You may know Noah Beck from TikTok—but he’s ready to be known for more than social media. The young star has become creative director of basics brand Sown Again, which now exclusively sells his popular underwear brand IPHIS. As Beck’s career has progressed, so have his range of additional pursuits—including acting, working with brands from YSL Beauty to BOSS, and putting pen to paper as a writer. At Sown Again’s first anniversary party, we caught up with Beck on his latest projects, go-to underwear, embracing imposter syndrome, and tips for taking a perfect thirst trap.
How’d you get connected with Sown Again?
I love fashion, and I wanted to find a way to step into that world where I can also wear the product. For the longest time, I was attending these shows and seeing the art behind it, and admiring it from the front row, which was amazing. I was at a point with IPHIS where I was wearing my own stuff. I was my own billboard, because I was always shirtless and had the waistband showing. But I was like, “I want to step this up. I want to move into clothes that people can see when I’m not shirtless.” I had a friend who put me in touch with these three guys [John Allen, Rocco Valentine, and Oliver Deane] in New York that had this startup brand, and they were like, “They just got this thing off the ground, it’s a couple weeks old. Have a coffee with them.” It was during Fashion Week, so it worked out. I go to meet with them, and it just clicked, right away. They were young, like-minded, creative, hungry individuals that just wanted to nail the blank space, because everyone’s closet needs staples. You need the timeless pieces that can go with anything. Once I started working with them, I was able to throw all my other stuff away, because we truly have the different colors you need, the cuts you need, everything.
John Allen, Oliver Deane, Noah Beck, and Rocco Valentine (Courtesy of Sown Again)
What’s been your biggest learning lesson since becoming the brand’s creative director?
Just like with anything in life, you won’t know where to go until you’ve gone there—and until you’ve had people that have gone there to tell you where to go. It’s been amazing, learning through them, asking questions, being a sponge in this space. I would be pretty naive if I thought I knew everything before even doing it. Having the mentorship of John, Rocco, and Oliver, it’s been such a collective, well-oiled machine. We all bring our own strengths to this brand, and it just works out. That was the biggest thing. I’ve tried to absorb everything, whether it’s talking to Rocco, John, or Oliver one-on-one about how the backend works, how does the styling of this work, how do we get it marketed, and learning about the paid ads—all of these things, I had no clue about. Truly, you have to be a student to the game. It intrigues me, because as a customer and as a consumer of clothing, everyone wears clothes. I want to know where they came from. It’s pretty amazing to know that we source sustainably and we’re doing it all the right ways. That was the biggest learning curve, not knowing anything about it. You can only learn from that.
Noah Beck (Courtesy of Sown Again)
What made you start your own underwear brand, IPHIS?
With IPHIS, it was truly this no-brainer thing. In 2020, I started TikTok and I moved to LA. I joined Sway House, which was a content house at the time. Our thing online was being known for being the guys that had the shirts off, and the guys that were dancing—almost like the “bad boys” of the internet. Meanwhile, I was never a bad boy. I don’t think I could be a bad boy if I tried—which is ironic, because I play one in the movie [Sidelined: The QB & Me]! That being said, in real life, we were always shirtless. We were always showing our waistbands. It was like, “How do we organically promote something that we own?” Calvin Klein, at the time, wasn’t paying attention. I was like, “Why don’t we just make something?” So, that’s what I did.
IPHIS’ launch campaign (Courtesy of IPHIS)
What’s your favorite underwear style?
I can’t lie, I wear the Classics every single day. I wear the Heritage when I want to be comfy, like a travel day. The Heritage boxer briefs are the occasional, comfy fit. When I’m doing something athletic, I’ll wear the Icons because they have that spandex-y feel. The Classics are my everyday boxer briefs. No matter what color—I think I’m wearing the white ones right now [Checks waistband]. Can’t go wrong.
Noah Beck (Courtesy of IPHIS)
What would people be surprised to find in your bedside drawer?
I have these red light glasses that I use. They’re blue light, technically, but they have red frames. At night, when I’m winding down, I try not to sleep with my phone next to me. I’m one of those! I know! I try to optimize wherever I can, so I’ll throw on those glasses before bed. I’ll get into bed at a reasonable hour, I’ll try to read 10 to 20 pages of a book that I’m reading, and then I’ll go to bed. It’s a nice way to get my mind to calm down. I’ll put on my reading glasses and I’ll read a book. It’s very “grandpa” of me, I know! But that might surprise some people.
What books have you read lately?
I just finished a book called The Coincidence Makers [by Yoav Blum]. That was a really cool book. It was a cool blend on fantasy meets self-help meets romance. Honestly, I think there’s potential to make it a movie someday. I’d love to have a hand in that. I also just finished this book called The Four Agreements, which I think everyone in the world should read. It’s s a very simple, 100-page, big font read of four things to live life by. It was just a great read. That’s one I just finished the other day—so, I’m looking for my next one!
The Coincidence Makers by Yoav Blum (Courtesy of Barnes & Noble)
Would you ever write a book yourself?
Yes. I would never rule anything off. I would never say no to anything, especially because I have lived…it’s kind of weird to say it, because I’m in the middle of living it right now. It doesn’t feel that crazy. But honestly, I’m able to zoom out for a sec and at my life from a bird’s-eye view—it’s pretty nuts! I’ve done some pretty cool things. I’m not just saying this, because it’s funny you asked that—one of my best friends was like, “Dude, you should write a book someday.” As one of my best friends, he’s able to say, “I’m not a fan of you, because you’re my best friend, but I’m able to say, objectively, your life is pretty cool, and it’s something to write about.” I’ve started to jot things down that I don’t want to forget. I write a bit of scripts and outlines of stuff that I want to see. Selfishly, I’m like, “If I want to be in a movie, what kind of movie would that be?,” and I start to write ideas. Now I’ve started to pair with writers. There’s a lot going behind the scenes that I don’t like to post about, because I’m a big believer on if you post about it, that’s the reward, as opposed to if you keep it quiet, one day the reward will be the final product.
Fashion’s taken a shine to you! What are some of your top Fashion Week memories?
The fashion world is truly insane. It’s provided some of my favorite nights ever. I have met the most insane people that I never thought I would come close to meeting in my lifetime. If you would have told me five years ago that I met Neymar Jr. at a Balmain show, I would have been like, “Shut up, not true.” If you would have told me that it would bring me out to Paris a couple times a year—and now I know Paris like the back of my hand—I’d be like, “No way.” It’s provided such amazing, truly humbling life experiences. The space is amazing. The biggest thing that I admire, honestly, is that people will work tooth and nail throughout the whole year for a 20-minute exhibition of their collection. It’s art, truly, and that is the most appreciating thing about it. They could easily work all year long, and then just slap it on a website and be like, “This is what we’ve been working on.” But the fact that they go through and do a whole show, a presentation, or whatever it may be, to show their hard work in such an artistic and tasteful way, is amazing. You get flown all over the world to see people’s art through their fashion, and I’m just so blessed. Truly.
Noah Beck (Mike Vitelli/BFA.com)
Are there any special fashion pieces on your wishlist right now?
There’s a ton of things I want to add to my cart. I’m trying to stay strong, some self-restraint, if you will. I think Bottega Veneta is doing a lot of really cool things—and that stitching on the jacket! When you can tell it’s a Bottega jacket, that gets me excited. They have some really cool pieces. Something I try to avoid with a lot of brands is something that’s overly branded, so it makes sense for me. I like things that aren’t super in your face. Even with a Bottega jacket, the only way you know it’s Bottega is because of the stitching. I think that’s really neat. Loewe is doing some really hot stuff right now. Dolce & Gabbana has had a really amazing comeback. I think their shows lately have been so chic. I’ve always been a big fan of YSL, even though YSL I have not worked with yet, funny enough! I’ve done YSL Beauty, but I have not worked with [YSL], and I would love to. This is my application right now to work with YSL!
Can you tell us about your latest acting projects? Where will we see you onscreen next?
One that I can for sure talk about, because it’s well on the way and people know this: Sidelined 2 is coming out very soon. Very, very soon. I don’t have an exact date yet, but very soon. If this does well, maybe this story continues. That’s exciting stuff for the fans, exciting stuff for me, being a fan of the book, the story, and the characters. There’s some other stuff that’s in the works at the moment, maybe different genres. I can’t speak too much on it! But acting is for sure in the future for me, and I hope to keep so if I’m lucky, and if the industry will have me, I would love to continue. I’ve fallen in love with film.
Noah Beck (Michael Tullberg/Getty Images)
Do you have any tips for taking a great thirst trap?
Good lighting is always going help, knowing your angles. I’ve had five years of figuring out in front of camera! That being said, I think the biggest way to trap some thirst, if you will, to attract, is just be yourself. It sounds so cliché, but truly capturing yourself in your most authentic way. The moment you start to try too hard to reach out to an audience, that seems to feel like you’re really reaching. I’m a big believer on dialing it back. The most attractive thing is when someone is just authentically, unapologetically themselves, and there’s something so appealing about someone not trying too hard. The moment you can see that they just picked up their phone, took a photo, and were like, “This is me.” There’s something cool about that in today’s day and age, where everything is so comparative. It also helps if you’re going to really amazing places, and you have a friend that travels with you that knows your angles!
Noah Beck (Courtesy of Noah Beck/Instagram)
You’re such an LA guy, but you’re in New York pretty often! What are some of your favorite NYC hotspots?
It’s weird to even say that I’ve earned the title of “LA guy,” because growing up in Phoenix, my family used to go on vacation to LA. It’s weird to think that I live there. I’ve come to New York enough now to actually have an answer to this, which is great. Some of my favorite restaurants to go to are Polo Bar and Via Carota. Bryant Park is one of my favorite parks. I love Central Park, but there’s something special about Bryant Park, especially this time of the year. Around the holiday season, it’s straight out of a Hallmark movie, or a Nicholas Sparks film. I love it. It’s super romantic, super cute. If you can beat the crowd at Cafe Paradiso, that’s a good spot. La Cabra has got a few spots that I like. But every time I go somewhere in New York, I’m always surprised, and I’m always like, “Wait, this is my new favorite spot.” My mind is always able to be changed!
As a business owner, what’s the biggest challenge you’ve overcome?
Balancing it all. I have an amazing team around me that I trust, sometimes more than myself. I’ve developed a pretty good gut instinct with certain things, like, “Is this going to bring me joy? Will it help me with my long-term plans?” It’s all about trusting your gut, trusting the people that are on your team, and following your heart. If I say yes to this, will it not allow me to do this? If one outweighs the other, if the cost takes a toll on my mental health, then it’s too expensive. I don’t want to do it. It’s a hot take, but early on in my career, I’ve had this imposter syndrome where I’m like, “How the hell am I in this room? What did I do to deserve to be in here?” But looking back at it and continuing now, I like to follow imposter syndrome as my North Star. I like that feeling of, “What did I do to deserve this?” If you don’t have imposter syndrome, then you’re not testing yourself. I chase that feeling of feeling like I don’t belong, because it means you’re doing something right. You’re doing something that scares you, and to do something that scares you means to do something that’ll make you improve. You’ve got to be humble about it, be a sponge, learn, and have fun with a smile on your face.
What are your future plans for IPHIS and Sown Again?
The thing that excites me most is having the blank space and really keeping it elevated, and keeping it a one-stop shop. Whether it’s a tank top, a T-shirt, a hoodie, we have it and we have the best versions of it. I want to keep building that and getting different colorways. Once we build the inventory, we can really start to have fun with the silhouettes. We can start to have fun with maybe doing a limited drop, maybe an elevated jacket of some sort, or pants. What we’re working on is building the world around each campaign shoot. I think it’s really fun, because the shoots and the storytelling can go anywhere when you have a blank space, when you have blank clothing, you can build the story around that. You don’t need to fit a theme. Every campaign can be a different style, so that’s exciting. As a creative myself, and as a storyteller, as an actor, it’s fueling this other source of creativity that I wouldn’t be able to fill elsewhere.
Sown Again (Courtesy of Sown Again)
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