The purpose of this project was to create a brand image for a new fashion label striving to establish themselves as a modern boutique, influenced by the growing popularity of combining high fashion and street wear. Today, more and more people are dressing down high fashion items to maintain a sophisticated look that is also more experimental and expressive. The aim was for 'Boulevarde' to spread the message that street wear and high fashion can co-exist on the same canvas. The project consists of three promotional posters, a logo, business card and a mural for the physical store. All components are designed to express the same personality and beliefs, whilst also paying homage to the true birthplace of fashion; the streets.
All four deliverables of the project convey a cohesive brand message and aesthetic design. Starting with the business name and design of the logo, I wanted to make sure that it related back to the everyday persons’ runway; the street. This is why I chose to name the business Boulevarde, with an added ‘e’ to make it a little more fancy. For the logo, I combined the first and last letter in the word Boulevarde to spell ‘BE’. This combination was intentional, as the message behind the label is to express yourself through your clothing and to be bold. The logo also has a high-end feel due to its simplicity, falling in line with other high fashion logo’s such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Burberry.
Moving on to the set of posters, I wanted to produce a set of bold Illustrative prints, similar to city graffiti art, that placed strong emphasis on the clothing portrayed in each image. For this reason, I decided to keep the background as plain as possible to prevent it from detracting from the clothing. I also wanted people looking at the posters to be able to put themselves in the clothing presented, and for this purpose, I did not want to give the models faces or strong features. Going back to Virgil Abloh vision for designing clothes, he believes that they are made for everyone, and therefore, everyone should be able to see themselves in these clothes. The first print in the collection is a pantsuit ensemble that focuses on conveying a high-end feel whilst also encouraging a more daring look with the addition of Nike Air Max’s to touch base with street wear. The second poster focuses on conveying the label’s more daring designs, with a bold print crop top paired with a pair of suit trousers and a bum bag. Finally, the third print in the set sees a sophisticated pant suit partially covered in a bold and playful print. This poster is designed to prove that blazers don’t have to be plain or boring, but instead, that they can be the eye-catching addition to an outfit.
The business card are designed with simplicity in mind, to ensure that the absolute bare minimum is presented to whoever holds it.
Finally, the wall mural was created to ensure that the physical store paid tribute to the label’s inspiration; street art. This is why a colourful mural was a must. The mural was designed to appear as a wall housing two pieces of art, with a person climbing out of one of them, wearing the print on her jacket. This is to symbolise that art is to be worn, not just admired. However, art in fashion doesn’t simply have to be a bold print, in fact, it could be a combination of materials or clothing items that make a statement. I believe that my deliverables convey this belief, as each one focuses on a different variation of art in fashion.
Nicole Grobbelaar
Nicole's personal design philosophy has always been to explore and experiment with designs, old and new. She is currently completing her double degree in Business Advertising and Interactive Media Design, where she has enjoyed the challenges and learning curves associated with each course. She aims to one-day establish herself as a designer that is not afraid of taking risks or pushing boundaries, in search of achieving something amazing. As her passions lie in the fashion industry, Nicole is seeking to be apart of the creative and advertising processes of high end-fashion companies. She believes that by approaching a project with an open mind and a willingness to learn new skills, that it can develop to be something extraordinary.
