Creating Fashion with a Community Connection

Using Product Design and Development for Relevance and Impact

IMPT! T-shirt in collaboration with the brand First Twelve.

Clothes have the power to express people’s identities, personalities, and backgrounds. Fashion brands aim to create products that resonate with them and their audience. At IMPT! we have the intention to present our local culture worldwide via our brand and incorporate that into the product creation process.

Learn more below about five factors we consider when creating products to express a local culture in an international landscape.

Niche Aesthetic

If you are in the fashion business, aesthetic matters. It is important to realize what type of aesthetic your brand is trying to explore in product creation. Probably, the aesthetic that you will select represents a niche or lifestyle, so research it and gather references. Sometimes the same aesthetic represents different niches in different locations around the world. So, clarify if the aesthetic you are exploring will help you to express what you want with your target audience. After this, you can go forward to design the product.

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Lifestyle Representation

As I mentioned in the introduction, clothes represent more than a preference; they also indicate a lifestyle. When designing clothes that incorporate local culture, think about representing a lifestyle trait or mood that resonates. In an international landscape, think about making a point about the same lifestyle while highlighting your local cultural perspective.

So, for example, casual sportswear is a loved niche in fashion worldwide, and for example, at IMPT! we loved to make designs that portray the local passion for soccer. By mixing local and global references, we can create a design that resonates with people around the world.

Similarities

Use the power of similarities between cultures to favor your brand. In an international collaboration, IMPT! partnered with the American brand First Twelve. We brought together the ’90s iconic soccer era and the minimalistic casual varsity vibes in a single product: a T-shirt as a redesign of the PSG Ronaldinho jersey. We love how this project is a perfect example of how we can bring together different perspectives of sports love with a defined aesthetic that targets and speaks with a specific audience.

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Uniqueness

It’s also important to add a final, unique touch. At IMPT!, we did this multiple times through local production that can incorporate raw materials or feature local hip-hop artists. These are examples that could reflect a positive impact for your community, making your product creation more meaningful and relevant.

Trends Aren’t the Key to Success

My final advice is to avoid following fashion trends, which are one of the main characteristics of ultra fast fashion. Trends are tricky because they can be a short-term success but create long-term harm. Brands trying to create a product that conveys an impactful message can instead opt for timeless or vintage looks that better reflect your intent. True success is making something that is authentic and meaningful.

Whether it's a new collection, campaign, or brand launch, Studio IMPT! helps turn your ideas into action. See how we can support your creative process.