How Brendon Babenzien Started NOAH – 'Not A Running Brand' But Making Clothing For Runners

"I don’t think we ever planned to be a running brand but it goes back to this idea that people are complex, diverse and interesting. Brand and business should reflect that. Most businesses don’t do it that way. They’re like, ‘We do this one thing. That’s all we do. If you’re into that, you’ll get it from us. The rest of your interests, we’re not interested. Go somewhere else for your other stuff.’ … We’re more interested in the New York attitude of like you really don’t know who you’re talking to and they’re probably far more interesting than you realize.” Brendon Babenzien is the founder of NOAH and the men’s creative director for J. Crew. A lot of you may have recently seen the collaboration between J. Crew and Tracksmith and Brendon had a lot to do with that because he’s a runner and loves the sport. But..don’t be quick to call NOAH a running brand. They make clothing for runners but with their own touch. In this one, we go into Brendon’s own running, how NOAH came to be, its place within the fashion industry and the importance of producing products with human rights and the environment in mind. Plus, NOAH just released their whole fall and winter collection so check them out. They also have been doing some runs out of their store in New York City and events in London so be sure to follow them on Instagram. SUPPORT THE SPONSORS TRACKSMITH: The Eliot Runner was developed to meet the rigorous demands of committed runners, providing the perfect balance of cushioning and responsiveness with classic Tracksmith style. See the Eliot Runner in person at Tracksmith’s Pop-Ups at the London and Chicago Marathons and their Boston store this fall before an exclusive opportunity to pre-order on October 24th. Learn more about the Eliot Runner by visiting tracksmith.com/citius VELOUS is an active recovery footwear brand designed to help you restore, revive & re-energize before and after you train. Two years in development, this team has created the world’s most comfortable, supportive and lightweight active recovery shoe in the world. Get 20% off using code CitiusMag20 GARMIN : Music. Training. Data. The Garmin Forerunner 245 Music is my favorite running partner. You do the running. This GPS running smartwatch does the thinking. It even gets to know you and your body better, mile after mile and song after song. Get one for yourself here >> https://bit.ly/3Pcu0qo Article One Eyewear : Article One is an independent eyewear company based in Flint, Mich. with designers with deep roots in running. All their frames are handcrafted in a small village in Northern Italy. Designed with your entire day in mind, Article One takes you from a long run in the morning to drinks on the patio to wind down. CITIUS MAG listeners get 20% off using CITIUSMAG at checkout at https://articleoneeyewear.com/ FINAL SURGE: If you are a coach, Final Surge makes planning and analyzing workouts simple and helps streamline communication with your athletes. Final Surge is also here to offer up some world-class training programs. Check out their offerings today: FINALSURGE.COM – USE CODE CITIUS FOR 10% OFF. VELOUS FOOTWEAR : VELOUS is an active recovery footwear brand designed to help you restore, revive & Reenergize before and after you train. It's the most comfortable, supportive and lightweight active recovery shoe in the world. Get 20% off using code CitiusMag20