Behind the Seams: Brand Identity

Isn’t it enjoyable when you can recognize a brand just by a symbol or a stitching, sometimes it’s the material they use most often. When considering starting a new brand, it’s the first thing to consider. “What can I do with my products that will help me set them apart from my competitors and colleagues?” This question doesn’t come from trying to be better than the rest; it simply comes from a place of what can I do to be more recognisable, how do I make a name for myself in my industry? 

Brand Identity is how, when you see a colourful dyed print, your mind immediately goes to Dye Lab; when you see monogrammed silk kaftans, you’re either thinking Wanni Fuga or Banke Kuku. Creative couture gowns are now primarily associated with Veekee James, and no one does a drop waist like Desiree Iyama. None of these would be happening if they didn’t put their brand identity at the forefront of their business. 

Make no mistakes, this level of recognition didn’t happen overnight. What you see with these brands is years of taking an image, working around it, and then perfecting it as they progress in the game.

Kyriake Dress from Desiree Iyama.

You don’t necessarily have to be the first to do it, you just have to be the one to do it memorably, people have very short attention spans and with a new brand being created every other day, you don’t want them to forget that you exist, maybe thats why Banke Kuku and Wanni Fuga have taken to emblezoning their symbol on their products so that even if the design isn’t as memorable, the prints can do the heavy-lifting. 

Eden Collection from Banke Kuku

This perception of you shouldn’t be limited to your products; it should be ingrained in every aspect of your brand. Corteiz, a popular streetwear brand owned by Nigerian-British designer, uses a passcode for its site. After registering with your email, you'll start receiving notifications about new drops. In those emails will be a code for the drop, with which you can now access the site to see what you would like to purchase.’

When Fisayo Longe was starting Kai Collective, she made a dress in a sheer, colorful print called the Gaia dress, which many called the dress of 2020. The print was so widely recognized and was reused for other products from the brand. Kai has come a long way since then, but the Gaia print still plays a major part in the brand's history.

Gaia Dress from Kai Collective.

Without a brand identity, your work is likely to be overlooked or forgotten. That's why establishing this aspect of business ownership is crucial, preceding any other steps. 

A key aspect is staying true to your roots; people love a brand with a story, and you can use that to your advantage. You’d be surprised how many of these fashion houses have drawn their image from experiences that have happened earlier in their lives; some logos have even been born out of staring at a muddy puddle or a birthmark a bit too long.