When Noah, a nine-year-old boy from our Webster Kendrick club, was asked to talk about his hobbies on a Zoom call, he never imagined that it would lead to a meeting with senior teammates from the Under Armour Apparel and Design Department. The Zoom call was originally part of a virtual programming session initiated by Julia Verdery, a teammate in the Office of the Chief People & Culture Officer at Under Armour. Verdery is also a great friend and volunteer of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Baltimore.
The Zoom call was set up for kids to voice how they have been fairing during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Noah has many hobbies, including playing the guitar, video games, and drawing. But his real passion is fashion design. He shared many of his drawings with the group. Verdery was so impressed with Noah’s drawings and enthusiasm that she told Noah she would connect him with folks from the Under Armour apparel team. Verdery said, “Scheduling a meeting between Noah and the design team wasn’t a decision I had to make, it was simply the right thing to do to help encourage a little boy to live his dream. Noah possesses a wisdom and insight that many adults do not, and we at Under Armour are better people for having met with him.”
True to her word, Verdery set up a Zoom session the following day with Noah, Josh Hiney, Head of Apparel Design, Kayla Stevens, Sr. Lead, Material Innovation, and Caitlyn Taggart, Apparel Designer. Noah shared several of his designs with the design team, including 6-inch stilettos, metallic skirts, big white dresses, shirts, suits, and blazers. According to Najah Hameed, Unit Director at Webster Kendrick, “Noah has a serious, thoughtful, and selfless demeanor. He genuinely enjoys helping others, and I often find him taking an opportunity to help others.” This side of Noah was on display when he showed the UA design team a logo that he and his mom have been collaborating on which he wants on bookbags to give to charity for inner-city youth who don’t have enough money to buy school supplies. Noah said, “I want to make clothes for people of all different races and skin types. I want to make sure that my designs help people feel comfortable, happy, and stylish despite social stereotypes.”
The design team asked Noah if he were to design a collaborative UA shirt what material would he use. Noah answered, “Well if I didn’t freak out, I would tell them something that is tight-fitting and stylish yet breathable so men, boys, girls, and women could sweat, but wear comfortably. It would be called a “New Edition.”
Noah hopes to attend the Baltimore School for the Arts Highschool. Hameed said, “Noah is no doubt a rising star, and I would not be surprised to see him next to other famous Baltimore native designers such as Christian Siriano.” We could not agree more!
Thanks so much to Julia Verdery and the Under Armour Design Team for a day that Noah will remember forever. @underarmour @csirian0
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