Blu.Print by NU.AGE
An expressive seasonless menswear line for a new age in fashion
The Ask
Create a new, innovative fashion brand that offers a collection revolving around inclusive sizes and is constructed of 100% cotton and 70% denim.
When assigned this project, my team and I were first tasked with finding inspiration for the brand and encapsulating it into a three-slide presentation. The identity, aesthetic, style, color, and direction of the customer, brand, and overall collection were covered in this slide deck's research and information. In order to identify our client profiles and total target market, which comprised demographic, geographic, and psychographic characteristics (including the VALS system), we performed research on the current zeitgeist and its impact on the fashion industry. We then based our brand, NU.AGE, on this information. NU.AGE is a menswear brand that offers a more expressive, exploratory outlet for those who want to venture into more avant-garde, adventurous clothing, and the newest collection, Blu.Print catered even more to that specific consumer profile we created named Oliver. Oliver is a mid-level creative, interior designer, experiencer, and all-around lover of art, music, and fashion who is prepared to spend more money on the clothing they adore. Along with our brand and customer data, I also developed a word bank that, in just twenty-six words, perfectly encapsulated our brand.
Part One: Finding Inspiration
THE PROCESS
The next part of the process was to create the collection. When creating our looks, we conducted a thorough brand analysis in which we looked at other well-known apparel brands at both high and low price points. We conducted in-person store visits for both H&M and Zara as part of our analysis, as well as research on more expensive companies like Acne Studios and Ludovic de Saint Sernin. Using this information, we then began to sketch seven looks each, always keeping in mind our target market and brand goals of designing abstract, avant-garde plus-size menswear for an underserved market. We created a mood board for the collection before sketching each look, drawing inspiration from experimental architectural designs, the flowing movements and patterns of water, and unique patterns found frequently in nature. I then used our findings and our inspiration board to build seven versatile outfits that will take the consumer on a journey while being ideal for any situation. We conducted extensive research on fabrics and textiles, especially through the cotton works website and an in-person visit to the headquarters in North Carolina, as the collection's goal was to use denim and cotton for a plus-size audience. Each piece of clothing was designed to be comfortable, stylish, and distinctive. Cotton Works technology was added to make each item durable and practical for long-term use.
Part Two: Creating the Collection
Part Three: Practice Presentations
To ensure our success in our final presentation, we had to undergo many practice presentations/meetings with our fellow peers, professors, and critic/well-known designer Donwan Harrell. Through these presentations, I learned how to build upon constructive criticism from industry professionals and authoritative figures, as well as practice my public speaking skills, and better collaborate with my fellow groupmates.
Part Four: Refining the Final Looks
After our numerous practice presentations and meetings with Mr. Harrell and fashion industry professors, our group was tasked with whittling down our overall 30 sketches to 8 and refining our looks to better suit our consumers. We produced each of our garments in CLO 3D to give our audience a better vision of our brand and product offerings.
Part Five: Defining the Specification Package
To further enhance our brand, as well as ensure the authenticity of the collection, my groupmates and I produced detailed cost sheets using Excel for each of our garments, as well as tech packs for a few of our garments. In addition, I created a line sheet for our entire collection which included information such as our retail prices, pre-pack arrangements, the materials each garment was made of, inclusive size ranges, and unique/personalized garment names. To guarantee that each of our garments was made with precision and professionalism, we gathered extensive information on the price of all materials used to produce our garments, as well as the cost of production, and price of packaging. All decisions made were done with intention and purpose, all of which fit within our brand image.
Last but not least, we created a thoughtful, unique marketing strategy that brought our brand and collection together. In order to give our consumers a more realistic image of our collection, we first developed our website and app, which both made use of our completely CLO 3D rendered garments as well as our timeless swirl motif and signature neon green brand color. Our campaign video, which flawlessly captured our brand/collection aesthetic and our partner pages, was also showcased on our website. To ensure the success of our campaign, I carefully conducted research on each of our brand partners, Sam Smith, Spotify, and the Trevor Project, to guarantee that all parties made sense for our brand image and that NU.AGE was promoting diversity, inclusivity, and originality through all faucets. Additionally, I researched unique pop-up locations to support our message of encouraging creativity and individuality. I discovered that hosting pop-ups in local art galleries had worked for many brands in the past and was the best fit for us. I created mockups of both our flagship store and one of our pop-up locations with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, as well as designed a unique NU.AGE coffee table book personalized for our brand with Adobe Indesign. I also created a personalized playlist on Spotify for our collection, with a different song dedicated to each look, available to scan through personalized QR codes, and finished off with a customized playlist cover.
Part Six: Developing our Marketing Strategy
THE OUTCOME
From this line development project, I was able to apply the skills I acquired in previous fashion courses to produce a clearly conceived brand concept and collection. I utilized my skills in adobe creative suite to further develop our brand concept, as well as learned new skills in CLO 3d.