Noah Beck’s New Underwear Brand IPHIS Is Here to Amp up Your Thirst Traps

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If you were on TikTok back in 2020, chances are you’ve encountered a video of shirtless Noah Beck (call it a TikTok rite of passage). One could even argue that it’s what put him on the map. Fast forward three years (and a few hundred thirst traps) later, Noah Beck has nearly 34 million followers on the clock app, a slew of front row seats at fashion week, and a cemented King of Thirst Traps status.. As his career grew, so did his passion for fashion. Yes, Beck is wearing more clothes nowadays (well, sometimes), but it’s his OG content that served as the basis for his latest venture: IPHIS, a newly launched, genderless undergarments label.

FYI, Beck is aware you know him as an “experienced thirst trapper,” but it’s a trait he embraces wholeheartedly. And TBH, haven’t we all at one point or another posted our own version of a thirst-trap? As Beck sees it, thirst-traps are all about knowing your audience—and then acting the part. The bread and butter in creating his community lies in getting intimate…by putting on some intimates, and he wants IPHIS to foster a space where you can feel confident wearing whatever you want.

Whether you’re someone who strictly likes to keep their undergarments hidden or you’re into the visible underwear trend, IPHIS is here to help you live life authentically and comfortably. In the end, feeling comfortable and confident while being yourself is the ultimate thirst-trap, and Beck would know.

Below, Cosmo chatted with Beck about the inspiration for IPHIS, why inclusivity was the heart of the brand, and his biggest tips for all things thirst-traps (you might want to take notes!).

P.S. IPHIS will be holding an open casting call for models in New York City this week on September 8, where Beck himself has encouraged fans to show up and model for a chance to become one of the next faces of IPHIS. Newbie to the scene? Don’t worry, the brand founder will be there to give creative direction to all attendees. (Dream scenario.)

This is the first brand you’ve ever launched, why did you decide to create IPHIS and go into the intimates scene?

It all started when I first kind of got into [TikTok] and when I first moved to LA. Obviously, I kind of gained a following and gained a lot of attention from dancing with my shirt off. I knew people were liking it, but I also felt like I was just a walking billboard for Calvin Klein with me always having my waistband showing. [From there] it became this wild idea of being like, “I can make something, wear it, and have it be mine. That would be really cool.” At the time, it felt really far-fetched. But fast forward to, I would say a year and a half ago, I started to really step into the fashion world and embrace it. That’s around the time I was able to meet some really amazing people. I now have friends that have brands of their own or are creative directors. I kind of just found the right people and asked questions and listened to advice. I was like, “I have an idea. I've had this idea for a while and it seems really intriguing in my head. How do I make this thing come to life?” I think I had the right questions answered and it all came together.

Icon Seamless Thong

Icon Seamless Boxer Brief with Pocket

Heritage Modal Brief

As you mentioned, you’re no stranger to posting a good thirst trap on social media. How do you see IPHIS fitting into this?

It’s tricky because thirst traps are so subjective. I can make a video of me cooking a really gourmet meal and then a chef would be like, “Oh, this is a thirst trap.” It's about appealing to a certain audience. The same goes for like, if I'm playing a sport, and then there’s a girl out there that loves guys who play sports. She would say that was her kind of thirst trap. So, I think everyone loves someone in some underwear and that’s where this ties into it. I'm not naive to the fact that this is how I gained a lot of my followers and fans back in that summer of 2020—I don't think I even, like, owned a shirt. But that’s just how it was. And here we are now, with some character development, I have a shirt now. But I felt it was like a good segue into an underwear brand. Obviously, you're used to seeing me with my shirt off. So here we go, let’s do an underwear brand.

While doing that, I also wanted to just open it up to anyone and everyone. I want people modeling for my brand that are of all different shapes, sizes, and colors. My followers aren’t just one shape or size and I want everyone to be involved. I want everyone to be able to wear a pair of IPHIS comfortably and just be themselves.

I love that. Could you speak more about why it was so important for this brand to be genderless?

Even just the term “genderless”—to me, as soon as I hear that, I know it means literally anyone and everyone. There’s no limits to who they can or cannot be for. If you're a human and you have a heartbeat, IPHIS is for you. That’s the ultimate goal with this, and I want that to be very represented and I want that to be a very known thing. As we expand, I want IPHIS to stand on its own and for people to not even know it’s mine. My followers don’t just belong to one demographic and are so different and from all over the world, which is quite amazing to think about. So, that being said, I want everyone to feel like they're involved. I want everyone to feel like they can have a piece of this and can be part of this community because it feels good to be part of something.

With that being said, what was your vision of how people would show off their IPHIS? Is it with the waistband peeking out of some jeans or rocking it solo?

I'm way ahead of you. I have a whole Pinterest board for that. I think because of my love for fashion, there’s definitely ways to incorporate it in a stylish way. [For example], with a waistband showing above the jeans or with unbuttoned pants for like editorial shots. This brand isn't going to just be all underwear, so I think there's going to be way more organic ways to incorporate IPHIS. Potentially there will be hoodies and socks. Underwear is just the kickstarter to this amazing brand that I’m so excited for. I don't want to push this narrative of telling my fans to go out or post in their underwear, but I feel like a lot of my fans and a lot of people that have already purchased the product have done it in such fun and creative ways. It’s the coolest thing.

Wait, so does this mean you’re not a fan of the underwear-as-pants trend?

Obviously, I don't want people walking around in their thongs. However, if you do purchase the boxer brief from IPHIS, we made it with a high rise fit for people who want to wear it above the pants or just as is. We designed it to fit where if you want to just throw on a baggy T-shirt over and go to your Pilates class, you could. I do think I am behind that trend and I think it’s a really cool and easy trend. I grew up with sisters and both of my sisters do that. Like they'll just wear boxer briefs and will steal their boyfriends’ underwear to pair it with a baggy T-shirt or like a crop top. There’s so many ways to style underwear.

Sorry, but I gotta ask now... In your opinion, what makes a good thirst trap?

Immediately I go to such an influencer response about good lighting and good angles. But thinking broader, I think such a big thing with it is confidence. Even through a camera, confidence just radiates. Like you can tell when someone's nervous or scared to do something away as opposed to when they’re open to something. Even if you have to fake it. I fake my confidence all the time.

Good advice. What about the caption?

I wish I was better with captions. I always get caught in between two mindsets and am like, “Should I lean into the fun and witty captions? Or should I be mysterious and not give away too much?” I do think the photo speaks for itself ultimately. On Instagram, I'm very much like a 10 slide kind of person. I always utilize all the slides. I think it’s fun. I do think a caption matters to be honest. You can kind of grab a little more personality if they have a good caption. It’s like the cherry on top.

Got it, confidence = key. Do you think there is such a thing as a bad attempt at a thirst trap?

I catch myself doing this all the time and I'm a huge victim of it, but it’s trying too hard. I personally think I look ridiculous when I try too hard. I’m an experienced thirst trapper now so I know what works for me, but when I look back at when I first started it haunts me. I look back and I’m like, “Why am I making that face? Like, why is my eyebrow doing that?” You notice little things that maybe other people might not but if they're very attentive they will. I think trying too hard can come off very icky, especially for me. I think the more casual, the more nonchalant, but also with that confidence, the better.

I noticed “Iphis” is a Greek myth, where did this inspiration come from?

I've always been a fan of Greek mythology. I used to love the stories back when I was younger and my dad is a history teacher as well and he loved Greek mythology. The overall story of IPHIS is a story about a ruler who wanted a son, but got a daughter and then raised that daughter like a son who then fell in love with a girl. It’s a story of gender fluidity. It fit the brand idea so perfectly. My creative director on the team came up with the name and I knew it was perfect.

It really does fit the brand and your own identity so well. On that note, I know you’re a big Harry Styles fan, how has his approach to style inspired you?

Ah, Harry Styles. Well, he is definitely on the mood board. He's got some spots in my boards. There’s just something about this guy's aura and the way he carries himself and captures such cool photos. Some people don’t get it, which is just absurd to me, but the way he goes about life and is so well spoken is something I really admire. He’s done some photo shoots with Greek statues and I was like, “We have to do something like this.” I just really look up to him and I really can’t think of a bad word to say about him.

In the same vein, I noticed you recently went to see Taylor Swift on her Eras Tour. Which era of hers would you say you’re currently in?

For the concert, I dressed as a debut Taylor Swift meets Reputation. I did like a cowboy inspired outfit with a black sequin shirt and mixed the two. I kind of want to be in my Reputation era because that’s just like a badass era to be in but I don’t think I am. I would say I’m in my Fearless era. I’m at a point in my life where my mindset has shifted with a lot of things. Instead of just being scared, I want to do things that scare me. That feeling of accomplishing something you were scared to do is what I chase. I don’t want to fall into the comfortability of it all.

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