Gothic Gypsy

"Its a Lifestyle"

This case study will be discussing the clothing and bag designs for ‘Gothic Gypsy’ designed by student Tegan Holme. Designed for the Brand Identity and Products Industry, Tegan worked with the owner of ‘Gothic Gypsy’ to make their dreams for the brand come alive.

The Brand

Inspired by psychedelic 70s and surf culture ‘Gothic Gypsy’ is a clothing/ surf/ lifestyle brand designed by student Tegan Holme. “These designs play with the darkness and light, the stillness and fluidity of the ocean, and encompass the salty nomadic style that is Gothic Gypsy through kinetic type”. – Tegan Holme. The name ‘Gothic Gypsy’ is a unique name as it is a combination of genres implied in the name. Gothic meaning black and dull, or something that is characterised by mystery, horror and gloom. and Gypsy nomadic, free-spirited and colourful. However, both names originated in the 16^th- 20^th centuries, used to describe different people’s way of life. This unique name makes the brand stand out from the crowd.

Typeface

The typeface matches the vibe of the clothing brand perfectly. It makes a strong, bold statement, It is eye-catching and the distortion adds that bit of extra flare that draws the human eye Personally when I see this typeface it instantly makes me think of a gypsy. The long swirls, the joining of the words and the illustrations really adds to the energy of the designs . The designer used the typeface ‘Nightly Demo’. This was the chosen typeface because it had the 70s feel the designer was looking for and the thicker style meant it was easier to manipulate without losing too much legibility.

Target Audience

While the designer couldn’t personally choose the target audience due to her collaborating with an already-established brand, the brand’s chosen target market is the patrons of Gothic Gypsy- the salty nomadic lifestyle channel and their paraphernalia, the free spirits that want to live a quiet life with no worries.

Patterning/ Designing

A strong element of this design is the power between the typography and the illustrations. The incorporation of the full skulls, the outlined skulls and the skeleton hands really shows what kind of energy the designer is trying to build. It creates a sharp, in-your-face look. However, the designer would have liked to experiment with more movement and incorporate more symbols such as butterflies and flowers. Which while still having a sharp look about it, they would also make the design a little softer, connecting to the free spirit audience whom they are trying to relate to.

Colour Palette

The designer chose a darker colour palette the gothic and more traditional feel. She then contrasted this with the rainbow gradient to incorporate the 70’s genre and create juxtaposition. The designer actually used tattoo ideas for inspiration for these designs. Which personally I think connects well with the designs they are trying to produce. The energy that skulls, flower and butterfly tattoos give off really connect to what I think the energy of Gothic Gypsy is.

Future Packaging Ideas

Since Gothic Gypsy is aimed at people with the salty/ nomadic lifestyle, the short-term goal for this business is to expand their designs onto more products such as surfboards, stickers and phone cases. These are the target products as they fit with the lifestyle of the target audience.