Towards the end of 2006, “craving change, freedom, and a way to connect with clients and the end product” Roanne Adams decided to start her own studio in New York. With a strong background in corporate branding, she has been able to transfer this service to her new clients. Understanding the balance between consistent and innovative brand communication, Adams is able to invigorate existing brands with fresh ideas and furnish new companies with the polish of the establishment. “I keep it simple. There is only so much the human mind can digest these days. I think there should be a reason for every aesthetic decision you make. You should be able to back it up and explain why you did what you did, especially when dealing with something as subjective as ‘style’.”
Fashion has been a consistent obsession for Adams and she draws on this passion in her practice. “I understand the image that fashion designers want to project and how to differentiate them from the slew of other designers.” The fashion industry follows a strict schedule, dictated by seasonal catwalk presentations. The pressure of working for a range of brands, all showing collections at the same time, can be intense but with advance planning and support from her studio she thrives on it. “It’s a crazy time but totally rewarding,” she says.
A new addition to her fashion roster is the sustainable womenswear label Bodkin. Adams is personally dedicated to the challenge of translating the core values of their locally produced, eco-friendly collection into their visual communication. She was appointed art director for the Autumn/ Winter 2009/10 catwalk show, she expanded the remit of graphic designer beyond print collateral. Active in the initial planning of the show, she was able to absorb and impart nuanced details to enhance the cohesion of the entire experience. Adams admits that within such a broad context “collaboration plays a huge role. The projects incorporate so many different disciplines. It’s all about trust.”
The creative process started with a detailed discussion of what inspired the collection: “shapes, cuts, colour palette, fabric choices… and by the end of that conversation I had a bunch of ideas,” says Adams. The Horticultural Society of New York was an appropriate location for the show, reinforcing the ethics of the brand and pushing the audience beyond the conventional boundaries of fashion week. The invitations were intended to be useful, interactive and covetable, to take on “multiple uses and encompass a few different layers of ideas”. With environmental issues firmly at the heart of the show, air plants were seen as a novel way to reinforce this and also became lasting mementos. The geometric structures of Buckminster Fuller inspired the collection and also the tetrahedron containers for the plants that unfolded into the invitations. Produced with 100 per cent recycled paper and environmentally friendly ink, they also gave instructions for the low-maintenance care of the plants. This is a perfect example of communication working on multiple levels to greatly enhance the depth of the message.
For Adams, the seasonal development and expansion of visual branding is vital for reflecting the progressive nature of the fashion industry. “I think it’s important to maintain the core essence of the brand but reinvent it according to a current collection.” In direct contrast to the corporate pursuit of mass appeal, Adams notices that her fashion clients demand progressive solutions directed towards niche markets. “The fashion industry is completely image-based, so it gives graphic designers the opportunity to show off, to create things that people don’t necessarily have to understand on a literal level.” Adams has a unique expertise that allows her to bring her global perspective to burgeoning brands.
“We chose to have the Bodkin Autumn/ Winter 2009/10 presentation at the Horticultural Society of New York. This location helped dictate the idea of sending out air plants to the attendees. Once that was decided we needed to create an invitation that could serve other purposes besides just inviting people, so we decided to create a container for the plant to be delivered in.” The invitation was designed with Cynthia Ratsabouth.