Bllack Noir
Bllack Noir is a diffusion line from Danish luxury fashion brand Noir, founded by designer Peter Ingwersen.
Introduction
Noir and the organic cotton brand Illuminati II were founded concurrently in 2005, and together with the diffusion line Bllack Noir, introduced in 2008, the three brands are owned by the holding company Noir Illuminati II Holding.
Bllack Noir echoes Noir’s sexy and sustainable stance on style with a business model based on ethical conduct, and products that are responsibly produced. Bllack Noir is heavily inspired by rock goddesses from different decades, and designed to appeal to young eco aware women with a look that is edgy, exclusive and rock ‘n’ roll.
Bllack Noir is currently exporting to more than 20 foreign markets, and is represented in leading boutiques and department stores in cities such as London, Paris, New York, Hong Kong and Tokyo.
Objective
The founding objective behind Bllack Noir was to broaden the Noir brand and make it more accessible by creating a diffusion line that was more widely distributed than the Noir signature line. In line with Noir’s ethos of making Corporate Social Responsibility sexy, and in order to reverberate the growing awareness among younger consumers of social responsibility, Bllack Noir is based on CSR principles in all links of the supply chain.
In order to live up to this objective, Bllack Noir uses the principles of the UN Global Compact, the International Labor Organization and the International Chamber of Commerce as guidelines in all links of the production process. Manufacturers are selected based on their commitment to quality, respect for social ethics and the environment. All manufactures are audited on a regular basis to ensure that the above standards are adhered to. Bllack Noir collections thus target both the consumer’s aesthetic tastes and socially responsible consciousness. In a world increasingly concerned by issues of human rights, sustainable development and personal identity, Bllack Noir strives to prove that all three issues can be undertaken in a way that is alluring, modern and responsible.
Supply Chain
When Peter Ingwersen founded Noir in 2005, he experienced great difficulties in finding organic and fair-traded yard goods of a satisfactory quality. Pursuing an unconventional strategy for the apparel industry, he consequently decided to rely on backwards vertical integration by setting up the cotton producing brand Illuminati II, which by now supplies organic and fair traded cotton fabrics to Bllack Noir. By sourcing Illuminati II cotton from Uganda, Bllack Noir is guaranteed that the farmers receive a fair price for their crop and work under humane and safe conditions.
Bllack Noir strives to source and produce outside of Europe in order to drive a sustainable business model, while at the same time work as a catalyst for improvement of social ethics, environmental standards and sustainable business in developing countries.
Presentations and Exhibitions
Bllack Noir presents at Copenhagen Fashion Week, which is held every year in February and August. Furthermore, Bllack Noir has presented at Premium in Berlin, Bread & Butter in Barcelona, Esthetica in London and Prêt-à-Porter in Paris.