Exploring Life & Business with Max Noce of Max Noce Apparel Group

Today we’d like to introduce you to Max Noce.

Hi Max, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was born in Milan, Italy, played bass in some rock bands there and put a record out and moved to London where I had to work to earn so I started working in fashion since I’m Italian from Milan. Found a job at Valentino and moved up to assistant manager of the dolce & gabbana store on Sloane st, still played in rock bands. Met a lot of musicians while there and when in September of ‘96 I met the rhcp at the the dolce store, we became friends and they convinced me to move to LA so I did in ‘97, at Dolce I met Nabeel, the owner, in London a few months before and became friends. Worked at lords on melrose for 10 years and met every rockstar on the planet, parties with the best. I became close friends with Matt and Scott from velvet revolver and one night at 4 am they both called me while drunk and told me we should open a store, the 3 of us, I said ok let’s talk when you guys sober up… it ended up being just me and Matt since Matt talked shit about Scott being on h. Opened Sorum+Noce on melrose across urth cafe and gave a big party at Les deux, debauchery central ensued. I was still playing bass and by now I had a band called “the web of spider” with whitey the guitarist from Iggy pop and Philthy animal the original drummer from Motorhead. Wild times. Anyway, comes Jan of 2009 and Matt is now sober, my mother had to get an open heart surgery and I wanted to be with her in Milan, Matt however had other plans, convinced me to stay and then presented me a contract from the lawyers firing me. He tried to shake my hand and I just walked past him and never spoke to him again. After that I went to live in Milan and Ibiza and when I came back with my then wife I opened a store on sunset blvd called Orphic with two Italian friends, turns out they just wanted to brag about it and bring in all their cousins’ crap to sell and I didn’t want to become a joke so we parted ways. My ex wife was in charge of all the designers etc so when we separated I just had only one way to go and that was by myself with my own company and vision like I always intended to. I went through some transformations but now I’m in a good place doing what I love and have amazing people around me. Looking back it seems all very recent and I’m so involved with every second of my life that it’s hard to think in terms of time and years. So yeah I’m here and I’m more energized than ever and I have a new website and my company is all mine with a couple of secret partners with very tiny percentages but I’m happy and I’m excited about what’s to come.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Never a smooth road no, I grew up in Rozzano outside of Milano and it’s a rough little city of 80k ppl, I’m street wise but nothing can prepare you for what’s ahead so you gotta be good at improvising and change perspectives, obstacles become fun detours and the game continues if you know what I mean. But yeah it’s never easy.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I grew up in Italy surrounded by beautiful arts and culture, my early years were spent with high fashion designers like Valentino and Karl lagerfeld, Ungaro and Dolce & Gabbana, the early 90s were great formation years for me, style and cuts and fabrics and the way you feel when you wear something you love. It’s a projection of your persona but that also can be changed. I remember trying my first pair of leather pants at lords in ‘97, I felt raw and wild and with an attitude, clothes can change your personality I think. My clothes are clean cut, simple visions with designs that take years for an eye to see and project, I use the best fabrics and absolutely no plastic based products, from cashmere to cotton to wool to leathers everything is meant to enrich you not deplete you. Energy is important, feeling more confident and secure is part of the experience and I try to bring that. The custom side of the business is also fun, always new ideas or requests, it never gets old. But most importantly most of my clients become family, friends forever, an unspoken rule of what is in fact the legacy you have with band members in a rock n roll band.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Don’t over think it and try to have some fun, it’s all just a game, find your place in life and enjoy the journey, sounds cliche and it is. Hahaha
But seriously, do what you love and always, always try to make the world a better place. Love your family and friends and let them know as often as possible.

Pricing:

• Denim jackets in vintage denim 1900
• Leather jackets start at 2900
• 3 pc Suits start at 4500
• Knitwear 1800

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.maxnoce.com/
• Instagram: @maxnoce
• Facebook: Maxnoce
• Twitter: @Maxnoce