How Emerging Shoe Brand Nou Caught The Attention Of Addison Rae

Alexia Ioannou always sticks to her guns. When the idea of designing footwear sparked, the creative, who already had a successful designer vintage resale business in Los Angeles, was told it wasn’t a good idea. “A lot of people said it was very expensive, risky, and complicated,” she recalls. When she first attempted to seek out a partner for the shoes, nobody took a chance on her. But Ioannou, who is never one to rest on her laurels, launched the line sans partner, despite some discouraging advice. “I got really angry and said, ‘I’m gonna figure out how to do it myself.’” Clearly, trusting your gut is essential because just five months in, burgeoning pop star Addison Rae is already a loyal client.

To rewind a bit, Nou was born in 2018 as a jewelry brand, which Ioannou ran as a side hustle while working on the marketing team at MOTHER. In 2021, she exited the denim brand — along with a a toxic romantic relationship — and began a journey of self-exploration. During that time, Ioannou posted a TikTok featuring vintage Dior Galliano Dice heels she sourced, and the video went viral. “Everybody wanted the shoes,” Ioannou recalls. Noticing a gap in the market for vintage designer footwear, she began selling pre-loved shoes, which, Ioannou says, not many people were doing at the time.

To say her vintage shoe biz was a hit would be a massive understatement. Ioannou — who cut her teeth in the fashion world back in early 2017, working in the studio services department at Barney’s New York — began dropping 10 styles at a time, and pieces were selling out in minutes. “A month later, I was dressing all the celebrities and had an office,” she reflects. Mimi Cuttrell, who currently styles everyone from Ariana Grande to Maude Apatow, was a frequent client. Meanwhile, the likes of Kylie Jenner and her bestie Anastasia Karanikolaou were flocking to Nou for their vintage footwear fix.

But, much to her dismay, the vintage shoe market became oversaturated. “Sourcing became far fewer and more expensive,” Ioannou explains. As such, she knew the label had to evolve. It was then that the seed for her Nou footwear was planted. “I said I was going to make one shoe; it was going to represent all the vintage that I collect,” she notes. With no concrete plans or connections, Ioannou, took to Instagram, where she has a following of 125K, to share that she would be making a shoe. This led to one of her follower’s linking her up with a manufacturer in Portugal.

In comes to play Nou’s black peep-toe mules, which launched in May, marking the brand’s inaugural silhouette. Rendered in silk, the $375 pumps are, understandably, very expensive to make, Ioannou shares. As such, she decided to use a pre-order module. “There’s no waste and no extra pairs we need to sell on crazy discounts,” she adds. Meanwhile, all the brand’s shoes are limited-edition, save for the aforementioned black heels, which Ioannou plans to keep permanently on the site.

Other styles that have launched over the past few months include its leopard ponyhair and pink snakeskin mules, both of which are no longer being sold. This month, however, Ioannou debuted a one-of-a-kind boot made from a rare deadstock tiger-print silk velvet. “We’re about like 50% sold through, and it’s only been a week,” Ioannou tells TZR on a recent call.

Yes, the brand has become so buzzy that fashion darling Addison Rae is one of her customers. But the “Headphones On” singer isn’t necessarily new to Nou — she began visiting Ioannou at her vintage showroom (which has since closed) years ago. Fast forward to last spring, and Rae got her hands on Nou’s new black mules. After falling in love with the silhouette, the singer’s stylist, Dara, reached out to Ioannou to inquire about a custom pair of heels.

The only caveat? She needed them in just two weeks. “I went to my supplier in Portugal, and they said it wasn’t possible,” says Ioannou. But a determined Ioannou went back to the producer, which ultimately made it work — a testament to her perseverance. The result: Gold metallic gemstone-adorned pumps, which Rae wore for an appearance and performance on The Tonight Show earlier this month. “There’s no other girl that I could want in our stuff right now,” the designer adds.

Though her shoes are clearly taking off, Ioannou isn’t abandoning her vintage business; it’s just operating a bit differently these days. “I restructured it entirely, and now it’s basically like how you look forward to your favorite flea market once a week or month,” she explains. Dubbed Objects Of Affection, it will be a monthly drop (launching soon!) featuring a curated selection of vintage keepsakes. Between that and Nou’s next shoe, which she’s aiming to release around Valentine’s Day, there’s a lot of newness on the way.