“Worn by you, me, her, him, they, them. Worn by everyone”
Worn is a brand that has been created to allow anyone (male, female, LGBTQIA2S+) to feel confident with their own gender identity and help remove the stigma surrounding gender-targeted products. It will challenge old stereotypes that are now narrow, with new gender-inclusive ways of thinking.
Our attitudes towards gender are changing, but brands aren't evolving with us. They still use stereotypes that are limiting. As more people start to embrace fluidity, authenticity, and self-expression in their own gender identity, they want businesses to start addressing them on a deeper, more personal level.
Design uses solid visual cues like colour, texture, typography, imagery and shape to signal the femininity or the masculinity of products. With the use of gender-neutral branding, I was able to create visual cues that blend femininity and masculinity seamlessly into one.
I took a deep dive into the history of gender identity and combined my findings into an educational tool. Showing people that gender identity has been around for years but it's only making headlines now because of Gen-Z pushing for brands to be more transparent and honest.
I wanted the book to have two looks and feels, the first half is black and white reflecting the neutral pallet of today. As you progress through the book we shift from black and white to bold and bright colours reflecting the look of the future.
I was fortunate enough to be able to place Worn in a retail environment. Being able to set this brand up in a store meant I was able to see if what I had spent the year working on had paid off or if it was a flop. I was taken aback when in minutes of setting up Worn people were engaging with the product and even asking the staff where it was from, how long had it been in the store etc.
It was validation from the consumer that this is the direction of branding they want and engage with. It made me so happy that what I had been working on for the year was getting the love it deserves. Gender-neutral branding isn’t something people should be scared of, embrace it, have fun, be bold, exciting, playful have fun.
Gender-neutral branding is becoming the new gold standard. If brands aren’t being inclusive they aren’t picked up at all. I hope Worn inspires you to try and use gender-neutral branding in your next project because it's with small steps in the right direction that change happens!
