The Renewal Workshop

Role: Lead designer

Team: Design by Cosmic

Responsibilities: Visual Identity, Brand Extension, Style Guide

The Renewal Workshop primary wordmark

Overview

Outcome
On track to keep 1 million pounds of clothing out of landfills by 2025

Problem Statement
Over 70% of all clothes produced are landfilled or incinerated after use. Unsellable and returned inventory in the apparel industry leads to massive waste problems with negative environmental impacts, significant financial losses for brands and missed opportunities for consumers. We needed to partner with the world’s best loved apparel brands to bridge gaps, connect systems, and mobilize leadership to make existing linear manufacturing practices circular.

Audience
Progressive apparel brand partners committed to sustainability.

The Renewal Workshop packaging wrap

Approach

Understanding
The Renewal Workshop team needed a strong foundation to launch their company and pioneer the new industry of brand-driven apparel recommerce. To help them distill their complex mission, we dove into fully circular, zero-waste business models by conducting interviews and holding focus groups.

The Renewal Workshop packaging wrap

Exploration
The new brand needed to be distinct from key influencer apparel brands to maintain strong brand equity, while being able to coexist alongside multiple original manufacturers. As we explored visual directions we were mindful of crafting a system that was beautiful, unique, and extendable to serve the brand for future scaling and iteration.

Visual system exploration

Delivery
We designed a visual brand system that allowed them to extend their brand into multiple pieces of printed and packaging materials. Since the brand lives in many places, an extensive brand style guide was essential.

The Renewal Workshop brand book

Key Takeaways

Accompanying partner labels with well-know brands act as seals of trust and quality
Co-branding with The Renewal Workshop proves a brand’s commitment to sustainability
Participation in recommerce is on the rise

The Renewal Workshop brand extension

Results

20+ brand forward-thinking brand partnerships including Carhartt, Pearl Izuma, and Mara Hoffman
The Renewal Workshop has helped some of the biggest brands in apparel launch renewed collections
Over 170,000 lbs of toxic chemicals and have been diverted from waste
On track to keep 1 million pounds of clothing out of landfills by 2025

The Renewal Workshop x Prana

Next Steps

I would refine the co-branding guidelines based on key learnings from recent partnerships and explore the relationship brand partners have with their impact data.

All Work