EÏA Apparel Brand Book

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EIA APPAREL b r a n d b o o k .

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Back in 2019, I enrolled in an elective costume design class where we learned about stitching techniques, manipulating fabric, and the art of sewing. The class professor gave us access to fabric sourced from an Aboriginal tribe in Australia and told us to get creative.

W H E R E I T A L L S TA R T E D I chose to create a Cape design inspired by traditional semicircular earrings worn by this specific tribe.

After receiving positive feedback on my creation I fathomed the idea of doing more with this original design...

THE CHALLENGE In design school, we learn that the first step to achieving a creative project is to find a direction. Designers can be so full of ideas that settling on a single one can be a very big challenge. I had this idea to create a decorative accessory that can be thrown on top of an outfit and elevate one’s look. It was a good idea, but it was too brief for me, it didn’t have any weight to it.

I felt the best way to go about building the brand was to put myself in a box to better define its edges: How am I going to present a product that is not just a piece of clothing but also a statement? How was I going to design a collection that was unique in its kind?

After a day of research and scrolling through Luxury Brand portfolios, I observed that modern-day fashion had become so commercialized that the shopping experience itself is completely overwhelming. Brands push the latest discounts on their customers while offering the same styles from last season. On another note, I found it intriguing that for an industry that is meant for people, the fashion world is one of the least inclusive industries in the market.

It finally dawned on me: How can I create a fashion brand that brings Art back to Art, that is truly inclusive and that breaks away from the consumer mindset that we have in the 21st century?

THE INSPIRATION My thoughts were molding into shape… now It was time to bring them to life. It was just a matter of answering those questions and merging them with the original Cape Design.

Ultimately, to narrow down my target audience, I decided to focus on women’s apparel.

To answer the question of inclusiveness, I hand-picked 5 women I felt best represented “ a specific type of woman”. In their individuality, they would represent the entire spectrum of women, with their unique shapes, sizes, and personalities.

To respond to the challenge of bringing “Art back to art”, I looked for inspiration directly from the source: I interviewed each of these girls and asked them questions that would help me have a better understanding of who they are. Questions like: What’s your favorite color? Fire, water,air, or earth? What’s your favorite quote? What type of household did you grow up in? If you were an animal, which one would you be? What cultures do you identify with?

I also had to figure out how I was going to sell my product without necessarily pushing sales on my audience. I figured the best way to go about this was to keep it simple. I wanted to provide a holistic experience to the customer from the moment they interact with the website to when they receive their package. It was thus important to keep the site sleek, and free from pop-ups and annoying sales notifications. I also wanted to create a product that sells itself by incorporating high-quality fabric and efficient production methods.

KYRA

THE ARCHETYPICAL MODELS

Kyra, is a petite mixed race 5’ 5” woman, with a very liberal and extroverted personality. She grew up with her father – a devoted Muslim in an up-and-coming neighborhood in DC. Although her youth was heavily influenced by African tradition, she defines herself as edgy and as someone who likes to defies the status quo.

Her favorite colors to wear are earthy greens, greys, black and white. She enjoys the grace of butterflies but said if she were to be an animal she’d like to be a Rainbow White-Lipped Python.

She envisions a collection that can help display “the raw her”: something with an edge that displays subtle confidence.

LAURA

Laura is an average-sized 5’ 7” girl with beautiful ginger curls.

She grew up by the water in a quiet German town famous for its landscape, fresh foods, and slow-paced days. She describes herself as compassionate and audacious – more precisely a balance of bold and surprising just like a low burning fire that occasionally sparks.

She enjoys wearing wine reds, earthy, and firey tones matching her Taurus traits.

Her favorite Frida Kahlo quote “Nada hay absoluto, todo se cambia , do se mueve, todo revoluciona, todo vuela y se va” describes her perspective on life “Knowing things have an end, you must own your freedom and take those risks”.

Tania is a dark-haired 5’6” Latina woman with an introverted and passionate personality.

TA N I A

She describes the peacock— a quiet creature who can be unexpectedly flashy, as her favorite animal.

The earth – her element of choice, ties back to her neutral, leveled, grounded, and balanced attitude.

She grew up sheltered from the real world in a Salvadorian household as the oldest of 4 siblings.

Tania was particularly quiet during her interview– her lack of words told me everything I needed to know to design her garment.

Randi is a 5’ 8” blue-eyed woman with a bright smile.

RANDY

Her pansexual appearance and personality made her the perfect model for gender-neutral yet feminine garments.

She likes to wear lots of black, simple clothing from the men’s selection.

She describes herself as kind and compassionate. She also loves cats. Her dad was a lead singer in a band and her mom was an 80’s groupie.

She finds that water and fire describe the extremities of her personality– but Air being omnipresent, brings it all together.

UZO

Uzo is a 5’5 woman with a fine cocoa skin tone and voluptuous African curves.

She grew up in a traditional Nigerian household where a typical academic journey and a strict upbringing are most glorified. In her spare time, she paints as an escape from her usual routine.

She is calm, observant, and adaptive. Her element of choice is Water as it is healing and can sustain life. She describes herself as a “ball of fire”: an evergrowing source of energy that never runs out of fuel, she is a go-getter and never quits.

The Mantis and the Zebra are her animals of choice. They both blendin and stand out all at the same time.

MOOD

BOARD

The Mood Board will influence the colors picked for the collection and website for each season. The palette varies between pastel spring colors, warm fall notes, bold summer feelings, and cool winter vibes.

WINTER

SPRING

SUMMER

FA L L

THE COLLECTION Each piece in the collection can be described as Archetypical: from simple and sleek to fluid and extravagant– the garments can be worn on a casual outing, a late-night gala, a job interview, or even to hang out with the boys. They truly embrace the different facades of a woman and provide something for everyone, race, preference, and size.

Measured muslin prototypes and paper patterns have already been created as we look towards streamlining our fabrication process. Each pattern comes with a written Blueprint to put the pieces together, along with information on the choice of fabric for the shell and the lining. Details on the buttons and snaps needed to complete the design are also included.

The following page contains only a few of the drafted designs which will vary in color and fabric depending on the season.

THEME DISCOVERY The goal was to create a brand, not just a collection. With some intricate research on color theory, the market, branding, and topography, I was able to select the company colors, font, and personality.

CURIOUS & IMMAGINATIVE NATURAL & FRESH CALM & COMFORTING VERSATILE & REFINED CREATIVE & GLAMOROUS PEACEFUL & SINCERE SOCIAL & FRIENDLY CHOSEN BRAND COLORS Using Adobe Kuler, I selected 5 compound colors forming a harmonious bunch for the brand colors

b a s e

b a s e

accent

accent

neutral

B R A N D I N S P I R AT I O N IRIS VAN HARPEN

Top Shop: A British multinational fashion retailer of clothing, shoes, make-up, and accessories also known for its old-school High Fashion selection for the younger generation.

NASTY GAL

TOP SHOP

Iris Van Harpen: A Dutch fashion designer who is a pioneer in utilizing 3D printing to construct her garments. Her innovative strategy bridges 3D printing and fabric flexibility seamlessly.

Nasty Gal: An American fast-fashion retailer that specializes in fashion for young women. Inspired by the controversial and influential funk artist Betty Davis, this brand can be described as punkish, irreverent, bohemian, and retro.

YA R A S H A H I D I

P E R S O N A L I T Y I N S P I R AT I O N

Yahara Sahidi is a young activist and model known for her calm and collected personality. She is a natural queen with positive vibes and an old-school soul.

C O O K I E LY O N

Taraji P. Henson plays the character of Cookie Lyon in the popular show called Empire. In this role Cookie is the main character and the star of the show: she is unapologetically herself. A classy queen who knows her worth and who never settles for less. She is bold, loud, a go-getter, and a businesswoman. She is expensive and her character exudes confidence.

She is most of all the Queen of Fashion in the show, with her endless selection of statement garments and hairstyles.

Daenerys Targaryen A.K.A Khaleesi is a leading character in the epic fantasy series better known as Game of Thrones. In the story, Daenerys lives her early teens in exile where she remains dependent on her abusive older brother. After being forcibly married to her late husband, Daenerys adapts to life with her new tribe. Soon after, her character emerges as strong, confident, and courageous. From a humble beginning, she quickly learns to stand on her own and claim what was rightfully hers, leading others to freedom.

KHALEESI

LOGO STUDY

EMBLEM STUDY

The final look of the logo and emblem was a play between pen and paper, leading to the final digital iteration. The emblem will be stamped on our buttons and items of choice as we continue to develop new products.

T H E DIGITA L L OG O & E MB L E M

FONT CHOICE AVENIR Avenir

Didot Display Regular “Old style & Modern”

LIGHT • BOOK OBLIQUE • MEDIUM BLACK • HEAVY These two fonts have been used for the website,the textual content & inspired the final look of the logo

WEBSITE SKELETON Just like the rest of the brand, the site needed to maintain a sleek and classy look.

The website is built around a few parent pages, leading to subpages typical of a regular shopping experience. With little “pizzazz,” the site keeps the customer close to an artistic experience while simultaneously giving access to all of the typical elements of highfunctioning site.

The use of shades handpicked from our mood board and our chosen brand colors creates a full-circle experience– just like a bow beautifully wrapped around a present holding everything in place.

Site link: https://www.eiacompanies.com/apparel-all-seasons

PA C K A G I N G D E S I G N A sleek design for our boxes in which the garments will be elegantly delivered.

PRODUCT DESIGN

HEADPHONE POPPER

Since the collection only offers a limited amount of designs per season, I wanted to offer more than just garments as part of the shopping experience. I ultimately decided to create smart gadgets that can be useful during one’s daily routine.

Using Rhinoceros I brought my drawings to life by creating 3D renderings of the items highlighted on this page. The Headphone Popper is meant to be attached to the back of your phone and allows you to roll your WIRE headphones and keep them from tangling. The Popper can be collapsed if you are not in the mood to use it. It can also be used as a support to hold the phone with your two fingers.

HAIR CATCHER TOUCH- LESS The touch-less hair catcher is meant to catch fallen hair while minimizing the amount of contact you have with the shower drain. The SMOOTH circular perforated core will prevent the dead hair from being tangled with the drain slits and will allow the water to flow properly. The elevated core will allow the water to flow even if the water level rises during the wash.

The extended knob can be used to unscrew the flower top allowing you to remove the excess hair using a tweezer or something of the sort. You are left with a clean tub without having to fight any stubborn hair stuck to your drain.