ROOK/NYC BRANDING IS RELATABLE AND REAL
Wknd Nation, started by stylist Sofia Karvela and fashion industry vet Phuong Ireland, is a casual loungewear clothing line designed to make wearers feel good. The founders approached creative agency, ROOK/NYC to talk branding and how to differentiate their brand. The founders didn’t want to create a brand that felt too high-polished or pristine – aspirational, but still relatable and real.
ROOK/NYC set out to build a layered identity that would allow the Wknd Nation team to experiment and play with every element of the brand identity. The team, led by Creative Partner and Designer, Mark Christou, wanted to design a system of elements – beyond just a logo and monogram – that had the potential to become as iconic as the heritage fashion brands seen today.
When developing the color palette, ROOK/NYC chose an unexpected scheme, leading with a vibrant cobalt blue paired with a vivid disco green to offset and pop against the more neutral and feminine tones throughout the clothing line. Mirroring the voices of the company founders, the brand messaging is friendly and relatable that seeks a come as you are and let’s tell it like it is tone. The tagline homeworksocial is a central product messaging construct that celebrates the versatility of the collection.
In addition, ROOK/NYC created the DTC packaging experience and developed the creative direction for Wknd Nation’s e-commerce site. The branding was dialed-up in a big way on the packaging, turning the DTC mailer into a billboard with big, bold logos and full-bleed vibrant color. Inside the team designed a clean monogram repeat pattern on the tissue paper and sealed it with an oversized round sticker that reinforces the hero WN stamp. Phuong Ireland, CEO of Wknd Nation, notes that “our e-comm packaging is the first physical interaction our customer has with Wknd Nation, and ROOK really brought the branding to life on this incredibly important touchpoint. They were thoughtful about every detail, creating a memorable series of surprise-and-delights for our customer…”
