The Editor: Joseph Noble

Special Advertising Section

A well-known interior designer shuffles through a box of Joseph Noble samples-high-tech and woven fabrics that catch the light in a way that exposes titillating color combinations and nuanced patterns. An expression of pure pleasure washes over the designer’s face: “I always know what I’m going to get here, what the quality and colors will be,” he says as he flips through the layered swatches. A sense of consistency is hard to come by when the output includes 70 separate collections and close to 1000 units, yet all the Joseph Noble fabrics reflect a singular high- grade attitude and, together, capture the modern penchant for beauty juxtaposed with wearability.

“To sell my line you have to be comfortable selling both beautiful wovens and tech fabrics,” says Noble. “You have to grasp the aesthetic sensibility expressed through daring fashion mixes like a Chanel bag with blue jeans or a bracelet bought at the beach with $2000 shoes. Here at Noble, we see that tech leathers mix beautifully with mohairs and jacquards woven in Switzerland.”

Beyond their air of unpretentious elegance, there is another common thread linking the Joseph Noble items, one that reads more subtly, but wields an impact no less critical to the company’s success-the concerted way in which the fabrics cater to consumers’ ever evolving lifestyle needs and tastes. Recently, Joseph Noble veered from the all-natural fibers that were long his calling card and began incorporating revolutionary man-made fibers into his collections. “They were anathema to me when I first started and for a long time after,” says Noble, “but I opened my eyes to the non-precious manner in which people were living and recognized that I could develop new products outside of my comfort zone that could meet the criteria of a contemporary marketplace and also be fun.”

If attunement to the needs of the time is the foundation of any successful business leader, an acute editorial eye is perhaps the trait that best enables him or her to cater to those needs. By applying a high degree of discernment and selectivity to his enterprise throughout its development, Noble has been able to weather inevitable ups and downs and keep the New York City-based operation going and growing for 28 years. His Technology Leathers line the walls of Chanel’s corporate headquarters; his custom-woven chenille draperies hang at the Getty Villa; and a golden shimmering mohair is featured in Chicago’s Playboy Club. Noble continues to stock his tool box with the sort of relevant goods that give rise to beautiful and practical environments and allow designers to shape inventive spaces.

Born and raised in Arizona, design didn’t appear to be on his radar or in his blood during his youth. But an irreverent dynamic streak was, and so when he reached 21 and his friends began moving west, he headed east to New York where he landed a job with Innovations. “I was a hayseed,” says Noble. “I didn’t know that I should go to Cranbrook or RISD. But the décor arena turned out to be a great match for my soul and I had a great boss, Rudy Mayer. I worked under someone who was patient, knowledgeable, and willing to answer my questions; when that happens it becomes possible to consider launching something of your own.”

It wasn’t long before Noble was pounding the pavements of the garment district with an eponymous line of fabrics made of 100% cotton chenille, cotton velvet, and cotton duck. “My 23-year-old mindset was invincible. I was determined to create fun and useful products,” he says. “And I knew I wouldn’t fail because I was tenacious and optimistic and fast on my feet. Gradually, I learned how to listen to “no” from the businessmen in the garment district; I even got used to being thrown out of places. But so many people along the way were generous with their knowledge and, fortunately, I was mindful enough to take advantage of their support.”

The raucous city, too, provided an ongoing spur to creativity. “I’d be walking in different areas of New York at different times of year,” says Noble. “I’d see the clothing in Soho in summer, Bergdorf’s windows at Christmastime, Central Park in spring. I found myself translating the inspiration of the colors and architecture into functional products.” From the cottons, Noble progressed to woven wools, silks, and mohairs. “Developing the business was tricky,” he recalls. “I was a small firm for a very long time. One of the reasons for this was that I had to figure it all out. I had to be in both my left and right brain at the same time, making sure that the balance sheets worked while introducing products that would challenge people and flex their sensibilities.” Using his keen editor’s eye, Noble brought forth goods that others at first found disquieting but which, soon after, “elicited an ‘AHA’”.

His innovations included a thick, ropey chenille that he piece-dyed to achieve laminate-like colors. “These were a real hit but I couldn’t get the manufacturer to deliver things on time nor get the color right on a consistent basis,” says Noble. “This was a classic example of creating something profoundly beautiful but also very difficult to maintain.” He proceeded to develop a directional soft mohair that garnered significant market support. “When you upholstered with it, it shimmered,” he says. “The colors were absolutely delicious.” Noble set his sights on growth and it occurred almost without him knowing. “I had always wanted to be a line of substance. It happened very slowly but it did happen,” he continues. “I believe one day I turned around and saw that the line had achieved the heft I was after.”

Some of that critical evolution came about with the inclusion of synthetic fibers. “Slowly over the years, I added synthetic yarns,” Noble says. “Sometimes it would be in the fill yarns and sometimes I would use the synthetics on the warp. I started out as this natural fibers snob but then became caught up in innovations with fully man-made fibers. My Technology Leathers, which are not faux leathers but rather based on microfibers, nylon, polyurethanes and new vinyls, exploded on the scene about four years ago and sold like gangbusters. With these, I chose to do something that was accessible, affordable and cool.”

9 New Collections from Joseph Noble

Noble relished the process of working with manufacturers and discussing new textures, feels and weights. With the resultant additions he could keep pace with his maturing industry without becoming trendy and disposable. Though the Joseph Noble decorative mix surely presents a challenge to the many independent reps and showrooms that represent it, things are going quite well. Today, Joseph Noble develops and manufactures both domestically and abroad and his lines are also represented internationally. With the editing instincts that Noble describes as a combination of the “visceral and immediate”, he’s likely to continue to fuel the spirit of innovation that has marked the last 28 years. But when asked to talk about the future he says:

My crystal ball doesn’t work. I just remain open. While I was growing upI never thought that I’d end up in such a cool place. I thought I’d have a dry goods store. Hmmm, wait,” he catches himself. “I guess I do have a dry goods store-the New York version of one.”

Images Coutesey of Joseph Noble Design Studio.