NOCTA AS SEEN BY PATTA
When Patta first opened its doors in 2004, it was clear that the journey ahead would prove exciting and colourful. Amsterdam lacked a real creative hub to string together the downtown Art, Music, Sports & Nightlife scenes and we felt it was mandatory to fill that void. This was done so with positivity and team work at the forefront of our beliefs.
As the brand has grown over the years, opening stores in London and Milan, the core values and morals have remained forever intact. In addition to the love of fashion and sneakers, the importance of crew love and friendship also shine bright. These attitudes are championed by our team, as well as our friends, family and supporters.
December 19th marks the global launch of Drake & Nike’s new sub-label: NOCTA, following his recent music video for “Laugh Now Cry Later” recorded at Nike’s World Headquarters in Oregon, USA and release of the Certified Lover Boy album merchandise capsule.
We spotlighted some of our London based friends, family & team in the new NOCTA collection, photographed by London crew member Olivia Jankowska and asked them about the importance of friendship and team work.
Olivia: “Being able to spotlight our crew for this shoot means a lot. As the only female member of the London team I’ve never felt like an odd one out. The team, friends & family make you feel like you belong and you are never left out of the conversation which is rare to find in the creative and retail industry. Every one supports each others hobbies, interests and talents as well as checking in with one another on a regular basis.”
Olivia, what is your role in the group?
Olivia - “Normally my role entails connecting the dots and bringing creative ideas to life. Each individual in our group holds their own corner allowing things to fall into place easily when it’s time to get work done.”
And where do you find support?
“When I need a shoulder to lean on or someone to bounce ideas off, I normally go to Fats, Dre or Arms as I find them very supportive and helpful to discuss things with. When things get hectic, it’s important to rely on others where possible but I also believe it’s essential to know how to rely on yourself as a way of dealing with things too.”
When asked about the dynamic of the group and the relationship between one another, Javel and Tobias described friends as “the family you choose” while Ellis lead on to add: “Friendship makes the small things more enjoyable. It’s fun to do things together, working collectively to achieve goals but overall the underlying foundation of the group is that we all have each others backs through the ups and downs. You know in the back of your mind that if something doesn’t go right, you can look to your left/right and find people that are supporting you as you support them.” We also discussed with London store manager Andre's experiences within the group and his outlook on the crew and those around him.
Andre, what is it like to be the leader-figure of this group? “Interesting. I learn something new every day which is really important and positive. In a group I'm usually the laid back one who speaks only when necessary. I’d say that everyone that I surround myself with are leaders in their own right and that positive energy reflects on everyone in the group. Due to that, I don’t often have to take centre stage on most things that we do together.”
2020 has been proven a challenging year. Where do you find your support?
My circle. I don’t like to burden anyone outside of that strictly because I’m very much an independent individual however my close ones know who they are.
NOCTA -inspired by the artist’s nocturnal creative process- is described as creating a functional and comfortable uniform for people on the move, providing adaptability from one environment to the next. Drake: "With NOCTA, we were trying to make the hardest jacket, the hardest tracksuit, the hardest gloves."
The collection consists of a Black/University Gold Puffer Jacket, Nylon Track Jacket/Bottoms, Fleece Hoodie/Pants, T-Shirt, Roll-Neck Sweater, Gloves and Socks.
You can find the new Drake x Nike NOCTA collection in-store in London and online through patta.nl and the Patta app on Saturday, December 19th.
