Converse
Urban Outfitters

2013

Converse

Brief

Create an exclusive line for Urban Outfitters’ Devils Harvest Mens Fall 2014 Collection.

Concept

The consumer comes first, but who exactly is the Mens Converse UO consumer? What are his interests? Where does he hang out? Where does he shop? To answer all of these questions, we did a deep dive into understanding "Luke" and why the items in his curated closet resonate with him.

Final design

A collection of acid-washed canvas and distressed denim Chuck Taylors, complete with pin-inspired studs and hits of embroidery.

Meet Luke

21 year old student / musician / non-conformist from Brooklyn.

Luke's Apps

Luke's Music

Luke's Browser History

Luke's Favorite Venues

Luke's Favorite Stores

Bonnaroo Music Festival

We hopped on a plane to Nashville, TN and made the hour and a half drive to Manchester, home of Bonnaroo. Three days and many shows later, we had a much better understanding of Luke and his style.

Brooklyn Retail Visit

We also spent two days in Brooklyn hitting up Luke's favorite retailers. From thrift shops to music stores, we were able to piece together Luke's closet.

Ideation

In order to create products that resonate with Luke, I needed to analyze Luke and his style and find inspiration in the details that connected him with his closet. I began generating concepts through sketches and mock-ups while simultaneously looking at all of the information and photos collected during our trips to Bonnaroo and Brooklyn.

I began reinterpreting pieces from Luke’s closet through material exploration. The thought behind this concept was to stitch together a rough patchwork, like the patchwork created from stickers on Luke's guitar. We could then photograph the material and use it as a photoreal graphic.

I wanted to use a flame as a new method of distressing. The flame’s course creates an arbitrary topline, which we could then recreate through laser cutting and screenprinting.

Color

Warm neutrals and muted primaries in line with both UO’s and Converse’s seasonal palettes.

Materials

Crafted basics with a focus on denim, leather, and plaid. Detailing played up through various washes, embroidery, hardware, eyelet finishes, and speciality laces.

CADs

After distilling all of my concepts down to the most viable designs for Luke, I worked with my Marketing counterparts to finalize a collection of seven concepts.

Pin-inspired Studs

Working with our Materials team, I developed a pin stud. This was created by digitally printing a graphic on a double-posted stud, and then applying a clear varnish top coat. Inspiration for these pins was drawn from the motorcycle jacket in Luke's closet.

Acid Washes and Pigment Dyes

Keeping in line with Luke's distressed and overdyed wardrobe, I worked with our Development team to create new washes by experimenting with different additives and dyeing processes.

Factory Visit

To finalize development.

Converse X UO Devils Harvest Collection

Designed exclusively for UO for Fall 2014.

Photo from urbanoutfitters.com