This Fashion Founder Proves You Don’t Have to Sacrifice Style in the Face of Frigid Winters

The lore of Noihsaf dates back to the company’s early days on Instagram. When the community migrated to a site of its own, Lindello worked to preserve the connectedness she had cultivated. At first, submissions were emailed and purchases were made via zip codes left in comments. Over a decade of stringing a paper chain of preloved clothes has taught Kate a thing or two about the art of secondhand shopping, an inherently action.

Making her home in Duluth, Minnesota, Kate embraces the robust changes in season as a creative constraint. Somewhere between the practicality of recycling unwanted or outgrown pieces and the art form of bringing together a sea of aesthetics, she shines as a determined founder and the nicest fashion person you’ve ever met. After a morning of cappuccinos in the freezing rain on a dreary day in Duluth together, I couldn’t stop thinking about Lindello’s innate sense of cool and the community she’s built around her love for the hunt.

Where does your inspiration on where to dress come from?

I pull from a lot of places. Lately, I have been getting a lot of ideas from the old MTV days. We just launched this new video series called NBTV (for Noihsaf’s reels and TikTok) which was inspired by MTV cribs and House of Style. It got me looking back at old award shows and I fell into the rabbit hole of Fiona Apple interviews. She really mastered the look of layers and the mesh aesthetic that is so big right now.

When you're in a style rut, what do you reach for?

This vintage denim jumpsuit from a brand called “Ideas.” It requires very little brain cells since it covers my entire form. Even the buttons are snaps. I probably wear this once a week to the office.

Any tricks for dressing for the cold?

I have many shortcuts for winter dressing. If I am going to be walking around a lot (shopping, dining, etc.), I hate lugging a winter coat around, so I almost always opt for a big wool sweater with a thin long sleeve underneath. The same goes with footwear. There can be sheets of ice or inches of snow at any given time in Minnesota, but I do not want to run errands with clunky boots, so wool socks and easy-to-slide-on boots are my go-to. I like Ilse Jacobsen short rain boots for this. They are fleece-lined but not bulky.

What's your best Noihsaf find?

I have many! I cherish my satin Dior jacket I found years ago. It has these dreamy voluminous sleeves and looks just as good with jeans as it does with a dress. It really makes any look come together in a sophisticated way. More recently, I bought these Julie Heuer pants that I have been wearing with oversized sweaters. Her patterns are so special and the pleats make it feel very relevant.

Does living in Minnesota influence your style?

The weather in Minnesota definitely dictates what I wear. I am a practical dresser, but I love fashion, and I love pushing myself creatively. I can’t just throw on what I necessarily want to wear because the foot of snow outside doesn’t give a shit if I am wearing suede.

I love a good opportunity to "dress up" because I don’t get many of those events living in Duluth. When I am in NYC for work, I feel overjoyed by the number of options I can wear and feel very connected to my surroundings. I love having all that fashion at my fingertips. That being said, I am always happy to return home, where I can find myself alone in the woods in a matter of minutes. It’s all a balance. I am so grateful Noihsaf gives me the opportunity to step into both of these worlds.

Want more stories like this?

An Astrological Guide To Engagement Ring Shopping
Let Sofia Coppola’s Latest Collaboration Introduce You to This Heritage Cashmere House
Our Guide to Styling Tall Boots