Meet Naomi Blackman | Co-founder and Co-CEO, alder apparel

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

Hi Naomi, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
One of my favourite quotes is “you can’t steer a parked car”. It’s helpful to me because often as an entrepreneur (and in life generally!) we can get stuck ruminating and worrying and trying to figure things out all the way to the end goal, but sometimes the best thing we can do is just start and adjust along the way.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I’m the co-founder and co-CEO of alder apparel, an outdoor apparel brand for women. I launched alder with my co-founder and co-CEO, Mikayla Wujec, just over two years ago. Mikayla is a former National Geographic Explorer and while she was working and travelling, she was always frustrated with the outdoor clothing options available for women – nothing was well-fitted and matched her non-outdoor wardrobe style. We started chatting about a better outdoor apparel brand and realized that beyond the product, most brands weren’t embracing all the ways there are to be outdoorsy. Most outdoor brands only celebrate and represent a single, hyper intense version of being outdoorsy (think: hanging off the side of a mountain). Most people we spoke with enjoyed spending time in the outdoors, but felt reluctant to call themselves outdoorsy. We didn’t think that was right. We created alder as a space that celebrates all the ways there are to be outdoorsy – no matter how big or small the adventure.

It’s been a joy to run alder so far, but certainly tough. We launched our e-commerce site in May 2020, so we’ve only known the last couple of years where running a business has been dramatically different from one day to the next. What makes it easier (or at least, worthwhile) is connecting with our community and hearing stories of those who finally feel like they’re represented or like they belong in the outdoor industry.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We’re based in Toronto, Canada and Mikayla and I actually met in the west end of the city in elementary school. So many suggestions, but tops would have to be: – High Park: a big, beautiful park in the west end of the city – this has always been a significant outdoor spot for us at alder. Fun fact: we shot our first photos here!
– Lake Inez: a delicious restaurant on the east end of the city. Definitely worth the ‘trek’ from the west end 🙂
– Bar Neon: this little bar expanded in size and now has a really cool, big back patio that’s great for having a drink or two with friends.
– Queen West shopping: lots of small shops along the Queen Street strip to discover some interesting brands.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d love to dedicate the shoutout to my sister, Talisa, who always showed me an example of what it means to unapologetically go after your dreams.

Website: www.alderapparel.com

Instagram: @alderapparel

Image Credits
Rachel Barkman