FREEDOM - CARE - POWER
TURN OVER TO SEE WHAT’S INSIDE
WHO EVEN ARE WE? THE
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17 LOGO
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THE BIG PICTURE
OUR PLACE
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OUR ECOTISTS
EC-ONE 64
THE
PLAN
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OUR ORIGINS (EE-COH-TIST) (NOUN)
D CAPSULATES ONE’S OBSESSION AN T, CONCERN FOR THE ENVIRONMEN SS. AS OPPOSED TO SELF-CENTREDNE
(DERIVED FROM EGOTIST)
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As a young person who feels they have little control over the environmental crisis, founder and designer, Grace Reeves started to look at ways that she could become more sustainable in her daily life. She considers herself an ‘ecotist’ as she tries to consume sustainably by thrifting for clothing and creating her own outfits from scrap material. Grace openly says that she is not perfect but she is trying to make a change. She founded the brand to target people similar to herself with the hope that she’d spark a non-conformist reaction to fast fashion. Her main goal is to encourage consumers to ASK, UNDERSTAND and CARE how their clothing is made.
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WHO EVEN ARE WE? We take old garments and/or materials and upcycle them into high fashion, functional pieces that people can cherish in their wardrobes. It sounds simple but it takes experienced craftmanship and a lot of time. But we think it’s worth it. Imagine being able to have a luxurious but functional garment where you don’t have to query who made it, where it was made or even how much waste it created. The answers to these questions are simple: one of our seamstresses made it, in our London studio and it created NO WASTE. Transparency is KEY to Ecotist and to our consumers so information about how the garment was created is all provided to customers along with their item. We don’t judge, anyone can buy from us. Age, Gender, Occupation, Social Status- it doesn’t matter. We care about saving the planet and our consumers are vital in helping us do that and they are rewarded for their participation in the ecotist movement.
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THE DREAM Help the planet heal by encouraging people to ditch fast fashion
THE MISSION Allowing people to feel stylish knowing they’re wearing unique up-cycled garments that caused no negative environmental effects
THE NICHE Full Transparency
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VALUES = CARE CARE FOR GARMENTS CARE FOR OTHERS CARE FOR THE PLANET
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POWER
FREEDOM
POWER OF CHOICE: TO CARE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND HOW YOU REPRESENT YOURSELF
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THE FREEDOM TO WEAR WHAT YOU LIKE AND TO DRESS FOR YOURSELF. NOT FOR OTHERS
ACCEPTING
(AK-SEPT-ING) (ADJECTIVE) We do not judge ANYONE for their race, gender, age, identity etc. We believe EVERYONE should be accepted for who they are.
LOVING
THIS IS WHO
WE ARE 9
(LOVE-ING) (ADJECTIVE) We are loving. We love people. We love the planet. We try to be loving in every single thing we do.
PLAYFUL
(PLEH-FUH-L) (ADJECTIVE) We’re not going to lecture you like your mum. That’s not our job. We need to teach people in a playful and creative way otherwise no one’s going to listen.
INNOVATIVE
(IN-UH-VEY-TIV) (ADJECTIVE) We believe it’s either innovation or failure. So -shocker- we took the first option.
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THE
HIGH QUALITY
PROMISE FREEDOM - CARE - POWER
NO WASTE
To offer unique, high quality and no-waste garments that aren’t based on gender.
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GENDERLESS 12
LET’S CHAT We want to talk to you the same way that we talk to each other in the studio- with respect but like a friend. We’re going to use a super chatty tone as it fits our playful side of Ecotist. We think that this tone makes us more relatable and welcoming. Gender neutral terms will be used to enforce inclusivity and to make our customers feel safe within the Ecotist environment. Ultimately we want to use our voice to promote a sense of community as we connect with consumers to make them feel positive about ditching fast fashion.
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THE HEART AND SOUL We are waste free, luxurious and functional.
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THE
LOGO
We want ECOTIST to stick in your mind which is why we have created a funky, playful and untraditional logo. The characters are all out twisted in their own way to show how all we are all unique but they come together to form ECOTIST. Just as we come together to work towards a better future.
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THE MAIN LOGO
THE ALTERNATE LOGO WIDTH: 11.5cm
WIDTH: 6.3cm
HEIGHT: 6cm
HEIGHT: 2.5cm
HEIGHT: 4.1cm
WIDTH: 10.8cm
*Drawn to Scale
We love our logo and we want to make sure it’s used properly to show it off. Our main logo is used for most things but there are occasions where we believe our tagline should be shown which is why we have our alternate logo. There are two sizes for the main logo which should be followed exact (measurements above). The smaller logo is to be put in the bottom right corner on campaign pictures. It can be displayed in either the black colour or the yellow depending on which colour stands out more against the background. The larger logo is the one to be used more frequently, featured on our websites, on our garment tags and on all communication. If you’re unsure then speak to the marketing manager for reassurance.
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*Drawn to Scale
The alternate logo is very similar to the main logo however it features our tagline underneath. This is to be used on our packaging as we believe it’s important that our values are delivered to our customers doorstep. Apart from in this circumstance, this logo is only to be used with permission from the marketing manager.
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GARMENT LABEL
LETS DO THIS RIGHT...
E E
E E E
E
E
E
Our garment label are 6.5x2cm and are to be stitched on the inside of every single garment There are two colour-way options: black and yellow. These are so that we can attach a label that will stand out against each item e.g. black coat means yellow label. We are proud of our products at Ecotist and want them to stand out from the crowd. This is why we chose the bold colours for our swing tags- they shout ‘look at me’. Yellow ribbon is used to attach the swing tag to each garment (you’ll find plenty stocked up in the studio).
HEIGHT: 12.cm
This spacing method should be used in all circumstances. If there are any issues with this then please speak to the marketing manager- you’ll find their contact details in our handbook.
WIDTH: 6.5cm HEIGHT: 2.cm
It’s extremely important that there is enough space around the logo in order for it to stand out properly. As shown above, the space allocated should have the height and width of an ‘E’ in Bernina Sans font, size 16. Also, as shown above, this measurement should be taken from the each end of the logo in order for it to be equal. This goes for both our main and alternative logo.
WIDTH: 6.5cm
HEIGHT: 2.cm
*Drawn to Scale
WIDTH: 6.5cm
SWING TAG
*Drawn to Scale
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DON’T BREAK THE RULES (PLS)
1. COLOURS
3. LETS SEE IT
Don’t go wild with the colour palette. Stick to the yellow and black palette provided.
Don’t place the black logo against another dark background. Use the yellow colourway option and vice versa.
2. DISTORT Don’t distort the logo in any way.
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4. MID DRIFT Don’t crop the logo.
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OUR COLOUR SPECTRUM Our brand colours are ‘cool black’ and ‘vibrant yellow’. These have been chosen as we found our consumers associate these colours with sunshine, happiness but also danger and warning signs. This is exactly what we are about at ecotist. We want people to see our branding and know we’re making a statement!
COOL BLACK CMYK 0.0.0.100
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VIBRANT YELLOW CMYK 0.0.100.0
THE TAG LINE Our tag line is simple. We took our three values and used them to create the tagline: freedom-care-power. This is because we wanted our consumers to be able to immediately see what’s at the heart of Ecotist.
THAT’S OUR TYPE: To the right are the three fonts that are to be used across all Ecotist communications. We have created our own unique font which is to be used sparingly to add a touch of Ecotist to it e.g. for a consumers name on a thank you note. The font family ‘upgrade’ is our preferred font for both body text and title text. Upgrade Extra Black is to be used for the titles and Upgrade Regular is to be used for body text.
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Upgrade Extra Black ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwyz 1234567890
Upgrade Regular ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwyz 1234567890
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WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE? Transparency. We are totally transparent about where our materials come from, who creates our garments and the effect they have on the environment. Information about our studio and our designers/ seamstresses are all available on our website. In addition to this, a personalised card is in every order detailing who made their piece and the exact materials/garments that were up cycled to create it.
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Ecotist is a luxury unisex brand that uses up-cycled materials to create collections. We have placed ourselves in the luxury market due to the amount of time, expertise and craftsmanship that goes into every garment. We know that the luxury unisex market is quite niche and therefore could be difficult for us to infiltrate however with consumers wanting more sustainable options we think we’re up for the challenge. We have found that a large proportion of British consumers are willing to purchase a product that has been labelled as ‘up-cycled’ and would have no hesitation to dump a brand if they found that their methods were detrimental to the environment. As consumers are becoming more aware of the waste problem that fashion produces, they are becoming more open to making changes about their purchasing habits. They are seeking brands that are creating clothing in a more sustainable way. We will always provide the highest quality of clothing without creating waste which will appeal to these consumers. We are proud to be a unisex brand who are answering consumers demands for gender-neutral fashion. Many consumers no longer believe that your identity is defined by your gender and that you should be free from social rules when making choices. This is why we create our silhouette’s to compliment more than one gender’s stereotypical shape. We want people to be able to express how they feel without feeling judged and know that in our clothing they will feel empowered.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
We know that we have competitors who are in our market space but we believe that our values and beliefs will allow us to build a sense of community with our consumers and allow us to get a strong hold in the market.
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THE
LETS CHAT
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TRE N
DS
BIG INFLUENCES
The growing acceptance of gender neutrality has had an effect on the way that many industries are approaching future products, packaging and branding. This big social shift has occurred as the wider younger demographic have moved away from a gender binary worldview and believe that your gender doesn’t define you. Brands across fashion and beauty have captured this trend and are creating products that aren’t designed for ‘men’ or ‘women’. We are fully inclusive of all genders and want to empower our consumers by giving them the choice of what garment to wear without it being labelled to a gender. We have taken great care over our choices of packing, tone of voice and choice of language to make sure that we do not associate ourselves with a particular gender.
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ECO CIRCLE The eco-cycle trend is a response to the impact that human consumption is having on the environment. This trend spreads across various different industries such as fashion and food. Consumers are becoming more aware of the impact that fashion is having on the environment. Due to this, there are protests from organisations such as Extinction Rebellion and Greenpeace to raise further awareness. Consumers are demanding that something be done about the impact fashion has and many have turned to second-hand and vintage stores to get their fashion fix. Fashion brands need to assess how they are handling this situation to stay relevant. We LOVE this trend as it fits in with our value ‘care’ perfectly. We want to encourage people to take care of their clothes and to shop more sustainably. We know our consumers will also love this trend and want to alter their consumption.
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THE
LET’S NOT FORGET...
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SMALL INFLUENCES
AFTERCARE This is a micro trend that has definitely crept up on the fashion market. Brands are trying to change people’s habits to stop over-washing and therefore ruining the clothing. Other ways of caring for garments is to understand how they need to be washed, on what heat and whether to be dry cleaned or not. Stella McCartney has led the movement as she has created a series of youtube videos that show consumers what to do with their clothing. We love this trend and want to encourage people to care for their garments. So we are going to add in aftercare instructions in all our delivery packages as well as promoting this on our website.
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US VS THEM WHERE WE FIT IN THE MARKET 44
LUXURY
GUCC I
YSL LO UIS V
UI TT ON
S
EY RTN
RC OL
CA MC
LE CT I
VE
A LL TE
RN BU E RA
T T IS O EC
LCH DIO A STU
D O EN
ZERO WASTE
SUSTAINABLE
EL NI A D
RA GA ND BO
E
E
We sit apart from the crowd as we go the extra mile in terms of sustainability and have become a zero-waste brand. This sets us apart from most brands as they all have similar sustainability approaches. We also sit in the luxury bracket because we take so much time making our garments to ensure they’re of the highest quality. It’s important to know what other brands sit in this market so we can be fully unique and aim to one day become the leading brand of this space.
NF EE EIL
ISH
ZE RO ER
NSON ISTE CHR FN
1
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HIGH FASHION
ZER0 WASTE VS SUSTAINABLE
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RIANN A&N INA
RVO K
W AS T
DOEN
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IT VU UIS
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FORMAL
RIANN A
& NIN A STE LLA
MC CA RT NE Y
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L OL RC
GU C
TRADITIONAL
R HE FIS
MODERN
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EI LE E
UD ST
H ALC IO
URN RAEB
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IST OT EC
RAG &B
ON E
F H C HR ISTEN SEN
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CASUAL
REF OR M AT IO
We think our tone of voice is super important in separating us from our competition. We are proud to be playful and fun in the way we talk to our community. We don’t want to be traditional in our approach as we are assisting in the movement towards a better world for fashion. To do this properly we have adjusted the way we speak to be more casual than formal as we know our consumers will respond better to us that way.
E TIV
CI
EC
FORMAL VS CASUAL
WE NEED TO
STAND OUT FROM THE
CROWD
SO HERE’S A RUNDOWN OF OUR COMPETITORS...
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THE R COLLECTIVE The R Collective is known for its classic silhouettes and muted colours. They take a similar approach to us and use upcycled materials but they lack originality. They do not sell a small amount of each product like we do and less skill goes into the design. Saying that, they do have a good reputation for their approach to sustainability and have a much lower price point than we do. But we believe that people will pay the ecotist price for that unique look.
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RAEBURN
Raeburn is a stand out competitor as they produce really exciting and unique clothing. From their London studio they up cycle anything they can get their hands on e.g. maps or parachutes to create quite funky garments. We believe that we are quite similar in this approach but we stand out from them as all our pieces are unisex. We know that people will love this about us but we definitely need to keep our eye on Raeburn.
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STUDIO ALCH
Studio Alch is known for pushing boundaries and thinks of the ‘body as a product and clothing as a form of product packaging’. This is a unique perspective that gains them a lot of popularity. However, we know that some of their pieces are too out there for some people to feel fully comfortable wearing as they know they’re not a product but a human being. Our clothing is out there but doesn’t cross the line into uncomfortable territory which allows all our customers to rock our clothing.
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REFORMATION
Reformation is one of the most well-known upcycling fashion brands. Their business model is to create fashion fast but in a sustainable way as they try to keep up with other popular fashion brands. They also put themselves at a more accessible price point to appeal to younger consumers who have less disposable income. They are competition as they hold a large portion of the up cycled market but there are enough differences in our brands to make us stand out.
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If you fancy finding out which consumer group you’re most like then do this quick quiz! It’s always interesting to find out how many of each group we have in the studio. Don’t worry- you can get your phone out for this. We won’t tell.
OUR ECOTISTS
We believe that our consumers are a community which is why we call them our ecotists. We want anyone to be able to get involved in our community which is why we create clothing that is completely unisex and appropriate for all ages. We have come up with the three most common groups of consumers to target with our communications. These three groups are categorised by their interests as we don’t believe people should ever be grouped by their gender, age or ethnicity.
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THE ECO-ARTIST Our Eco-Artist’s love being creative- hence the name- and always have a great idea in the back of their minds. They’re energetic and thrive when being sociable but also really appreciate winding down in the studio. The ideal day out is checking out new art galleries and attending graffiti festivals to get inspiration. Their guilty pleasure is going to local cafe’s to try out their new coffee fusions. They believe in reusing things as much as they can to create something new whether that’s up cycling old jars to old clothing.
EXCITABLE FOCUSED ENERGETIC CHATTY
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THE ECO-STYLIST The Eco-Stylist’s are effortlessly cool and always have an ‘on-point’ outfit. The ideal way of being more ‘eco’ for them is hunting through vintage stories and charity shops as well as investing in high-quality garments. Their ideal deal out is socialising with friends whilst out for food or drinks- especially if it includes happy hour. Guilty pleasures include going to a music event to unwind after a busy week.
CREATIVE SOCIABLE IRRITABLE PERSISTENT
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THE ECO-WARRIOR Eco Warrior’s are compassionate and humble and absolutely love finding new alternative, waste free products. They love to share these new products with their friends to encourage others to think about their consumption. They love attending extinction rebellion events as they strongly believe in the climate crisis. They want to make changes to their life towards being most sustainable and fashion is totally a part of that.
CARING HONEST HIPPY CONFIDENT
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INTRODUCING EC-ONE Our first collection is called ‘EC-ONE’ and is made up of 10 pieces ranging from coats to dungarees to tops. The price range of £600 - £1700 is a good reflection of the time and effort put into them. At first, they will be available in three sizes: small, medium and large. We LOVE our collection and we know that our ecotist community will love it too.
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DUNGAREES: £1700
TOP: £750
TOP: £750
SKIRT: £950
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COAT: £1700
VEST: £600
JUMPSUIT: £1700
MIDI SKIRT: £950 PUFF SLEEVED TOP: £750
TROUSERS: £1350
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WHERE TO FIND US Our brand is for everyone which is why it needs to be accessible for international consumers as well as those on our soil. This is why we have a website that shows off our collections and gives international shipping so anyone can get their hands on our clothing. We know that consumers might feel more comfortable being able to see clothing before it’s purchased so we try to accommodate that. We give full details about our garments including what materials are used, where these materials have been sourced from and where it is made. We do want our consumers to have the opportunity to experience Ecotist in the flesh before purchasing which is why we will feature a small amount of our collection in the London Dover Street Market store. Our collection will fit perfectly in this store as we know our consumers will either be regulars or visit when in London. It’s also a great opportunity for us to see how our consumers interact with our collection in person.
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CONNECT WITH US We want to be able to create a sense of community with our consumers and we know the best way to do that is by being able to connect to them. We love that because of our tone of voice we can chat in a more casual way to our consumers and don’t have to appear to be formal in our attitude. We will be consistently posting on all of our platforms with updates on what we’re doing, behind the scenes footage as well as sneak peaks of our upcoming collections. We will be available on our website, instagram and YouTube channel and are looking to expand our platforms post-launch.
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OUR FEED We know that instagram is an important place to connect with our consumers. We have created our feed to represent who we are, what we believe in and to show off our consumers. We like to use a mixture of professional imagery, videos, graphic design and reposting the ecotist communities images.
LOOK @ THE LIVE FEED
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THE
PLAN YES... IT’S AS EXCITING AS IT SOUNDS
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We want to communicate with our consumers in an easy, seamless way. So we have come up with a twelve month communication plan to get Ecotist out there. We have a budget of ÂŁ9,000 and have optimised it to create the best comms plan out there (in our opinion). We love to be able to view things visually so have created pinterest boards so that you can fully understand what we mean.
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PHASE ONE Phase one is pre-launch where we will be launching our website. Our website is the hub of all things ecotist where you can stay up to date with new collections, what events are going on etc. We want to draw attention to the website before the launch so people get familiar with it and are aware of our launch date. We will be showing off the website on our social media platforms. We plan on doing a countdown competition where people can sign up to our website newsletter and be in with a chance of winning tickets to our launch event.
CHECK IT OUT
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PHASE TWO Launch time baby! We will be celebrating the launch of our collection with an invite only event. Due to COVID-19 we are going to organise an online event via an online video forum. We will be inviting micro influencers that are passionate about sustainable fashion as well as the two winners of the countdown competition. The event will focus on up cycling skills as well as showing off our collection and the attendees will be shown how to make an up cycled garment. Prior to the event, we will send out packages to them including a kit that’s going to be used to make their up cycled garments, some pre-made cocktails and some sweet treats. The attendees will be encouraged to share all about our collection as well as showing off their own new garment.
INSPO
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PHASE THREE We are going to be introducing our social media campaign, #ecotwist. We will be encouraging consumers to show off their favourite sustainable or upcycled piece of clothing from their wardrobe. We hope this will encourage people to think more about how they can be more sustainable with fashion. It will also create more of a community which we believe is really important as well as giving us a bit more exposure as a brand. We will also be reaching out to the micro influencers who attended the launch event to get involved as well as (of course) our own team!
YOU+YOUR WARDROBE+ A CHEEKY SELFIE = #ECOTWIST
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LOOK AT ME
ALL THE IDEAS
PHASE FOUR Phase four is the release of our podcast/youtube series as we want to continue chatting with the ecotist community. Our youtube series will focus on up-cycling techniques so people can learn more about their clothing. We will post different series that will last 6 weeks and will focus on a specific topic e.g. denim or jersey. Our podcast series will have two main voices of ecotist and then a guest. We’ll chat about all the things you want to know about the guest and then discuss relevant environmental news. It’ll be funny, engaging and informative! You get the news without having to watch the news.
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PHASE FIVE We are taking ecotist on the road and doing upcycling classes in four cities across the UK. This will be an opportunity for people to sign up and learn new techniques as well as being able to see our collection in the flesh. People will be able to sign up for these in advance as well as turning up on the day if there are spaces left. Our founder, Grace Reeves, will be attending all of these pop-ups as she hopes to inspire others to say no to fast fashion. Our chosen locations are London, Nottingham, Bristol and Manchester.
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We will try to gain attention for our events by sending out a press release to the ‘Be Kind’ Magazine. This is a UK based magazine that focuses on the environment, community, sustainability and creativity. We will also be sending out a press release to all the local newspapers of the cities we are visiting e.g. Bristol Post.
SCAN ME... TO SEE WHAT WE WANT OUR EVENTS TO LOOK LIKE
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PRESS RELEASE
ECOTIST PRESS CONTACT: Ella Swanson, PR Manager swanson.ella@ecotist.co.uk
-Ends-
For immediate release.
ECOTIST ON THE ROAD New and upcoming brand, Ecotist, is going on the road to provide exclusive, popup upcycling workshops in cities across the UK. It will commence in Nottingham on the 22nd of May and then continue to Manchester, Bristol and London. These events will be open to up to 60 people with workshops running between 10am and 5pm. The pop up will include a meet and greet with our founder, Grace Reeves, followed by a guided up cycling tutorial of how to create a new garment. Attendees will be able to create a piece of their own to take home with them. Grace and other members of the Ecotist team will be assisting attendees with their own creations. There will be free food and drink available for the attendees whilst catering for all intolerances and allergies. Designer and founder, Grace Reeves, commented on the workshops saying, ‘I have always wanted to inspire others to ditch fast fashion. It’s the reason I started Ecotist. I’m beyond excited for the workshops as they will show people how simple it is to reuse clothes that you’ve got bored of.’ She continued to say, ‘One of my goals for Ecotist is to create a sense of community where you are not judged for who you are and where you can be inspired by others to be creative. These workshops are the beginning of this community’.
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About Ecotist: Ecotist is a luxury unisex clothing brand that specialises in creating zero waste. We don’t judge, anyone can buy from us. Age, Gender, Occupation, Social Status- it doesn’t matter. We care about saving the planet and our consumers are vital in helping us do that and they are rewarded for their participation in the ecotist movement. Possible Imagery:
Send to Be Kind Magazine: Georgia May (Assistant Editor) georgia-may@primeimpact.co.uk
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PRESS RELEASE
The workshop events will commence on the 22nd May in Nottingham and then continue to Manchester (5th June 2021), Bristol (19th June 2021) and London (3rd July 2021). These events are free of charge but there are a limited amount of spaces. If you want to sign up to an event please visit our website www.ecotist. co.uk/whatson
COMMUNICATION AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JULY WEBSITE LAUNCH INSTA LAUNCH
WHAT’S AHEAD We are ready and prepared for what’s ahead with our critical path running between August 2020 and July 2021. Here you can see the breakdown of our plans so you know exactly what’s happening when. We know our consumers are going to be so excited for what’s ahead.
INSTAGRAM POSTS COLLECTION LAUNCH LAUNCH EVENT #ECOTWIST YOUTUBE PODCAST ON THE ROAD
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OUR FUTURE In our short future we want to continue to create more collections that inspire people to ditch fast fashion as well as continuing to develop our community. In the long term, we hope to have a space where we can sell our collections and hold workshop events. This won’t be a shop but a communal space where people can come to experiment and get a taste of what it means to be an ecotist. We would also like to consider collaborating with other brands who have the same goals as us.
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“LET’S
SPARK
A
“
REACTION (OUR FOUNDER, GRACE REEVES)
DIGITAL COPY HARDBACK COPIES AVAILABLE IF NEEDED (PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER)