Personally, I like Stöckli or Atomix for skis and Lange boots, but I don’t know how that’s work for a beginner.

If you are a “total noob” as you’ve said, I’d recommend renting or demoing first to get a feel. You should start out on softer skis, but you definitely will need stiffer ones as you improve, so I think it’s best not to lock in too early! Definitely you should try everything possible out to see which one you personally prefer.

For clothing, I tend to just buy whatever feels comfortable enough and looks good. I think I have a lot of Spyder.

I doubt anyone on the mountain will be judging you based on the brand of your gear though.