Olderbrother
Identity, Physical, Digital
Summary
Olderbrother is a fashion brand at the forefront of the slow fashion revolution that focuses on creating gender–neutral luxury clothing items from locally crafted materials and eco–conscious fabrics and dyes. Through close collaboration we defined and designed their complete brand identity, from the distinct and playful mark and type treatment through their product labels, hangtags, packaging and web design and development.
Background
Olderbrother is a playful, eco–sustainable, naturally dyed, gender–neutral contemporary collection that champions the slow fashion movement. The brand was started by Portland, Oregon–based designer Bobby Bonaparte and LA–based Max Kingery. Their collections of beautifully colored and masterfully crafted clothing include t–shirts made from a blended jersey of bamboo, rayon and corn, hemp trousers dyed with a black indigo whose formula dates back to the middle ages, and Japanese woven rice–based washi and tencel cardigans dyed with turmeric.
Organization Type
Slow–Fashion, Sustainable, Made in USA
Assignment
Define Olderbrother’s entire brand identity and web presence — from the distinct and playful mark and type treatment through their product labels, hangtags, packaging and web design and development. The resulting mark needed to have instant brand recognition before Olderbrother’s official launch.
Client
Olderbrother
Years
2014 — 2017
Location
Los Angeles, CA and Portland, OR USA
Collaborators
Max Kingery
Bobby Bonaparte
Approach
Inspired by the brand’s playful spirit we created a clean, bright and contemporary brand mascot and type treatment. The mascot’s facial features are created from the letters “O,L,D, & B,” evoking Olderbrother’s intentional garment design. The mismatched face also pays homage to wabi–sabi — a constant reminder of the human touch that goes into the creation of each article of clothing and the beauty found in imperfections.
Research
Wabi–Sabi, Sibling Dynamics, Slow–Fashion, Natural Dying Processes
Reach
- Since the brand’s launch in 2014 they have been profiled in The New York Times, and are now carried in Opening Ceremony and LN–CC.
- The Olderbrother logo was recently ripped–off by a fast fashion company. We won’t name names — but needless to say, a cease and desist letter was sent.
Quote
“ Olderbrother is leading the Slow Clothing movement.”
— Racked
“The clothes have a vintage feel to them right away. It’s like reinventing a hand–me–down from an older brother.”
— Bobby Bonaparte, co–founder, Olderbrother
Components
Identity Manual, Print Collateral System, Digital Collateral System, Environmental Graphic System, Promotional Print Materials, User Experience Design, User Interface Design and Development, CMS Customization
Technical Specs
HTML, CSS, JavaScript, AJAX, Shopify
Team
Principal: Michael Ellsworth
Principal: Corey Gutch
Creative Direction: Gabriel Stromberg
Web Development: Shaun Kardinal
Account Management: Elise Carlson and Raya Leary
The face reveals a hidden monogram – O, L, D, B. Its playfulness encapsulates the brand’s philosophy, process and the human touch that they put into each article of their clothing.
