Julie Hablemann | Founder / Advocate / Survivor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Julie Hablemann and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Julie, what do you attribute your success to?
The most important factor for me, our brand, and anyone really, is in our name. That is, to be noble. A lot of thought was put into our name because this is something more than another fashion brand. For me, it had to be grounded in purpose. A definition of noble is; to be honest, brave, good, virtuous; to be held in high regard. That said, I see Noble Sands as a platform to do good, with the benefit of creating beautiful eco friendly resort wear. My background is not in fashion so I’ve learned everything on my own. But what I did know, is that it is one of the largest industries contributing to the detriment of our planet. One of our goals is to raise awareness about the importance of being a conscious consumer and doing small things like reading labels, asking where things are made, what they’re made of, and how they’re made. That is why our current product is made with recycled Repreve® fabric and mindfully produced in LA. All of our packaging is either recycled or recyclable. As textiles and processes continue to evolve, we will implement the most eco-friendly materials available for our brand. It is imperative that consumers and brands do their part to become more educated and transparent. It will take some time and everything won’t be perfect right away, but “a lit bit of something is better than a lot of nothing.” A second part of success comes from giving back. I am inherently inquisitive and compassionate. In all my past roles there was always a through-line of providing a solution. Whether it was in sales, or planning an event with multiple collaborations, or consulting a client on becoming an expat. And now the same holds true. I accidentally created the prototype for our signature product, The Strand Wrap, because I couldn’t find an all-in-one outfit to bring on a vacation to Sardinia. I wanted something I could wear at the beach, do a little shopping, pop into a cafe, and yet be comfortable and look stylish. So now you can basically pack your beach tote and be set. You will have a coverup, skirt, dress, top, set or accessory in one piece. Our product gives back to the savvy traveler. Our company gives back in a different way. It was always a part of the plan to donate to various non-profits. But after experiencing a heart attack in January of this year, I felt compelled to do my part in the area of women’s heart health research. Not only to raise awareness about the number one cause of death in women, but also raise funds for much needed research. (For reference, heart disease kills 1 in 3 women, cancer kills 1 in 30) We will donate a portion of our annual sales to this very important effort. So, this was a really long way of saying being charitable and transparent are two of the greatest ways to be noble, and we’re doing the best we can.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Like my dad, I grew up in a house my grandparents built, on a farm that surrounded Noble Lake. My interest in fashion started at an early age, as my grandmothers and mom knew their way around a sewing machine. Although my career path initially led me in a different direction, I never lost my unique style and love of design. After several years of national and international relocation, I returned to California for a third time. I am a marketer, turned expat, turned intercultural consultant, turned designer and advocate, and first-time entrepreneur. As a global citizen and a heart attack survivor, raising awareness about conscious consumption and women’s heart health were key as I launched Noble Sands – the first travel, earth and heart friendly resort wear brand. I created The Strand Wrap after recognizing a need for versatile modern resort wear that is both sustainable and distinct rather than ubiquitous. We are for the travel savvy, coastal-loving, eco conscious, effortlessly chic, heart-centered woman.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I lived in CA the first time in my late 20’s. I lived in South Bay and worked in Pacific Palisades, so I didn’t do the typical thing and stay in a bubble. I had many visitors and would split the time between all of it. So old school me is making suggestions here. In Manhattan Beach, Sloopy’s for breakfast/brunch, Izaka-Ya for sushi and Shellback for an afternoon beer. Make your way down the Strand (in your Strand Wrap) maybe stay at The Beach House. Palmilla for dinner. And if you want really old school head to Tony’s on the Pier in Redondo for cocktails. Ah, memories. When I moved back to CA a couple years ago it was to Newport Beach. Totally different scene. Anything at Lido is pretty great. Shopping, restaurants, and in regular times they even do a farmer’s market. Probably my favorite restaurant in NB is Saigon Beach. It is a tiny Vietnamese place right near the pier and you will dream about it. Another one of my favorites is in Corona Del Mar. Pirozzi. Fantastic authentic Italian food. Places? All the beaches. I have to say, now that I’ve lived in LA and OC, the beaches are so different but all wonderful. I love how deep the sandy beaches are in South Bay and relatively uncrowded, compared to Newport or Main Beach in Laguna. But I love the terrain and how scenic beaches are in OC. Treasure Island park is one of my faves, followed by a cocktail at the Montage. One special place that I love in Laguna is the Pacific Marine Mammal Center . They are a non-profit that rehabilitates orphaned or injured sea mammals, and releases them back into the ocean. You will fall in love.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Absolutely! This has obviously been a rough year and there’s no way I could have made it this far without the amazing women in the Business Relationship Alliance aka the BRA Network, founded by Carrie Murray. I have never met such an incredible group of women. Supportive. Smart. Experienced. Innovative. Fun. All of it. Basically they are my business partners, because so many have had a hand in growing my business over the past several months. But there a few standouts: Lisa Upton – Accoutrements LA Hilary Hartling – Hilary Hartling HQ Bree McCool – Bree McCool Creative Lexie Smith – The PR Bar Baily Hancock – Baily Hancock Collaboration Consulting Daphne Subar – Subarz Sweets

Website: www.noblesands.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/noble_sands
Twitter: @TheNobleSands
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopnoblesands/

Image Credits
Bree McCool on all