Brand Discovery: AUDRA
It's always a privilege to hear someone's story. The fact that they open themselves up and share their experiences, passions, struggles, creativity, pain, joys, and vulnerabilities with someone else is a gift to humanity. These kinds of conversations interlink us on a personal level. Audra Noyes expresses herself authentically, and in this manner, every time I connect with her, and she consistently injects her collections and each piece with her intimate stories. The emotions that go into her designs speak volumes and connects quite viscerally with the diverse cohort of women she dresses. I think you'll agree when you see.
Audra and I connected soon after she moved to St. Louis in 2017. She relocated here, from NYC, for business and hasn't looked back. We're both transplants who happen to work in the fashion industry in different capacities but regularly seek ways to come together to support each other professionally (AUDRA was one of the featured brands at my inaugural SALON x LKS event in 2019). We also quickly discovered all the things we had in common, something as seemingly trivial or adolescent like our lucky number 13 or that our favorite animal is an elephant. But then again, these are the types of connections that bring people together. Couldn't we use a little more of this?
AUDRA is a regular on Vogue Runway, has been profiled in Women's Wear Daily, featured in In Style, The Cut, Forbes, among others, and was awarded an Arch Grant in 2019. Each season, AUDRA brings new life, vibrancy, and a concise celebration of women. I think you'll enjoy learning about Audra Noyes and seeing how exceptional she is and how lucky we are to experience her stories by way of her beautiful clothing brand AUDRA.
DESKSIDE CHAT WITH AUDRA
In five words or less, how would you describe AUDRA the brand?
Ageless. Intentional. Versatile. Expressive. Luxury.
How and where did AUDRA the brand begin?
AUDRA began from a whisper in my spirit eight years ago, surrounding a purpose to speak to the diverse modern woman about a new view of beauty through fashion. In 2013, I launched my namesake brand at age 24 in Paris, and it has evolved throughout the years. Still, the core values have remained consistent – an unwavering commitment to craft and cut and signature of ageless versatility and ease. My designs intentionally straddle the line between essentials and innovation and are constructed in New York City from the finest European materials. The result is garments that can live in your closet for years to come and dress you comfortably with purpose for various moments of your life, from day to evening.
Audra Noyes photographed for WWD
You reference your family and loved ones often in your collections, which is quite beautiful. Is this a thread that is with you when you approach each collection or piece in the design stage?
Very much so. The AUDRA aesthetic is rooted in a conversation between my late father and me, drawing inspiration from his tailoring and infusing in my own feminine voice. This conversation grounds each collection and gives the brand a signature look – a tension between femininity and masculinity, structure and fluidity. Then each collection begins with an abstract feeling or emotional journey that either my family or myself is experiencing, which informs the cuts, fabrics, and silhouettes in the collection.
AUDRA celebrates women in a very genuine and relatable manner. Your point of view, expressed through the silhouettes, cuts, and finishing are flattering on women of all ages and body types. Do you think of a specific woman (or multiple women) when you’re designing?
As I design I keep the inspiring strong women of my family- my mother, grandmother, sister, and the dynamic women who I am fortunate to have around me in my daily life as friends, supporters, or clients at the forefront of my mind. I am continually drawing from their stories, their feedback, and their journeys. They are each different, of all shapes and ages, and each has a distinct voice they want to share through the clothes they choose to wear. In order to effectively design for them, as well as guide our sales and marketing strategy, I have identified five customer personas that I feel best encompasses this community of women around my brand. The real winners, the silhouettes that stay in the collection for seasons and years, are those pieces that can be worn by all of these personas and in many different aspects of their life.
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AUDRA SS20 Moodboard
In 2017 you moved your company (and yourself) from NYC to St. Louis. How has living and running your business out of St. Louis impacted you differently than when you were in NYC?
The big move to the Midwest was a leap of faith, and I never expected it to impact my business in the way it did. Being surrounded by and engaging daily with my target customer has had the most predominant impact, shaping and informing the silhouettes, the fabrics, and the marketing choices I make. Additionally, St Louis has opened doors for further business growth at a decreased overhead, allowing us the opportunity to target certain business goals at an accelerated rate.
What are the best parts of running your business? What are the challenges?
The best part is engaging and interacting with the women around my brand and seeing that community continue to expand and connect with one another. When I launched the brand in 2013, one of my core missions was very simple, to value all the women around me, through how we interact as teammates or through the clothes themselves or how we care for our customers. What keeps me going is being a part of and witnessing those moments.
The biggest challenge for me is to not compare. In the fashion industry, it is so easy to compare yourself against an outwards perspective of a fellow brand, not fully understanding the ins and outs of their business. I have to be mindful not to get distracted by others strategies or “successes” and stay on our course.
What does your typical/ideal day at AUDRA look like?
A typical day I could go from business emails to meetings after meetings, working with the team on an upcoming marketing strategy or design deadline. I wear many hats, so each day varies and is filled with many different aspects of the business. An ideal day would include more design and creative time, hours to sit, and just sketch!
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How do you get into the creative mindset amidst running the business?
As days can get busy and go by so quickly, I have to be intentional to set aside moments purely for design or, at minimum, larger blocks of time where I can have quiet and creative reflection on the inspiration I want to bring to life that season. When I give myself this space, I can be immersed in the emotional journey or story I want to tell through the collection that season.
Where do you pull inspiration from for your designs and collections?
Each collection I draw inspiration from an emotional journey or story from my own life or from those around me, typically drawing from my family, as I mentioned prior. I then translate those feelings into tangible details and silhouettes in the collection or the very textiles themselves.
For example, our new spring collection was inspired by a season of new life and growth – what one feels when she is going through that evokes the need for light, easy shapes allowing for flexibility and movement, but also a desire for the comfort of structure and strength of the familiar, to remain grounded as you face a new chapter in your life. Therefore in the collection, you will see airy twill and chiffon patchwork dresses and blouses, as well as fitted pegged trousers with structured blazer blouses in stretch wool suiting.
I also reference female artists for our print techniques or texture references. You will typically see painting or sculpture references as part of my mood boards.
Audra Noyes draping in studio. Image by Andrew White for Racked.
