, no wool, no fur. In fact, they even insulate their coats with recycled polyester, a.k.a. plastic bottles. Yep, you read that right. I caught up with Noize creative director Mayer Vafi for the 411 on this vegan brand I’ve been coveting from afar. Plus, we have an opportunity to enter to win a gift card from the brand, too. Read on.
The designer behind the most coveted leggings on the planet.
FS: Can you explain the technology that goes into making these products and share just how plastic can you keep us warm?
MV: There are two types of insulation: Down, which is an animal by-product, and synthetic, which we use. Our synthetic filler comes from recycled polyester, basically, plastic bottles. First, the bottles are shredded, and then the oil from that process is extracted, re-processed, solidified and made into pellets. Those pellets are then converted to yarn, which is weaved together to create the insulation in our jackets.
FS: What are you excited about for this fall and winter season?
MV: We have so many next textiles and textures! We’ve got these unbelievable molten wools (well wool-like, obviously, since we don’t use animal by-products) and new reflective and metallic styles. We’re also excited about the growth in our men’s business, and we have some cool collaborations coming soon as well as a few bricks-and-mortar stores (Burlington and Ottawa in Ontario).
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FS: Your coats seem pretty affordable. Can you speak to your pricing strategy?
MV: We want our brand to be for everyone. We are about being sustainable and ethical — but we need to be affordable to make an impact. You can’t make an impact at an elite price point.
FS: To the person who doesn’t believe that there could be such a thing as a great vegan coat, what would you say?
MV: The first thing I would do is educate them on the manufacturing. Synthetic insulation is warmer than down, that’s a fact that I didn’t create. After a few years, down settles leaving you with pockets of cold air that go through your jacket. That just doesn’t happen with a synthetic weave.
Wanna experience the brand for yourself? We’re giving away a $150 gift card to one lucky winner. Sign up for our newsletter for a chance to win (before November 14, 2021, at 23:59 EST).