NOHÉ, THE PROMISED LAND OF ANNE-LAURE SILVESTRE

From Brittany, Anne-Laure Silvestre founded NOHÉ, a responsible and unisex brand. The H in NOHÉ symbolizes Humanity in a controversial fashion world. She chose this name because of the story of Noah (Noé in French) in the Bible. Inspired by the founding myth, she hopes for a better world, with beautiful and well-made clothes as a link. Alone on board but driven by a collaborative vision, she prefers the "we" to the "I" and believes in the common effort more than in the gods.

Even through the screen, the green of her jumper, a size M prototype "a little too oversize" according to her, illuminates our virtual meeting. The NOHÉ adventure didn’t begin on a boat, although Anne-Laure enjoys sailing to reconnect with nature, but on the crowdfunding Ulule platform where her first three products in organic cotton were available for pre-order: a jumper, a sweatshirt and a t-shirt. Anne-Laure tells me the story of her entrepreneurial project, which she imagined in Paris and launched in Lorient where she settled after a serious bicycle accident.

An “extraordinary” life

There is a before and after to the accident. When she was hit by a truck in 2018, Anne-Laure was a Senior Merchandiser at Lacoste. She made a promise to herself: “I remember looking up at the sky and trying to project myself by thinking:  if I ever lose my leg, my life must be extraordinary. If lose it, I will become a Paralympian.” After her transplant and during her year of rehabilitation, Anne-Laure spent her time not training but reading. While the Gilets Jaunes movement was making the news, she read all the books and articles she could find on the social and environmental breakdown as an echo to her own physical injury. “I realized that this world was no longer possible, that it existed because we kept it going but it was leading us to our doom. I told myself it was time to write a new story.”

Entrepreneurial spirit, a hit

Being an entrepreneur was not necessarily the career path that Anne-Laure had in mind. After her studies at the IESEG School of Management, she turned to consulting. While working on an assignment for Chanel, “a crazy artistic universe” was the first trigger for her. She has always preferred clothes to fashion. After graduating from the Institut Français de la Mode in 2013 and an internship at Celine (LVMH), Anne-Laure was hired by Lacoste (Maus Frères). She worked as much on the women's as on the men's and children's universe, learned how to co-create collections with a commercial and creative point of view in connection with the stylists and managed the sales coordination part with the subsidiaries. At Lacoste, she then tried to set up an intra-company project for more responsible collections, but her accident stopped her momentum. “It is easier to create something new than changing a system that has been working in this way for years. I decided to leave and Lacoste was very supportive of my decision.” A termination of her contract and a later move to Morbihan to reconnect to her body, mind, and nature, led to the birth of NOHÉ on January 1, 2020. 

Doing things right

She likes the creative side of the fashion world and the way clothes can reveal personalities. What she doesn’t like is the industry, its lack of transparency, its need for consumption. Yet she assures us, “we can do things right.” For NOHÉ’s first products, Anne-Laure learned how to master Photoshop and get inspired by her own metropolitan, genderless wardrobe made out of beautiful clothes that “last.” Her first micro capsule is based on 3 simple organic cotton pieces. She is very aware of microplastics that are dumped in the oceans, as she lives near the sea. She makes no compromises on the choice of her fabrics even if it means cutting back on margins and focusing on online sales in order to keep a “reasonable pricing.” A jumper at 150 euros, a sweatshirt at 100 euros and a t-shirt at 45 euros. Anne Laure worked out how to manage factories, production issues and sourcing opportunities on her own. The Première Vision trade show last March and the Internet did the rest. Her jumpers are made in Nantes, France and the sweatshirt and t-shirt near Porto, Portugal. “I see NOHÉ as a hub for environmental and social awareness, through clothing.”

H as in Humanity

“I was looking for a name that carried hope, that matched my minimal aesthetic and that sounded unisex. The story of Noah touched me: this man who leaves a ruined land to rebuild a better world with only animals and love on his side. I think it is a very powerful symbol.” She chooses to add the H initial for the human side, because even if Anne-Laure is the only one in charge, she knows how to surround herself with skilled volunteer friends, like the one who helps her with marketing or the one who reviews her cash flow plan. “I often say “us.” I carry this project alone but I want his to a collective adventure. My goal is to invite people on board.” In NOHÉ’s universe, creating value makes sense only if it helps society and solidarity. Anne-Laure’s own philanthropy includes her work with “Toit à moi” (“a roof for me”), an association that helps homeless populations find housing and ultimately change their lives.  She donates clothes to this vulnerable population because she believes that “reintegration also involves clothing, which reinforces the fact that you are in transition.” For the orders, she calls on the “ a2i  “ agency, which specializes in temporary work. When I ask her who is her ideal customer, her answer is obvious: “my ultimate dream would be to dress Cyril Dion, a personality with a true environmental sensitivity who wants to build another world.” She also thinks of François Civil for his “modesty” and his “simplicity”, two qualities that she hopes emanate from her project. Or the singer Brö for her “badass” side. Guts and desire are what define her in her role as company manager.

Transparency and Instagram

Now that her crowdfunding campaign is over, Anne-Laure already knows the next steps: to continue creating timeless pieces that last over time and to mix them with more creative pieces made from recycled materials. In a true transparency approach, she has learned to embody her committed project even on Instagram. "Transparency is a model I believe in a lot. To rethink the system, I want to communicate on my margins and be in a real proximity relationship with people." NOHÉ is a long-running company story that can be summed up in a few words: collaborative, supportive, transparent and environmentally friendly.

"If we talk again in a year, I will have won if in the meantime I have been able to give conferences on why we need to change our business model, why money should not rule the world. You can write #idealist!” The date is saved, let's meet in 2022, NOHÉ!