Thinking about Visual Branding and Fashion

Title

A Strategic Brand Consultancy

What we think about when we start to think about visual branding …

Fashion

Ali NichollBarry Leonard

makeitclear.co.uk Visual branding Fashion

Fashion?

We don’t work in Fashion. Which is why we chose it when asked to demonstrate our approach to visual branding.

It’s a good test of our belief that all businesses have similar challenges and that the process of clarification works across all industries.

To prove that point, and by way of a demonstration, here is the application of our thinking on a very different industry, the four steps we take when we start to think about visual branding.

makeitclear.co.uk Visual branding Fashion

Contents

Select research set Identify components Analyse Questions

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makeitclear.co.uk Visual branding Fashion

Select research set

makeitclear.co.uk Visual branding Fashion

Define a marketplace

makeitclear.co.uk Visual branding Fashion

And again (alphabetically)

Ann TaylorAcneAmbercrombie & FitchAlexander McQueenAlfred DunhillASOSAquascutum Audemars PiguetBarneys New YorkBalenciagaBen ShermanBoohoo.comBottega Veneta BurberryBulgariCartierCatherine Malandrino ChloeCoach Cole HaanCOS ChanelChristian DiorChristian LouboutinCynthia Rowley David YurmanDiane von FurstenbergDiesel

Donna Karan DKNYDolce & GabbanaEmporio Armani Ermenegildo Zegna FabFarFetchFendiFEYTFred PerryForever 21Giorgio Armani Gap Gucci H&MHarrods Harry WinstonHermes ParisHommard HublotHugo BossIWC SchaffhausenJaeger Le Coultre Jane Norman Jimmy ChooJohn VarvatosKate SpadeKurt Geiger

LacosteLongchampMade.comMarc Jacobs Michael KorsMiss SelfridgeMont Blanc MovadoMr Porter MujiNet-A-PorterNextNine WestOasisOmega Oscar de la Renta Pandora Paul SmithPradaRalph LaurenRaymond WeilRiver IslandRoberto Cavalli RolexRoxy Salvatore FerraginoSelfridges & Co.

Stella McCartneyStewart Weitzman Style.com SupremeSwarovski Tag HeuerTed Baker Tiffany & Co.Thomas PinkTK MaxxTommy HilfigerTopShopTopManTory BurchUNIQLOValentino Van Cleef & ArpelsVersaceVivienne WestwoodVictoria’s Secret Warber ParkerWhite+Warren Yves Saint LaurentZaraZac Posen

makeitclear.co.uk Visual branding Fashion

Identify components Visual component one: Colour

makeitclear.co.uk Visual branding Fashion

Colours Luxury

PatternsMetallics

Deep rich colours

Accent colours

Blacks Whites

Sample brands

makeitclear.co.uk Visual branding Fashion

Colours Strong

Dark primary colours and shades

Bright primary colours

Softer pastels

Sample brands

Blacks Whites

makeitclear.co.uk Visual branding Fashion

Identify components Visual component two: Typography

makeitclear.co.uk Visual branding Fashion

Typography

GUCCI CHANEL

BURBERRY

ZARA

DOLCE&GABBANA

Christian Dior DKNY

RALPH LAUREN T E D B A K E R

TOPSHOP

Serif Sans Serif Signature

Granjon Bold SF New Republic

Didot Bold

Didot Bold

Futura Medium

Cochin Bank Gothic

ITC Fenice Futura Medium Condensed

Gotham Thin

makeitclear.co.uk Visual branding Fashion

Identify components Visual component three: Detail

makeitclear.co.uk Visual branding Fashion

Detail

High details

Lacoste Versace

Ralph Lauren

Burberry Vivienne Westwood

Christian Louboutin

Subtle details

Pandora

Stella McCartney

Catherine Malandrino

Cole Haan

H&M

makeitclear.co.uk Visual branding Fashion

Analyse

makeitclear.co.uk Visual branding Fashion

Whole set

OUTLIERS

STRONG COLOUR

SUBTLE DETAILS

MIXED FONT

SERIF TYPEFACES

HIGH DETAILS LUXURY COLOUR

makeitclear.co.uk Visual branding Fashion

Conformists

SERIF TYPEFACES

HIGH DETAILS LUXURY COLOUR

makeitclear.co.uk Visual branding Fashion

At least two matches

SERIF TYPEFACES

LUXURY COLOURHIGH DETAILS

makeitclear.co.uk Visual branding Fashion

Non-conformists

OUTLIERS

STRONG COLOUR

SUBTLE DETAILS

MIXED FONT

SERIF TYPEFACES

HIGH DETAILS LUXURY COLOUR

makeitclear.co.uk Visual branding Fashion

Who else thinks and talks about fashion?

makeitclear.co.uk Visual branding Fashion

Fashion magazines

makeitclear.co.uk Visual branding Fashion

Fashion blogs

makeitclear.co.uk Visual branding Fashion

Questions

makeitclear.co.uk Visual branding Fashion

Questions

Are brand and market position related? How do form and corporate function interact? Fashion brands -vs-fashionable brands. What can we read into font, detail, colour & pattern,

and how do different audiences see them?

Established 1991 • Based in Old Street, London • 17 Employees

A Strategic Brand Consultancy

About the presentersAli Nicholl is the brand strategy lead and Barry Leonard is a brand designer at Make it Clear, the strategic brand consultancy.

[email protected]@ac_nicholl@make_it_clear