A Talk with Noor Carvo, founder of Veux, about his new A/W 18 Collection

What inspired you to start Veux?
I got into fashion design around my sophomore year of high school. My growing love for hip hop led me to fall in love with streetwear. This eventually led to me studying and observing every corner of the fashion world. Soon enough I wanted to start my own brand. Before Veux, I had co-founded a brand with a couple of my friends called Aire Clothing. We learned the process of creating clothes from my mentor and good friend Parker Munyagwa. He taught us the printing, embroidery and wholesale process. From there we just took off. The end of that brand and my desire to go solo is what inspired me to start Veux. I just felt I needed to design clothes more important and meaningful to me.

What does Veux mean to you and what does the brand stand for?
Veux is a derivative of a previous version of my last name. In French, it means want. The brand stands for experimental and sustainable development. I have no intention to stay within the confines of clothing. I want to expand to other creative areas that no other clothing brand ever has. Ever seen a video game and clothing line run cohesively?

Can you explain the concept behind the collection you just released?
The concept behind A/W 18 was to illustrate a story behind each piece. I know it is very common now for people to start a brand, but it is even more common because there are a lot of people who can slap a logo on a t-shirt in adobe and take it to a printer. So, if I was going to be attempting this same commodity, I wanted the designs to have a deep rooted narrative. Each piece on the site tells a different story whether it is through the artwork or the font or the colors.

What is your philosophy about the ART of fashion?
The art of fashion in my opinion is communicating messages through clothes. Whether that be through the fabric, the fitting, the shape, the design, etc. It will always be a form of expression for a designer. For me, it is how I tell and explain a story. This is my form of expression and communication. Clothes are worn by everyone every “wear”. You see it all around you. The impact your piece could have and the amount of exposure you can receive is astronomical.

Who are the most influential fashion designers to you?
Maison Margiela, Taofeek Abijako, Parker Munyagwa and Virgil Abloh are the most influential designers for me. Everything Margiela pioneered for couture is very inspiring to me. Taofeek is paving a path; he just had his first show at New York Fashion Week at 19. Parker Munyagwa is my personal friend and mentor and he has taught me a lot. Beyond that he designs amazing jackets, shirts and pants. I’m not as much a fan of Off-White, but I do love Virgil’s Nike collaboration and his first season with Louis Vuitton.

What are your plans for the future of Veux?
Moving into sustainable cut and sew fashion. That is another aspect a lot of brands are not hitting on, the sustainability of the fabric and the ethics of their production process. I want to create everything in house with my own two hands. For the launch I didn’t have enough money to develop the full custom line that I wanted. This collection will help me get there. The plan is to move into sustainable and ethical cut and sew development and present our line at New York Fashion Week.

Can you explain the veUx Program?
veUx is a program for the followers who have been here since day one. This is the start of a brand that I plan on having for a long time. I wanted to create a program so that I could send clothes to the people who were supporting the brand the day since the day it launched. So the members of veUx will get access to free items every month as well as early previews on new collections or projects we are working on. It creates a larger bond between the customers and I. I plan to continue to grow this program as the brand grows.

How do you stay up to date regarding fashion?
I follow a lot of brands on Twitter and Instagram as well as follow fashion weeks and everything that happens there. Locally, I am also connected to a lot of people who are also doing their own brands and I love to see what concepts people are coming up with.

What were the biggest initial hurdles to building your business and how did you overcome them?
Getting over the fear of starting. I was constantly thinking about failure and I kept creating self doubt in my head. I designed so many different pieces just because I thought the last one wasn’t good enough. I was my own worst enemy. With the help of my amazing friends I was able to finally overcome that fear and plan the launch and release of this collection.

What is a book would you recommend that every clothing designer or fashion enthusiast read?
The Complete Highsnobiety Guide To Street Fashion And Culture. This is a giant compilation with artist and designer contributions that is an amazing read. From past to present you can see the growth in design.

If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?
Don’t be afraid to fail. Don’t be disappointed if someone doesn’t like your design. Do not let someone else determine your art. Don’t quit, never stop working.

View the collection here: www.veux.us