A Quick Q&A with Noémie Balmat of Clausette

Interested in the future of fashion through innovation, Noémie Balmat has quickly built up a lucrative career working with brands as a FashionTech consultant. In November of 2014 she launched the website Clausette.cc  to gather inspiring projects linking fashion & innovation in one place. With her wealth of knowledge Balmat has become a bridge for companys looking to connect the worlds of fashion and technology and is often solicited to speak at international events, such as the Hyères International Fashion Festival.

Q: How did you first get interested in fashion?

A: As far back as I can remember, I have always been interested in fashion. I’ve grown up between Chamonix and Hong Kong, and all the time I spent in the summers  in HKG made my eyes aware of luxury brands. I remember wondering to myself why everybody had these “weird old-looking” monograms, it was everywhere, even on luggages in airports, and soon after that, I started to want some too.

Q: What was your big break?

A: I guess it was last year, when I first went to the International Fashion & Photography Festival in Hyères. Many great connections were made there, and made further ones possible. But I think it’s more of a baby steps thing, everyday I ask myself if I’m heading in the right direction, if I’m doing things right. I truly believe success comes from that, a daily and healthy questioning.

Q: Can you define Clausette in 3 words?

A: Future, fashion & innovation.

Q: Who inspires you?

A: People who don’t take “no” for an answer, who fight everyday for things they believe in. I don’t have one specific role model, but more several ones for each thing I believe in, or I want to achieve. I mostly admire people who know what they are good at, and what they’re not, and thus are able to ask help to the right people when needed. No one is perfect, and I strongly believe in collaborations.

Q: Who living or dead would you love to be able to have dinner with?

A: Phil Knights, I’d have so many questions to ask him.

Q: What is your favorite trip?

A: HKG, because everytime I go there, there’s something new, something inspiring or questioning the status quo.

Q: When are you happiest?

A: When I meet passionate people, it has such an unbelievable power to (re)motivate others.

The homepage of Clausette.cc

Q: What is the biggest challenge you are currently facing?

A: Finding people who believe in my projects, to help me make them grow.

Q: What is your secret talent ?

A: I can ski backwards, LoL.

Q: What is your motto or the best piece of advice you ever got?

A: Get yourself surrounded by talented people, and forget your ego.

Q: What emoji do you use the most?

A: There are a lot of them, but if I had to choose only one, it would be:

Q: What is the latest Instagram feed you decided to follow?

A: @studiohagel, it’s a footwear design consultancy studio, their posts make me think of the current book I’m reading, “Shoe Dog” by Phil Knights, who is the founder of Nike. He was so obsessed with sneakers at a time (1960s) other people didn’t even know why they should wear such bizarre shoes, and now we all do :-).