RetrozVA: Urban Apparel Brand
Who Is RetrozVA
I had the opportunity to work within a team with a couple other designers to create a brand identity for a theoretical financial services company named Solace. Solace introduced a new credit card service "Solace Sapphire" which was geared towards millennial who wanted to prepare themselves financially for the future. I was tasked with designing the user experience for customers who were interested in applying for the credit card on both desktop and mobile platforms while also contributing to the creation of user personas and customer journey maps.
Inspiration
I drew a strong inspiration from the 80s techno era and vapor wave genre that emerged in the early 2010s. I found that these 2 subgenres paired perfectly with each other from both a visual and cultural standpoint with their vibrant tones, experimental typography and use of iconic imagery to highlight their designs. Despite not being born in the 1980s, I have a high level of appreciation for the unique and innovative concepts that were generated over the years and have a strong attraction to the color theory that was used.
Growing up, I had a lot of interest towards the skateboard community and the overall street/grunge aesthetic that was present in the scene. I have always been captivated by the streetwear brands found within the skateboarding genre and wanted to find a genuine way to contribute to this community. This heavily inspired the design systems I chose to implement when designing RetrozVA’s brand identity.
Brand System
Brand Evolution
Why Change?
I decided to pivot and swap out “Skateboard” Apparel to “Vintage” Apparel for Retroz’s branding. I Initially thought that leaning more into the skateboard aesthetic was the appropriate direction for this brand, but after some further exploration I realized this approach may limit the audience that Retroz could reach and cause potential consumers to believe they aren’t targeted for our apparel.
RetrozVA Now
Retroz has continued to grow their social media presence and interact with their consumers through apparel giveaways and seasonal sales for their products. Retroz aims to release more collections that continue to reflect their approach to novelty apparel that feels vintage and modern.
