The (fashion) world, according to Noe – Daily Trojan

Within four years, she worked for Mirror Palais, Harper’s Bazaar Thailand and Collina Strada. Going on her second year with the elusive New York vintage store, Chérir Vintage, Noa “Noe” Levy, works hard with a sweet smile, an innate sense of true style, viral Pinterest photos of her outfits and a hunger for vintage.

So why haven’t you heard of her? Because she’s only 17 years old.

A high school senior on the Upper West Side, Noe knew fashion would be her world since she was 4. Deciding to “create a life for [her]self in the world [she] wanted to get into,” she began sewing her freshman year. Spending most of her time at her sewing teacher’s studio, learning and working retail, she mostly stayed for the wisdom of her teacher who had worked for both Anna Sui and Issey Miyake.

“She had all the stories and she knew all these people,” Levy said. “It was just like every time I was at her studio, I was in a different world.”

Some highlights of her young career include the shoots mentioned above, developing a network with the top new creatives in the fashion scene, including founder of Chérir Vintage Kayla Innes, model Ana Flores, fashion designer Jason Wu and summer music breakout stars, Olivia Violet and Remy Bond.

With supportive parents cheering her on, her extended family of friends and mentors have never failed to fuel the fire inside her. Her best friend, who she met on X at 8 years old and colleague at Chérir Vintage now, Ella Devi Weerackody, remembers the first time she came across Noe. Their friendship began from a viral Pinterest photo of Noe in a Burberry skirt, Weerackody’s first thought was “This girl is so cool, I just want to be her.”

Still “two peas in a pod,” Weerackody continues to echo Noe’s natural it-girl status, in work and in everyday life.

“It’s her number one thing, you know? The books she reads — they’re all fashion books … listens to all fashion podcasts: she eats, sleeps, breathes fashion. It’s literally what she thinks about when she wakes up,” Weerackody said. “It is her number one passion, [and] I don’t think that I’ve seen someone as dedicated to the fashion industry as I have seen with Noe.”

Confirming that Noe still continues to be the best-dressed girl in the room, she even has a special contact name for her in her phone: Kate Moss Jr.

Her family friend, “Aunt” Daniella Wrubel, has always encouraged Noe to continue to break into the industry with full force, having experience in the industry herself, particularly in showrooms. And, never once did she doubt that fashion was a world waiting for Noe to sprint into.

“She has always been innately stylish. I remember one time she did this fashion show with a kid’s clothing brand … and Noe was picking a piece and another piece and another piece that I never would have put together,” Wrubel said. “She walks out of the changing room in this — what I thought was going to look like a crazy outfit — looked so chic. And I was like, ‘this girl is going to be a fashion designer or work in fashion.’”

It’s not always been easy, though. Noe’s lethal combination of quality, unteachable taste and fiery passion was often snubbed out by her young age. Whether it was someone trying to take credit for a shoot she styled or meeting her enthusiastic smile with a snarky, off-handed comment, Noe learned to stop taking things personally. Instead, she met each doubtful and underhanded comment with grace.

“Every single person I work with, I try to learn from. I try to take some of their wisdom every step I go. I plant seeds everywhere,” Noe said. “I’m just grateful for everyone I’ve worked with.”

Her grit inspires those who inspire her, too. In fact, she inspired Daniella to go back to school, now taking a course on fashion illustration at Parsons School of Design in New York.

“She didn’t just dream it, she lived it, and I was like ‘Oh, you know what? It’s never too late to live out your dream,’” Wrubel said.

Now, Noe is at a crossroads in terms of her future. Although she does plan to go to college, she’s not sure what path of fashion she wants to go down. Whether it’s living out her childhood dreams of design or continuing to build her repertoire in the styling world, there isn’t an ounce of doubt that success will follow her wherever she goes.

“She’s going to be incredibly successful,” Weerackody beams. “She’s a very, very driven young woman. I definitely envision myself working for her on one of her projects later on.”

While she waits for college decisions, she hunts for her vintage grails: a Chanel bangle, Givenchy knitwear and a Prada bowling bag. And, as I wait to see what she does next in fashion — her brand, more editorials or business — all I can say for sure is that the (fashion) world remains according to Noa “Noe” Levy.

Hadyn Phillips is a senior writing about fashion in the 21st century, spotlighting new trends and popular controversy in her column, “That’s Fashion, Sweetie,” which typically runs every Wednesday.