Meet Noelia Delgado | Artisan

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

Hi Noelia, other than deciding to work for yourself, what was the single most important decision you made that contributed to your success?
Upward Closet was born from the impulse to get out of my comfort zone. I’m Uruguayan, but in 2016 I came to the United States, since then I have always worked in the same place. The year 2020 represented a great challenge for me. It pushed me to make a decision when I had to leave my hotel job due to the pandemic. This led me to reorganize my life economically, and also personally.

The first time I had a crochet hook in my hands, I was 6 years old, something I learned from my mother, also an artisan. The plastic arts also had their place in my growth, my brother has been responsible for my love of painting although that is not my strong point. As a result of that interest, I later studied graphic design and deep down, I knew that some branch of art was going to end up seducing me.

An artisan mother, a plastic artist/tattooist brother, a businesswoman sister and the unconditional support of my husband, resulted in this beautiful path I’m on.

That’s why the year 2020 was my time to turn my skills into something productive.
I discovered in art a form of alternative therapy and at the same time a work tool that brought me to where I am today.
In short, I learned that we can always transform adversity into something that positively changes our lives.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The path I chose was undoubtedly winding, the only thing that was clear to me was that I had to start somewhere. At first the idea was to recycle new clothes, paint them by hand, stamp them, give clothes a new life.
That is where the name of the brand was born.

Needed a name that reflected my initial recycling plan. “Upward” means to level up, to improve clothes. The lotus flower of the logo also has to do with this metaphor, it is born from the mud, generally in marshy waters. It is considered a symbol of that which rises and reaches elevation.
I really liked the idea of ​​linking the brand with such a strong metaphor. However, the first pieces I created were in crochet. And right away I wanted to broaden the spectrum, I didn’t want to confine myself to a single category.
So it was that I started making accessories like earrings as well. I started making the earrings from a printable fabric. Something that allowed me to use the graphic design tools that I had been acquiring for a long time using Ai to create my own designs. A short time later I discover what today I could call “the essence” of my business, THE RESIN. I wouldn’t even know where to begin if I wanted to describe the level of versatility that resin possesses. On this path I have made a lot of mistakes in terms of technique, it takes patience and persistence. After the mistakes, I learned so many ways to use the resin.
Today in my catalog you can find earrings, rings, necklaces, bracelets, keychains, trays, jewelry boxes and the list continues to grow.
I think the most exciting thing is knowing that the pieces are unique, since I make small batches of each collection. Knowing that when you wear an Upward Closet garment, there will be no other like it.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would definitely tour the beautiful area where I live, Fayetteville, first. Where there are some spectacular craft beer places, like Line Creek Bus Barn with a spectacular view of the park. My favorite place so far is Tour de Italy, the pizza there is amazing, so without a doubt my friend wouldn’t leave without trying it. A place that I loved from the moment I got here is the botanical garden, please, what a beauty! It’s magical.
In fact, that whole area seems fascinating to me, the Japanese garden, and the Piedmont Park would be a must.
There is a place that I have wanted to go to for a long time, which is Amalfi Cucina & Mercato, it was highly recommended to me since I am a fan of Italian food, that would be a must too. Then we would have a coffee in any local cafe, I love them, they are all good. And in the evenings we would visit some place where we could dance and have a margarita.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There is no one who has done something completely alone, there is always someone. Someone who drives you, someone who likes what you do, someone who enjoys seeing you happy and creating.

There are so many beautiful people around me, those who are happy with someone else’s happiness.
My family has had an undeniable influence on this journey, friends who have celebrated each and every one of my achievements, and a partner who has supported me in every decision I’ve made. I will be forever grateful for the people I have in my life.
To all of them goes the credit and recognition.

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