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A platform joining casual-luxury apparel and sustainable integrity.

H

anded

ROLE:

Lead UX Designer, Product Manager

TEAM:

GMI USA Leadership Team

TIMELINE:

9 months

OVERVIEW

PROJECT

Launch of internal mobile application for sustainable luxury brand before releasing publicly

PROBLEM STATEMENT

How might we create a mens luxury sustainable fashion platform while giving consumers a sense of trust with regard to our claims?

OBJECTIVE

GMI USA Corp, a leading licensee for premier retailers, sought to develop a sustainable luxury lifestyle brand. Our team conducted extensive research into eco-friendly materials and ethical manufacturing processes, implementing comprehensive carbon footprint reduction strategies across the entire supply chain. To distinguish ourselves from prevalent greenwashing practices in the industry, we prioritized transparency in material sourcing and production methods.The project culminated in an internally launched brand platform developed through user experience methodologies. These included competitive market analysis, strategic brand positioning, targeted consumer surveys, and UX ideation sessions. This approach ensured a data-driven, user-centric foundation for the brand's digital presence and overall market strategy.

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KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

  1. Executed in-depth market analysis of sustainable apparel, benchmarking competitors' sustainability practices. Evaluated implementation of UN Sustainable Development Goals, industry certifications, and transparency measures to identify best practices and market positioning opportunities.

  2. Spearheaded research into luxury apparel trends, driving the creative vision and aesthetic direction for an innovative new brand.

  3. Identified and cultivated relationships with 7 premium sustainable material suppliers, 4 ethical manufacturers, and 2 eco-friendly packaging providers.

  4. Crafted a distinctive brand identity and translated it into targeted marketing strategies for maximum impact.

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PROBLEM DEFINITION

With an excess of greenwashing and vague eco / sustainable claims, it is difficult to convey true sustainability achievements. Our goal was to create an apparel brand platform conveying a high level of luxury and strong focus on sustainable integrity. We believed there was opportunity in the luxury space for a brand with complete sustainability and in the sustainable space a brand to convey more luxury. While considering our positioning and current supply chain advantages and distribution model, we focused on mens apparel as a starting point.

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RESEARCH

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS: LUXURY BRANDS

I conducted a competitive analysis of Fear of God and Eleventy, two casual-luxury brands known for their distinctive basic apparel categories. These brands exemplified our target aesthetic from both a product and UI standpoint and served as effective benchmarks for analyzing price positioning.

PRODUCT AESTHETIC

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UI AESTHETIC

Fear of God and Eleventy's digital platforms are minimal and uncluttered, speaking to a sophisticated clientele. We aimed to capture a similar aesthetic by focusing on:

  • Small, clean fonts

  • Ample white space

  • Clean photography

  • Minimal information on front product pages

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS: SUSTAINABLE BRANDS

Turning to sustainable competitors in the fashion industry, while sustainability communication is often lacking, two brands - Asket and Pact - stand out with their comprehensive sustainability platforms. These brands were valuable benchmarks in our study of transparency practices within the industry. 

SUSTAINABILITY
COMMUNICATION

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UI UX PRESENTATION

Minimalism vs. Information Density: Luxury brands typically rely on negative space and sparse layouts to convey exclusivity, while sustainability reporting requires displaying complex data sets and detailed metrics.

ASKET uses bar graphs to show a comprehensive breakdown of cost, traceability and impact (carbon footprint):

Pact gives a breakdown of materials and certifications with links to external sites to back up it’s claims.

Consumer Perceptions of Luxury and Sustainability: Interview Findings

My final interview pool were individuals highly interested in sustainability, luxury or both (those with mid-level interest in both areas where not chosen). I conducted all interviews remotely and the main findings were:
A lot of ambiguity and confusion around how brands explain sustainability.
A feeling that luxury is an experience and storytelling is extremely important to the at experience.

44%
Prioritize sustainability over luxury
30%
No greater interest in
luxury goods over sustainability
15%
Highly interested in
both luxury and sustainability
11%
Prioritize luxury over sustainability

SURVEYS AND INTERVIEWS

PERSONAS

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KAYIN:

"The Conscious Consumer"

AGE: 34

OCCUPATION: Tech Product Manager

LOCATION: Boulder, CO

INCOME: 150K

BRANDS​

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TAYLOR STITCH

BIO

Kayin is a Boulder native who studied Environmental Science at UC Berkeley. After graduation, he worked at several environmental nonprofits before transitioning to tech for greater impact.  Kayin grew up wearing Patagonia and North Face and developed an interest in style through work travel and startup culture. Kayin now seeks to balance his professional appearance with strict environmental standards and thoroughly researches each purchase's environmental impact.

VALUES

  • Environmental impact

  • Transparency

  • Social responsibility

  • Innovation

  • Authenticity

PAIN POINTS

  • Frustrated by greenwashing

  • Wants better quality in sustainable options

  • Seeks transparency in supply chain

  • Desires more elevated aesthetic in sustainable brands

  • Struggles to find professional-looking sustainable options

  • Not enough time to research brands in depth for levels of sustainability/ eco friendly practices.

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MARCUS:

"The Casual-Luxury Seeker"

AGE: 41

OCCUPATION: Creative Director

LOCATION: NYC

INCOME: 270K

BRANDS​

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Originally from Seattle, Marcus earned his Master's in Design from RISD before moving to LA for a UX design role at a major tech company. Now a Creative Director, he leads a team of 20 and shapes product vision.  Marcus curates a focused wardrobe of quality pieces that reflect both his design sensibility and values. Views his clothing as an extension of his design philosophy

VALUES

  • Quality and craftsmanship

  • Subtle sophistication

  • Professional credibility

  • Personal growth

  • Time efficiency

PAIN POINTS

  • Dislikes obvious branding

  • Struggles to find casual pieces that maintain sophistication

  • Wants versatile pieces that work for both office and weekend

  • Limited time for shopping

higher

price point

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HANDED

more sustainable

less sustainable

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TAYLOR STITCH

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lower

price point

MARKET POSITIONING

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STRATEGY

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Image by Marcin Jozwiak
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Cutting Fabric

Sustainability
CLARIFICATION:

How might we gauge our sustainability in comparison to other brands?

Sustainability
TRANSPARENCY:

How might we demonstrate our sustainability commitment?

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Luxury Valet Service
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Holding Mobile Phone
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Hotel Desk Check-In

Luxury
EXPERIENTIAL:

How might we provide compelling experiences to our customers?

Luxury is often described as an experience—While the in-store consumer can be pampered and enjoy the atmosphere, the online experience is captured in services—video or in person appointments, personalization through initialing or packaging, made-to-measure, complimentary delivery and/or returns.

Luxury
CRAFTSMANSHIP:

How might we convey impeccable craftsmanship?

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PRIORITIES AND FEATURES

Creating a sustainable fashion brand requires strategic planning and patience. While we aimed for comprehensive sustainability, we planned step by step. This prioritized roadmap ensured we could implement meaningful practices immediately while systematically expanding our impact over time.

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Our brand's digital transparency journey mirrors our physical sustainability rollout. While our ultimate vision includes comprehensive impact tracking and supply chain transparency through our app, we'll start with core features and systematically expand functionality. This ensures our technology platform grows authentically alongside our sustainability initiatives.

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DEVELOPMENT

  • We wanted to maintain the expected luxury aesthetic with generous white space and carefully curated product presentations

  • We integrated sustainability metrics through elements that expanded to reveal detailed information when engaged

  • A sophisticated color palette and typography system unified the sustainability data displays with the premium brand language

WIREFRAMES

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BRAND VISUAL

BRAND
PERSONALITY

Handed is a men's casual-luxury sustainable brand for those seeking responsible and fully transparent apparel options that can be dressed up or down for home or office.  Personality is sophisticated yet accessible, high quality and with fine detailing.

BRAND
ATTRIBUTES

  • Elevated

  • Clear

  • Sophisticated

  • Accessible

  • Serene

IMAGERY
INSPIRATION

The visual identity of Handed pairs sophisticated architectural lines with organic forms, creating serene elegance. A refined palette of warm creams, subtle greys, and rich blacks provides a grounding foundation.

COLOR

HANDED

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TYPOGRAPHY

Inria Serif Bold

Aa

Aa

Inria Serif Regular

Aa

Inria Sans Regular

HEADING 1

Inria Serif Regular - 24pt

HEADING 2

Inria Serif Regular - 20pt

TITLE 1

Inria Serif Bold - 18pt

TITLE 2

Inria Serif Bold - 16pt

TITLE 3

Inria Serif Bold - 14pt

BODY 1

Inria Sans Regular - 16pt

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BODY 2

Inria Sans Regular - 14pt

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PRODUCT

HI FIDELITY SCREENS

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CONCLUSION

INFLUENCER CAPSULE SUCCESS

Launching a sustainable fashion line presented significant challenges, particularly due to the initial costs and the infrastructure required. These factors slowed our progress in developing physical products, which in turn delayed the launch of our digital platform. Through this experience, we gained valuable insights into managing timelines and structuring product development, taking into account critical factors such as supplier relationships, certifications, and compliance requirements.

success factors:

  • Successfully launched with GOTS-certified materials and SA8000 factory certifications

  • Established transparent supply chain mapping for tier 1 suppliers

  • Implemented living wage commitments and basic social impact metrics

  • Initiated durability standards and basic circularity planning

  • Began certification processes for key sustainability metrics

challenges:

  • Carbon footprint measurement proved more complex than anticipated due to data gaps in supply chain

  • Full environmental impact calculations need additional infrastructure and supplier cooperation

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