The name Rosebud Inc pays homage to the classic film Citizen Kane (1941). Founding partner Ralf Herms interprets this as “a mission to use each medium to its limits and explore any latent potential”. Experimentation and exploration lie at the heart of the studio, which looks for original material-based solutions. Founded in Vienna in 2003, Rosebud see bespoke ‘brand publishing’ as a professional responsibility to their clients and outline this commitment in their manifesto. Their principled code focuses on creative innovation and prioritizes the experience of the end user at the expense of commercial motivations. While the manifesto provides the studio’s orientation, it also implies that clients are expected to become active facilitators of the creative process, not merely spectators. Rosebud request participation and passion from them to ensure tailor-made results. This mutual responsibility is the basis on which all the studio’s professional relationships are built.
Rosebud have produced invitations and lookbooks for Vienna-based menswear designer Ute Ploier since 2003. “The manifesto can be seen as the essence of our working ideas and ideals, a basic guideline of principles that helps us to stay focused with each and every project,” says Herms. “Our relationship with Ute is an example of how our expectations of quality, uniqueness and conceptual clarity can be realized. The projects could even be considered blueprints for our manifesto.”
Ploier sees each season’s collection as an independent opportunity to explore the dress codes and archetypes of masculinity. Rosebud are tasked with developing a new visual language and format that suits it. Focused on function and comfort, Ploier builds her collections on a strong conceptual framework. Rosebud have the responsibility and freedom to reinterpret this and create the two-dimensional equivalent of the three-dimensional garments. From simulated holiday photographs or collage, to posters or booklets, even catwalk images, they collaborate closely with Ploier. “The conceptual approach is a mélange of what inspires a collection and our interpretation of the finished pieces. Ideally the main theme can be translated into a whole new format without losing the essential ingredients,” says Herms.
Herms is professional, practical and compliant in his creative process. “Design is creating things based on an assignment. Problem – idea – solution.” Although the relationship with Ploier is highly productive and satisfying, Herms is not convinced that creative clients necessarily initiate or extract more innovative work. While a shared creative language can be an advantage, he believes “collaboration and communication with the client is the key element for successful projects. Since fashion designers often share an equal mindset, it may be more easy to find the right vocabulary.”
Confident in his process and output, Herms confesses to being “insightfully bullish” when clients need a little help in making decisions. This is only possible and successful when both parties respect each other, which he considers a prerequisite for all successful partnerships. Rosebud are supported by a manifesto that enables them to extract the best practice from their studio while drawing the client into a collaborative relationship defined by mutual responsibility.
The Brand Publishing Manifesto
1. Brand Publishing must be done for communicating and not for selling.
2. Brand Publishing must always originate from a unique idea.
3. Only the feelings, the opinions, the beliefs of the readers are of relevance.
4. The content must never be conceived apart from the images and vice versa.
5. Naked ladies and stock images are forbidden.
6. The Publication must not contain trivial content or boring design.
7. Copying is not permitted.
8. Readers are the final and real owners of the publication.
9. Concepts must never be used more than once.
“The idea for the Autumn/Winter 2005/06 ‘Pioneers’ lookbook was developed in close collaboration with Ute and especially the photographer Bernd Preiml. He came up with the characteristic look of the images and also did the final editing. Key to this project was the thorough focus on details, which was applied in all stages of the project: concept, photography, design and packaging. The images have been printed, laminated on cardboard, stamped and marked by hand with pens. The set of boards was packaged in a custom-made box that was finally sealed with a hand-numbered label.”
“Ute and I came up with a very spontaneous approach for the Autumn/Winter 2007/08 ‘The Messenger’ lookbook. The deadline was pretty tight that didn’t allow a specific shoot for the looks. Therefore we worked with the show images by Shoji Fujii and thought about a simple but effective way to illustrate the collection’s spirit. The shortened pages create a unique, haptic experience. They might be seen as a curtain or a fabric swatch-book, indicating the entirety of the collection and simultaneously depicting each look in itself.” Modest in size and production this innovative use of purely functional catwalk photography transformed the conventional into the conceptual.
Inspired by the title of the Autumn/Winter 2006/07 ‘One Man Show’ collection, ‘genetic engineering’ by Bernd Preiml places the same face onto each of Shoji Fujii’s catwalk images. The effect is so perfect that you do not immediately notice.