Jie Yi Couture Branding

Press Kit

Unique Properties

Jie Yi Couture is a start-up company in Shanghai. While the character ‘Jie’ means to solve and to deconstruct in Chinese, ‘Yi’ means one which is also referred to as unity and consistency.
Jie Yi is faced with fierce competition in Shanghai. What helps Jie Yi stand out from its competitors will be its strategy of providing semi-custom design service and its spirit of inheriting Chinese traditional skills. Therefore, the branding aims to convey a sense of craftsmanship and entry-lux

Dimensions & Packaging

The packaging shown is offered in a variety of sizes and iterations based on the product.

Tags

Branding and Marketing, Research, Visual Identity System, Pattern-making, Tailoring, Traditional Skills inheritance

Production Technology

Graphic Design, Brand Identity, packaging design, Brand Research and Strategy, Chinese Typography, Pattern-making

Design Challenge

The business is located in Shanghai and targeting people from the casual-business market aging from 25-50. Jie Yi was facing fierce competition when it launched its first line. To stand out from the numerous competitors, Jie Yi built its strategy of creating an entry-lux experience and providing semi-customization service. This strategy helped the brand appeal to a younger group of customers who were looking for more affordable, high-quality products.

Project Duration

The project started in August 2018 in Shanghai and finished in January 2020 in New York.

Operation Flow

Based on the research and what was learned from the communication with the client, the designer decided to use Chinese typography to create the logo. The designer Yiwen replaced part of radicals with symbols of mannequin and scissors. People can easily recognize the brand's name and learn about the company's business from the logo.
As each pattern-making sketch is explicitly designed for the client, it becomes a symbol of unique, precision, and fine craftsmanship. The lines, curves, and notes form a pattern that is beautiful and elaborate. Therefore, it is integrated into the visual system as the primary element.

Research

To learn the brand's products and business operation, the designer Yiwen Tu took many field trips to the studio and studied pattern-making and draping that were part of the production process. In the process, Yiwen discovered the beauty of the pattern-making sketch and turned it into the primary visual element. Yiwen also worked closely with the clients on brand & market research and design decision making. The immersive research experience, along with the cooperation, helped the designer set the brand strategy and visual tone in an efficient manner.

Inspiration

Jie Yi's studio reveals the brand personality and provides inspiration for the design. There lies the esthetic in the arrangement of the space and the relationship between the lines in the pattern-making drawings. Yiwen was inspired to turn the sketch of pattern-making into the primary elements of the visual system as the sketch is a symbol of craftsmanship, ingenuity, and unique.

Image Credits

Yiwen Tu, 2020

Colors of Jie Yi Couture Branding