Design Bridge Amsterdam – Wolford

Wolford redesign by Design Bridge sets the tone for fierce new femininity in skinwear- The iconic brand takes its rightful place by bringing ‘Exceptional European Skinwear’ to a new generation.- The strategic and creative packaging overhaul included category break-outs and a collaboration with Dutch illustrator Emmy Koos Meijer.Amsterdam, 29 April 2019: Design Bridge today announced the packaging redesign of iconic Austrian skinwear brand Wolford. The new look and attitude captured in the designs aims to connect Wolford to a new generation of consumers. Wolford has produced refined, sleek and durable skinwear since 1950. Cut to 2016, however, and they were indistinguishable in the category.‘Wolford needed a way to tap into new ideas of femininity, which are more complex, multifaceted and limitless. They needed to tell a story of quality and durability – traits that make Wolford a top choice of professional dancers and performers, like Beyoncé – combined with a sense of fierce femininity,’ says Claire Parker, Executive Creative Director of Design Bridge Amsterdam.The packaging didn’t represent the premium quality of the brand. To reimagine it, the team examined Wolford’s role: on stage, in store and on skin. They worked with Amsterdam-based illustrator Emmy Koos Meijer to create a range of illustrations that would break the category norm of headless female mannequins and communicate confidence and femininity in an authentic way. The edgy and attitudinal line illustrations are full of movement, carefully crafted and featuring realistic and imperfect female bodies.Fashion photographer Julia Keltsch joined the team to create a new series of photography for the packs: always empowering and never objectifying, featuring natural poses and lighting to simply portray how the products feel on the skin. The imagery and illustration are paired with playful slogans to inspire the wearer to take the stage with confidence.Claire Parker continued, ‘The structure feels like a gift to yourself. No longer simply something to contain the tights within, this presents them in a confident way and unveils them layer by layer. From the contemporary exterior to the considered engineering of the interior that holds and protects the product. We also designed a complete gift experience — from wrapping paper to ribbon and gift bags.’Design Bridge and Wolford collaborated from strategy to execution, including in-store and online audits, design, rollout and a possible Direct-to-Consumer offering in the future. The flexible, scalable design system at the heart of the project will be rolled out across the brand’s vast portfolio of SKUs and was specifically designed to live beyond the pack as well, opening up possibilities for a range of different formats and future launches.‘Luxury goods are no longer about labels’, said Claire Parker. ‘They have to be transparent in quality and offer something to believe in. Wolford has always had this — the joy was in revealing it to a new audience. Wolford now shows its true colours: the skinwear that gives you the confidence to go out, perform and shine.’The global redesign sees new Wolford packs available in-store, with new shopping and gifting experiences in flagship stores in Amsterdam and Paris.