VELEM Apparel was a brand development and design project completed during my studies at Loyola University Chicago, created as an exercise in building a cohesive brand identity from concept through execution. I developed VELEM as a sneaker and apparel company centered on creative self-expression, using contemporary fashion as a vehicle for celebrating and introducing audiences to influential works of art.
The brand’s flagship Gallery Line featured low- and high-top vegan leather sneakers inspired by paintings from critically acclaimed artists across different cultures and periods. Each design was developed to both function as a fashion piece and serve as an entry point into the work and legacy of the artist who inspired it.
The project allowed me to apply a broad range of creative and technical skills across the entire brand ecosystem. I designed the footwear concepts using Adobe Photoshop and other Creative Cloud tools, produced original photography for product imagery and advertising, developed the brand voice and written copy, created Instagram advertising, and built the e-commerce website in Shopify. The result was a fully realized brand concept spanning visual identity, product design, photography, copywriting, digital advertising, and e-commerce.