Austin Fashion Week
Branding for Austin Fashion Week and Spectra Grande Finalé Party commissioned by Clever Maven Events
Role: Creative Director - Branding, Programs, Website, and Sponsorship Decks, Marketing Promo
The Challenge
The Outcome
In 2012, Clever Maven Events presented me with an incredible opportunity: to design the branding and marketing for Austin Fashion Week. I was deeply honored by the trust they placed in me and, with a two-month deadline rapidly approaching, I immediately met with stakeholders to understand the producer’s vision, marketing goals, and desired outcomes.
The most significant branding challenge we faced was that the fashion designers had not yet revealed their collections. This meant the branding needed to convey a clear and compelling sense of fashion without spotlighting any specific designer. Additionally, the event’s grand finale afterparty, Spectre, would feature a dynamic fusion of fashion and interactive lighting design, introducing unique design parameters that required meticulous photoshopping and elevated typographic styling to capture its innovative essence.
Given that large-scale events typically require promotion at least six weeks in advance, my timeline for delivering an innovative and cohesive brand architecture was condensed to just two weeks. Fortunately, Clever Maven granted me full creative freedom, enabling me to overcome these challenges and deliver exceptional results within the tight timeframe.
The Role
We started by branding the sponsorship deck for Spectre, the Grand Finale After Party. I created three initial concepts and presented them to Clever Maven. After selecting their preferred option and making minor refinements to the logo, I expanded the design across the entire sponsorship deck. Many of these visuals were later repurposed for a microsite, paid advertisements, posters, and event programs, ensuring cohesive branding and maximizing design efficiency.
Clever Maven and the Austin Fashion Week stakeholders were so impressed with my branding for Spectre that they commissioned me to develop the branding for Austin Fashion Week’s main events. We started with a series of logo concepts and ultimately chose a twining ribbon design. This ribbon motif, inspired by the elegance of 1960s haute couture, set the tone for the branding, influencing a muted color palette and precise cutting lines. To modernize the aesthetic, I incorporated photo collages and elevated the typography into an editorial format, which I presented alongside tonal color variations of the selected logo.
The concept resonated deeply with Clever Maven and the Austin Fashion Week board, who enthusiastically approved the direction. Building on this foundation, I extended the photo-bashed collages onto monotone model treatments, further refining the cohesive visual identity. This branding was applied to a 21-page sponsorship deck and later adapted for landing pages, program guides, print posters, and paid advertisements, ensuring a consistent and impactful brand presence across all touchpoints.
The main events of the 2012 Austin Fashion Week secured sponsorships exceeding $75,000, a testament to the strength of the event's branding and its appeal to key stakeholders. Additionally, Spectre, the Grand Finale After Party, garnered over $25,000 in dedicated funding, further showcasing the event's ability to captivate sponsors and audiences alike.
Austin has long been celebrated as a cultural epicenter for art, film, and fashion, and the success of Austin Fashion Week reinforced its reputation as a vibrant creative hub. I am deeply honored to have contributed to the elevation of its branding, helping to align the event with Austin’s innovative spirit and cement its place in the city’s cultural legacy.
“Raby is always awesome. We returned to her again and again because we just trust her judgment.”
