Fashion Experience Lookbook 2017
// California College of the Arts
CCA’s Fashion Design program wanted to showcase their Class of 2017’s final collections in a bold new way to coincide with the school’s newly revised brand identity.
Role
As CCA’s lead marketing strategist, I was asked to provide creative direction and strategy for the Undergraduate Fashion Design program’s 2017 Lookbook, in collaboration with the program Chair, John Baurenfiend, and video director Major Lightner.
Strategy
One of John Baurenfiend’s major focuses as Chair of the Fashion Design program was in elevating the presentation of the student work to fit with a modern fashion world that saw the traditional runway show as outdated and lazy, so our primary mandate was to push the boundaries and not be afraid to get a little edgy. With that kind of guidance, it can be easy to go all out and “do the most”, but from a marketing perspective, I wanted to keep the focus where it belonged - on the work. I wanted prospective students to see the video and dream of their designs getting a similar treatment someday. Most importantly, it had to feel “less school, more cool”.
Taking the collage-y, painted over street art look of CCA’s brand guidelines as inspiration, we developed a look and feel that used atmospherics, lighting, reflections, surface, and space to add depth and texture to the visuals without overpowering the designs in any way.
Outcome
The finished piece represented a defining expression of the brand’s newly minted identity for the video format. It conveyed the program’s values of diversity, sustainability, and craft in a stylish new way that resonated with it’s core audience.