We recently connected with Carly Noad and have shared our conversation below.
Carly, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
When I first started making clothing/ re working pieces, I never did it for anyone but myself. I wanted to feel different, not be able to be replicated. It never crossed my mind that other people would enjoy what I made the same way I did. I wasn’t confident like that, I really didn’t think it was even worth sharing at the start. But once I started sharing my work I was overwhelmed with the response and even more shocked that not only people wanted to things I was making, but they were willing to pay for them. That’s when I started to think okay, maybe I can really do this. I started branching from just clothing into headpieces and accessories and it just went up from there.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My name is Carly Noad and I am a designer. I know that seems vague, but I find it hard to put myself under just one category of design, as I dip my feet into a bit of everything!
I was a pretty quiet kid and am still quite the introvert. I always found ways to express myself loudly without words. I loved to draw and paint, I always found comfort in doing those things and it would allow me to let go and be myself. This was a huge part in the start of my biggest area of design, which is clothing. When I was a kid I remember there being so many times where what I wanted to wear didn’t exist and I would get so frustrated and upset that I had to just throw on this boring shirt and pants. I went through that for quite a while, until I started seeing my mom using a sewing machine. She would always make my Halloween costumes every year and it used to be my favourite holiday. It felt so good to put that costume on and know that no one else would be wearing what I was wearing. It was mine, it was personal and could not be replicated. Which was probably the whole reason why it was my favourite holiday (and honestly still is) Once I got a taste of that I started to think, why can’t I do what we do on Halloween all the time? That’s when it really got going, and I began re working my clothes. It just started with simple patchwork and evolved from there. I was a little intimidated by a sewing machine at first, so most of my work was by hand. It would take me so long to finish one piece, even just one square but I didn’t care. All that mattered was I was doing it, it was mine, it was personal and could not be replicated. I finally gave in and got my first sewing machine and I went off! I just started making everything and anything. It was a thrill for me that I can’t explain, a high I kept wanting to chase. I started making full outfits, hats, you name it I tried it. I worked retail for 6 years as a visual merchandiser so my life was surrounded by clothing and I was thriving. I had a note book beside my bed, I always had my best ideas as soon as I would wake up. I would immediately open it and start drawing out whatever I saw in my head and I still have every notebook with my designs to this day. I remember telling myself in the mirror when I was about 20, I said “If you’re still working retail when you’re 25 you have to quit your job and do what you love.” On my 25th birthday, I quit my retail job and took on clothing design full time. I pumped out my first collection within that year which was all repurposed denim and to this day is one of my favourite memories and some of my coolest pieces. Fast forward about 6 months after I took this full time, that’s when I began getting into headpiece design. I remember it was in the middle of covid and I made this headpiece that was also a mask. Again, I hated the idea that I had to wear the same mask as everyone else and thought, how can I elevate this. After that I hit another unexplainable thrill and started pumping out a crazy amount of headpieces. It’s a different level of creativity that has absolutely no boundaries and that’s what I love most about headpiece design. I really never made anything for anyone else. It was always just for me, a way to express myself loudly without words. It was such a shock to me that other people enjoyed my stuff as much as I enjoyed it. I was never doing it for anyone other than the shy introverted little girl that still wanted to be loud, and that’s still who I do it for today.
The creative works I provide are full custom outfits, creative direction, headpieces and I’ve just started doing some interior design work.
What sets me apart from others and what I want people to know when they work with me or get a piece from me, is my dedication to the reason I do all of this. Any client that I make something for, I make sure they are just as involved with it as I am. The whole reason I started this was for self expression and to feel like what I wear is mine and represents me and only me. I want people to feel that same way when they get one of my pieces. With that being said, some clients do give me creative freedom and I also love that too! But, before I ever start a project for someone else I really like to get to know them and understand their story before I start. I love to break people from their shell, I find a lot of people don’t think they know what they want, but I believe we all do we just don’t always have the tools or confidence to figure it out. I also feel that people think they need to dress a certain way, or wear certain things which can get confusing when you’re trying to find your own personal style. I always like to break through that wall to really let them express themselves freely! There is nothing more satisfying then seeing people figure themselves out through clothing and I’m happy I get to be a part of it. I also only believe in making one of one pieces and I’m very strict about that and will never budge. People always ask me if one of my pieces is really popular why I wont make a couple skews of it, but that goes against my whole reason of doing all of this. I will never let the idea of selling more take advantage of my core beliefs. I want people to feel confident that when they wear something from me its just for them, no one has it or ever will. To me, that is the most important thing.
I’m the most proud of how much I have evolved as a confident creative. When I first started making clothes, even just basic things or dressing louder it took me a while to actually go out in public. I would always get dressed how I would want, look in the mirror and love it, and then go back and change into what I felt was acceptable/normal. I remember being so nervous to finally take that step outside and not worry. As a teenager it’s hard to do this, you worry about those things and what people will say. Once i was able to do that, the rush of adrenaline and happiness I felt that I was on my way to being the best version of myself, I didn’t care about anything else. I felt alive.
How did you build your audience on social media?
You have to be 100% authentically yourself. A big lesson for me was that people appreciate the real, and it speaks louder than anything else. I had so many pictures and projects I did that I never shared cause I thought “this is too much” or “people won’t understand” but they don’t have to. There are no rules to this, the only person that’s boxing you in is you! Be creatively yourself, it is the most freeing feeling. People will naturally enjoy it and appreciate that, because not everyone can do it. My biggest advice is don’t over think your content. If you like it, share it. Don’t be scared that people won’t like it, or they will have opinions. Some things are out of our control, but we can control what we do and how we express ourselves. Don’t let other people change your work or your ideas whatsoever. It just takes one right person to see something, who tells another person who tells someone else and so on. If you never share it, no one will ever know about it. Another piece of advice I can share is people love a story, so the more you share your journey people will always relate and appreciate your work even more. Once I began breaking down how I created things, it gave them more background and they can appreciate the art so much more. Remember that people only see what you share, so if there’s something that’s important to the art and the story, tell them. Be authentically yourself! Whatever that means to you, it will resonate with the right audience.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being a creative for me is stepping back and seeing my personal growth. I think majority of us can appreciate this. The creative journey is always such a rollercoaster, we have so many internal battles wondering if we’re good enough, we have so many lows and so many highs that sometimes we forget to sit back and appreciate how far we’ve come. Our work is always a reflection of our story, whatever obstacles we faced and overcame and to me that’s a beautiful thing. It’s easy to get caught up in the now and what we need to do next. Creatives are extremely hard on themselves, or at least I am because it’s not an easy road to take. It’s nice to realize how many people appreciate and love your work like you do, and I think that’s extremely rewarding in itself.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: carly.noad
- Facebook: Carly Noad
- Tiktok: carly.noad
Image Credits
Ellewhitestudios Desideriobeauty