Indigenous
When we first began our work with fair trade and organic fashion line Indigenous, they already had distribution through small specialty boutiques across the US. To get to the next level, they knew they had to up the sophistication level of their brand while still staying true to their socially conscious roots.INDUSTRY
- FASHION
SERVICES
- BRAND DEVELOPMENT
- PHOTOGRAPHY
- PRINTED COLLATERAL
- SPACE DESIGN
- WEBSITE
Strategy: Brand Platform
Our first step to rebranding Indigenous was to analyze competitive messaging, industry trends, and brand look and feel in order to find areas of opportunity within the marketplace and create a unique ownable niche. We also studied female market segment behaviors in order to make target market recommendations. With our findings, we were able to create two unique positioning directions that would help Indigenous stand out in the crowded marketplace.
Identity: Logo & Stationery
Themes of travel, textiles, and global references were explored to communicate the story behind the line. Our final solution was a proprietary word mark that balanced sophistication and tradition. We used earthy yet modern colors to balance the concepts of fashion and artisan equally. We created a seal communicate the authenticity of the brand and product; easy-to-understand icons allowed us to call out certain features of the clothing production. We introduced handwriting to bring a personal touch and reference the artisans behind each product.
Winner, American Graphic Design Awards
Identity: Clothing Tag
For Indigenous, the clothing and hang tags were critical as they would be the first interaction with the brand for most of their customers. We explored a range of unique solutions including keepsakes, layered messaging, and unique materials to tell the brand story through bold messaging, artisan photography, stitching, and other embellishments. The final hang tag design was a clean, sophisticated, layered design that mirrored the quality of the line and tactility of the clothing. Bold brand messaging, a garment numbering system, and a qr code linking to a bio of the artisans that created the piece brought the Indigenous story to life at retail.
Winner, American Graphic Design Awards
Photography: Catalog
Once the initial brand work was implemented, we were able to move Indigenous towards a more sophisticated direction for their catalog photography. Backgrounds ranged from rustic and earthy to a polished gradating grey. Expressions and poses were friendly and approachable, with elements of movement to bring more energy to the shots and feature the texture and mobility of the clothes.
Winner, American Graphic Design Awards
Photography: Advertising
For the hero photography, outdoor locations were also used to tie into Indigenous’ earthy roots and communicate mild weather for the spring and summer lines. Authentic, natural poses and clean lighting made the Indigenous photography feel more approachable than the heavily posed high fashion shots typically used by competitors.
Digital Media: Website
For Indigenous, the website and blog were one of the most important marketing platforms for relaunching the brand and one of the biggest areas of opportunity in our competitive research findings. To make an impact and grab the viewer’s attention, bold, energetic, yet accessible fashion photography was king. The Indigenous social message and nuance in the brand was supported with clothing details, artisan photography, and textures and patterns for depth.
Winner, American Graphic Design Awards
Printed Collateral: Catalog & Trade Ads
In the catalog, all the new brand elements were brought together to tell the Indigenous brand story and feature key products. A graphic film strip format allowed us to organize artisan photography; bold clothing detail shots and casual catalog photos rounded out the content. A blind embossed vellum cover with stitching brought a tactile quality to the piece. The trade ads layered expressive model photography with strips of clothing details and artisan shots. Graphic insets called out key product benefits; a clever headline and informative copy organized the messaging into a digestible format.
Winner, American Graphic Design Awards
Space: Retail Environments
Indigenous needed a retail space design to accommodate the various merchandising scenarios for the full range of their retail partners. Our solution was a modular system with branded wall vinyls, mounted photo graphics, and unique clothing separators that told the brand story. All elements were designed with sustainability in mind, a key requirement for this eco-chic line.
Winner, American Graphic Design Awards
“The Kitchen has been a wonderful partner and, like their name suggests, an excellent collaborator. The Kitchen was extremely organized, professional, responsible and met all deadlines on time and within budget. Most importantly, their work has been exceptional! I have and will continue to recommend The Kitchen Collaborative to business owners I come across who are looking to up their game and need the help of a top notch branding agency. My experience with The Kitchen Collaborative has truly been best in class.”
