KellyWerks
Full Brand Launch Showcase
KellyWerks is the brand that personifies the work of Kelly Corp; a masterful textile artist, who repurposes old wool sweaters to keep them in our lives and out of landfills. The goal is to produce quality, handmade one-of-a-kind soft goods that are better and longer-lasting than the original garment they came from. KellyWerks shines a much-needed light on the need for sustainability through upcycling; helping to make the world a better place for future generations.
The Challenge
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Show Kelly’s unique expertise in textiles and sewing
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Provide Kelly with the appeal to secure handmade markets and retail shop opportunities
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Connect Kelly with her ideal customers, who want to buy products with a purpose
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Bring about a greater awareness of upcycling and the slow fashion revolution
The Strategy
When KellyWerks reached out to us they recognized the need for a professional image before they launched their textile business. We were immediately captivated by the brand's unique product. Words like sustainable, fun, cute, soft and well-made communicated the core essence of the KellyWerks brand.
We developed, ‘The Sustainable Sewist,’ strategy, which centred around the upcycling movement and the passion the brand has for creatively reusing sweaters to keep them in our lives and out of landfills. It is an ideology of producing eco-friendly and ethical garments to ensure they bring meaning, value and joy to everyday life and for generations to come.
The approach challenged the fast fashion norms and demanded change through innovation and creativity, but not at the expense of the goal -- to produce quality, handmade one-of-a-kind soft goods that are better and longer-lasting than the original sweater they came from. The overall brand direction has a quality-made and ‘sew worth it’ higher purpose.
KellyWerks is a brand that believes in sustainability and that upcycling is a great way to accomplish it. Using the three R’s of recycling as inspiration, we defined upcycling as: Repurpose, Reuse, Refashion and Repeat.
The Result
The identity design represented community, the lifecycle of textiles and the upcycling approach to sustainability in a minimalistic way. It radiated dedication to the sustainable fashion community and unity with the eco-conscious causes that have spearheaded the brand’s ethos. The colour palette reinforces the emphasis on ‘green’ eco-consciousness, new beginnings, growth and renewal, while its creativity and ingenuity inspire a confident brand.
The logomark uses circles and loops to portray a feminine essence, projecting positive, comforting and united energy. four ‘infinity’ loops that converge in the centre of the circle mark represent the 4Rs of upcycling: reuse, repurpose, refashion and repeat, directly linking to the brand’s mission of sustainability. The circle shape theory is extended to the ‘KellyWerks’ wordmark, with the loops on the ‘W’ and ‘K’, purposefully highlighting the brand’s initials. Collectively the elements created an ownable abstract mark, that is reminiscent of a fibrous wool ball and the head of a cotton flower, paying homage to the textiles used in the creation of the soft goods. The typography was chosen for its likeness to a needle and thread, speaking to the sewist aspect. The term combines the words "sew" and "artist", to describe Kelly, the one who creates sewn works of art, which include clothing or other items made with sewn elements — and thus ‘The Sustainable Sewist’ tagline was born.
The Brand Brew’s attention to detail and well-crafted brand story, along with the aesthetic of colours and fonts, allowed me to focus on my products. Since launching in 2019, we continually receive compliments about the branding from well-established businesses and organizations alike.
The Takeaway
Kelly is now creating a big impression – her brand strategy has taken her to the next level and effectively communicates the value of what she does. Moreover, the strategic identity gave her a leg up when applying to the revered One of A Kind Show marketplace in 2020 and she has exhibited at OOAK ever since.