RESPECT. Interview: Noel Bronson talks Life as a Brand Architect

The game has changed! Everyday, influencers and creators stories are being told. In today’s streetwear culture, consumers want to know why a product is deemed “cool” and why the product was created. It’s a never ending cycle! As you conduct more industry research, you come across consultants and taste makers, you may never heard of. Earlier this year, we had the chance to sit down with Noel Bronson, a bronx creative who lets his experiences and NYC street culture push his creative drive.

Q: Tell us about yourself?

Noel Bronson: My name is Noel Bronson. I am a Bronx-based creative, who grew up in the borough’s Norwood section. It’s relatively unknown compared to other areas but it’s a neighborhood that helped propel a lot of my childhood ideas. Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein also grew up there.

Technically, I am a designer. But I like to think of myself as a creative problem-solver with a focus on product development of sorts. I’m super into the design of things and I mean design as general as possible. Literally, everything is a form of design, this interview here is a form of design in communication.

Q: When did you first fall in love with streetwear?

Noel Bronson: My interest in streetwear is just a continuation of my love for Urbanwear when I was a child. I was always really into what my older cousins were wearing, which were brands including Indigo Red, Azzure, Miskeen. Before then, I was coming up in the era of Enyce, Sean John, Rocawear, etc.

My first exposure to streetwear, as we know it now, was about 2004ish. My older cousin, Wayne, started dressing really different in brands I had never seen before and colorful Nikes. I begged him to take me with him shopping.

He ended up taking me to SoHo, which was nothing like it is today. During the first trip, I remember going to Supreme and Clientele, which is no longer open. As time went on Wayne and I traveled to more and more stores: Classic Kicks, Stack House, Alife, DQM, Union, The OG Flight Club spot—when their site was VintageKicks.com.

It was just such a different time, which makes me feel a bit old now. To this day, I joke around with my friend, Marco, about how we got lost looking for the Bape Store in like 2005. When’s the last time anyone got lost doing anything in a major city?

Sorry for the long-winded answer, but all of that is like 5% why I first fell in love with this shit.

Q: How has streetwear changed from when you first got into it, to now?

Noel Bronson: Streetwear was still this big mystery when I got into it. If you saw a stranger wearing something you liked and you asked where they got it from, chances are they wouldn’t tell you. It was this crazy hunt to it all.

Also, even though, we were all under one subculture—styles varied back then. For the most part, the entire streetwear community has become homogenized. Everyone is wearing the same Supreme shoulder bag, with Ksubi jeans and something by Off-White.

Q: As a creative, what inspires your creativity?

Noel Bronson: I’m inspired by anything I enjoy doing like long walks alone, my iTunes on shuffle, DM’ing my friends random shit on Instagram, reading and using Th-oughts.com all are super inspiring right now. I try to be VERY proactive in avoiding doing things I dislike.

Q: Who are some of your biggest style influences?

Noel Bronson: MMMMM… Coming up def Kanye West. Now, I don’t really think I have one. I think if I were to reference how I dress 95% of the time it would be Kurt Cobain at its core, but I’m Black and wear Nike a lot more than I do chucks…So I guess Kid Cudi? Without all the luxury though.

Q: Tell us about some of the projects you’ve worked on?

Noel Bronson: PUER is my clothing brand/live practice facility/portfolio. It’s really where I get to test my ideas with no restrictions other than running out of money, lol.

Other than that I have worked with Epic Records on Design + Direction for in-house merch for some of their artists including Rick Ross, DJ Khaled, 21 Savage and others.

Pretty much did the same thing for Desus & Mero Via Viceland.

Done some stuff for Nike too, mostly internally, consumer insights and such. Visually, I worked on the creation of the content for the friends and family Sky Force from the Game Worn pack. I also was apart of a team of consultants that helped developed what is now known as the Caribana pack consisting of an Air Force One and Air Max 95.

Q: Which was your favorite and why?

Noel Bronson: PUER always will be my favorite and the most important cause it’s mine. The most I have ever been paid for a job was from Epic, but that isn’t my company. Doing things with Nike opens tons of opportunities, but as with Epic, it isn’t mine. I guess, I need some freedom, and that’s very hard to do being creative in a company that isn’t yours.

Q: I’m sure you get this a lot but what is #Nobadgeboyz and what inspired this movement?

Noel Bronson: Not sure I would call it a “movement,” but if it inspires you or anyone else, then I am super happy to contribute to that!

Anyway, the term was literally created on Nike Campus, in the lobby of the Ken Griffy building in mid-convo with my friends Ju and Le’mar. Here’s the thing, Employees are given badges, these badges grant you access to buildings.

At the time we were on campus, the term #NikeBoyz was increasing in popularity via social media. No shots at anyone who participates in that, but to me, it was like we aren’t Nike Boyz cause we don’t work here. There are people here who feel we don’t belong here and it’s other kids who wish they were here. So we are the “No Badge Boyz” inside the buildings never wearing the guest pass and pushing our agenda!

Since we are on the topic of Nike. I just want to show the utmost love to Rudah & Kaos for being the great teachers in how to navigate the corporate world.

Q: Do you feel as if actual street culture is finally getting the credit it deserves as an influencer?

Noel Bronson: No, I don’t, sure Dapper Dan is getting his just dues, but it’s so much more! I’ve read articles on Vogue and even Hypebeast where they try to give credit or show references, but come up so wrong. And it isn’t entirely their fault. The hood is where a lot of this shit stems from, and that was never adequately documented. So unless you were there, it’s tough to have ever known.

There are so many problems, and I don’t have the answers, not even if you paid me. 🙁

Q: In your opinion what has been the best sneaker this year, including colorways, marketing & concept.

Noel Bronson: 2018? Shit, what has come out? I mean I’m going to say the Game Worn Pack by JUWOP, but let me go see what else came out this year! BRB

So yeah, I’m going to go with the game worn, BUT I would like to show some respect to the J.Crew X New Balance 998 “Condiments.” I used to work retail in J.Crew, and their collaborations with sneaker brands have not always produced a great product, but where they lacked in design, they made up in storytelling and content. Two things the brand does very well.

Trying my best to remove any bias thoughts, but if we just sit and think about it all. The Game Worn pack, put’s a comma in the very long story of collaborations. It raised the bar while simultaneously lowering it.

Ju is by no means a celebrity. As he does have 20K+ followers now on Instagram at the start of it all he didn’t. When I met him, he had barely a thousand followers and even a different IG name, and even then he told me, “I’ma get my own Nike shoe.”

And the he did it!

The low hanging fruit that a cynic can say is he choose some bad models, but he picked the models what he wanted. He sold them in his city to one retailer of his choice. Instead of taking the budget and throwing a grand party he opened a week-long summer camp to teach kids on the south side of the Chi that they too can do it. Proceeds from the sale of the shoes gave kids scholarships for Thoughts.

If you can’t respect that, then your whole perspective is wack.

Q: What are your thoughts on Virgil Abloh and his position at Louis Vuitton, does this benefit young creatives.

Noel Bronson: Virgil’s employment is a win for everyone that’s creative with a dream.

It benefited creatives depending on how close they were to the explosion. For his team and close friends, I’m sure the door was kicked open, and they were introduced to new opportunities that he will be able to give to them.

For everyone else, maybe a window is now opened, but that window is 8 stories up and we’re outside. So we have to apply ourselves, work hard, and start climbing to crawl into that window. I think that analogy makes sense, others may disagree.