fabrik

Fabrik

2021
Event branding
experiential graphic design
Print, wayfinding, identity

Affordable. Accessible. Sustainable. Quality. Apparel. fabrik: the fast fashion factory flea is exactly like what it sounds: a flea market that recycles apparel procured from fast fashion retailers that would otherwise dispose of their excess merchandise. Located inside a refurbished warehouse in the heart of Los Angeles’ produce district, fabrik meshes the affordability of outlet prices with the interactivity of a marketplace environment.

View of a banner pole from below. Four banners just out from the pole and display variations of "Fabrik: The Fast Fashion Factory Flea" advertisements.

branding

'Fa-brik is the syllabic spelling of the word “fabric,” defined by Merriam-Webster primarily as an “underlying structure : framework.” “Fabrik” also means factory in German. After experimenting with a plethora of logotypes, fabrik seemed to be the perfect fit for the brand. It’s concise, and straight to the point; fabric, after all, comprises the products that the brand procures. Additionally, I develop geometric icons to discern different kinds of garments: emblematic clothing cutouts are overlaid onto an abstracted human icon, a figure integral to the identity system.

brand application

In order to flesh out the event’s identity, I apply the logotype and icons to a variety of advertising mediums: banners, directional signage, and standalone wooden structures. I render each application in Adobe Dimension to capture a more thorough picture of the brand.

Zine

The zine is another key element to the brand story. Here, I delve into the meaning of fabrik and disperse brand elements across the spreads. I also photograph the models in chic fast fashion merchandise—the kinds of garments fabrik would procure—so as to appeal to the target demographic: teens and young adults who are in the market for affordable, trendy clothing.

Systems

The final branding utilizes a Helvetica-adjacent display font, Coolvetica, for the logotype and Helvetica Neue for all body text. In order to fortify the brand’s contemporary aesthetic, emphasized especially by the ubiquitous Helvetica derivatives, I color the iconography and enlarged callouts a bold orange and bright pink.

With regard to the brand story and target demographic, I imagine the event entryway in a refurbished warehouse setting: a cement foundation; large, paneled windows lodged in thick steel frames; and trusses of bright fluorescent lighting affixed to high ceilings. Brand elements rendered in vinyl decorate the walls and floor, and a central, lozenge-shaped kiosk channels pedestrians around the periphery of the space so as to engage them in the design system and, by extension, the fabrik experience.

final application

View Project

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