Brand Purist • Branding projects • YR Store
Branding the fashion customisation pioneers revolutionising retail
Overview
YR Store began as a retail concept that transformed the shopping experience with interactive technology. Following a rebrand by Brand Purist, it emerged as the world’s first live fashion customisation brand, launching at prestigious locations including Selfridges, Liberty, Macy’s, and Topshop in London’s Oxford Circus and New York’s 5th Avenue.
Over the years, we have nurtured the brand, ensuring consistency and design finesse, and shaping its collaborations with high-profile partners like A Bathing Ape, Obey, and Star Wars.
Brand research
Initially focused on the events industry, YR Store’s parent company needed to adopt a fashion-oriented mindset to launch and grow YR Store. They transitioned from communicating product features, like their digital graffiti wall, to highlighting the values and emotional benefits for potential retail customers.
Audiences’ attitude towards product customisation and personalisation is diverse; some enjoy free rein, while others experience choice paralysis. The competition was vast, ranging from limited edition high-end brands to on-demand clothing printing companies, all targeting the same customer base.
Brand strategy
YR Store transcends printed garments, offering an interactive fashion experience that uniquely engages consumers. As YR’s branding partner, we deeply integrated co-creation into the brand’s core DNA from the start. We defined their brand purpose as ‘Collaborative Individualism’ where brands and customers collectively shape fashion, one unique piece at a time.
Brand naming
The name ‘YR’, pronounced ‘Your’, was already in use by the business. By adding ‘Store’, we differentiated it from existing products like YR Wall.
Brand design
Keywords like unconventional, disruptive, current, and credible shaped our approach to the brand’s visual identity. The short name presented a pathway to a simple lettermark design. We constructed dynamic ‘shard’ patterns from the mark that can be applied across various media. They have become an instantly recognisable YR asset.
Logo design
The YR logo encapsulates a refined fashion brand, its connecting lines symbolising collaboration. It functions independently or alongside the YR Store wordmark, and its streamlined shape integrates seamlessly with any partner logo.
Brand implementation
Brand Purist has supported YR Store both as brand consultants and a flexible, outsourced design team. We have delivered overarching brand strategies and detailed design tasks to ensure consistency and high quality across all touchpoints. Below is a selection of services we delivered.
Co-branding
We helped YR select brand partners that aligned with their vision and ethos, emphasising the importance of presenting YR as an equal to its collaborators. Design played a crucial role in achieving these strategic objectives.
Store design
YR Store operated several concessions where customers could design their own YR-branded garments. In close collaboration with their team, we designed these in-store areas, utilising YR’s signature patterns, bold typography, and modern logo to invigorate the retail space and attract customers.
Topman
YR Store debuted at Topman’s Oxford Circus location, where we developed the launch, and seasonal campaign and collaboration visuals.
Selfridges&Co
Selfridges featured YR Store during many holiday seasons, both as a standalone entity and in special collaborations, sometimes occupying multiple locations within the department store simultaneously.
Topshop
YR Store introduced live design and print areas at Topshop’s flagship stores on New York’s Fifth Avenue and London’s Oxford Street, with both designed by Brand Purist.
Macy’s
Macy’s marked another milestone in YR Store’s journey.The natural aesthetic of the wooden furniture was complemented by our design’s of purple shards and neatly arranged typography.
App design
We crafted the user interfaces for YR Store’s in-store touchscreens and smartphone app, ensuring meticulous consistency across all touchpoints.
Photography
We helped strengthen the tech company’s fashion-savvy brand positioning by capturing the in-store experience, product stills and lookbook imagery.
Web design
We developed YR Store’s online presence, characterised by dark backgrounds, vibrant photography and subtle hints of the brand’s signature purple.
Branded animations
Motion graphics added visual interest to the in-store environment. We developed several short animations for collaborations and promotional campaigns.
Marketing design
Over several years of close partnership, Brand Purist delivered a wide-range of printed items for YR Store, including booklets, posters, flyers, hang tags, product labels, tote bags and high-end stationery.