Noah Schnapp Talks Style, School, and Just a Hint of Stranger Things’ Final Season

Noah Schnapp may well be Gen Z’s leading renaissance man. He’s the actor behind the sweetly sensitive and been-through-hell Will Byers on Stranger Things, Netflix’s second-most-successful show ever (Squid Games has the number one spot), which spotlights a group of Midwestern adolescents battling both malevolent phenomena and the (possibly as scary) trials of growing up. He is a full-time undergraduate student at University of Pennsylvania. He is, perhaps obviously, huge on TikTok. He is the founder of tbh, a chocolate hazelnut spreadable foodstuff. And–importantly, this is Vogue–the 18-year-old polymath is a budding style star. 

That latter point was in full view last night at the People’s Choice Awards in Los Angeles, where Schnapp won Best Male TV Star and Show of 2022 with Stranger Things. He sported a midnight blue double-breasted Fendi suit–logo on the outside–with an off-white turtleneck beneath, replete with a crossbody bag. His stylist, Philippe Uter, and groomer Simone helped put it together.

“I don’t like anything too formal, too serious,” says Schnapp over a phone call from L.A. ahead of the awards. “But I do think my style is getting more mature as I grow up.” “[It’s] something a bit more casual but still dapper,” says Uter. “To rock the look and keep it fresh, I added some ranger boots and the matching crossbody.” Schnapp adds that his favorite red carpet looks have been a white Fendi suit at the Emmys, with the house’s FF monogram taped down the sleeve, and a wrapped pale blue Balmain suit worn to the SAG Awards. That fit was “inspired by something Timothée Chalamet wore.”

What, though, of Will Byers’s awkward pre- and early teen wardrobe–all those screaming eighties ringer tees and short shorts and baggy jeans? 

“I don’t particularly love my outfits on Stranger Things,” Schnapp says with a laugh. “But I mean that in the sense I wouldn’t wear them in real life. I do appreciate the time and effort that goes into putting those outfits together. It’s a really collaborative process. I’m thankful to [costume designer] Amy Parris for that. By helping pick Will’s look, it’s like I get to act, even…in that facet.” He means embodying the young, possibly closeted (a popular fan theory) character right down to the color of a flannel.

Inevitably, this brings us to Stranger Things Season 4’s most infamous internet takeaway: The highly substitutable meme of Will looking away from his friend Mike, crying into a car window. It is everywhere. Even if you don’t know Stranger Things, you’ve seen it if you’re online. 

“I was just speaking with our director about this. I can’t understand why it became so viral. He said, ‘I think it’s because it perfectly represents the feeling of suffering in silence. Of a quiet pain.’ I think a lot of people can relate to that.”

Schnapp is largely mum on Stranger Things spoilers–including the true reason for Will’s angst. But, he does say, “2023 is the year of Stranger Things for me. We’re filming the final season. There’s a lot in store for Will. It ties back to where it begins, full circle. I’m excited for fans to see where we wrap his character. I think they’ll be really pleased…but also shocked.” He adds that he thinks a majority of filming will be in Atlanta, which is where Netflix shoots the show’s Hawkins, Indiana scenes—ie., Stranger Things is bringing it home. 

Right now, Schnapp is juggling acting and education. He’s currently enrolled at University of Pennsylvania, taking classes IRL until, he suspects, Stranger Things needs him on set, when he’s hoping to switch to virtual schooling. He’s been loving the college experience–and is even taking a class on Italian cuisine. “I’m learning about pizza and pasta,” he says, laughing audibly. Overall, he says, “I’m lucky. Everyone at Penn has been kind and welcoming. I’m just lucky.” (He’s also a fan of the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center, which, this author can agree, is really, almost surprisingly, amazing.)

We turn back to style before he has to get ready for the awards. What else defines his look? “Shoes are important to me. They make the outfit. I have a million shoes. And I’m not just a sneakerhead.” Then, he’ll conclude, “as for day-to-day wear, if something has an Off-White stamp on it, I love it.”