The process of developing the Falling Leaf Clothing brand has been quite...organic! I knew I wanted to include my own photography showcasing the beauty of Scotland, but creating a cohesive design that incorporated the sustainability, gender neutrality and outdoorsy aspects of the brand took a bit of trial and error.
The Logos
The Falling Leaf logo started out as a very rough concept sketched into PowerPoint and then developed into the beautiful final design by the talented team at PushPrint in Glasgow. They then pulled together the unique 'roundel' design shown below, which has become an integral part of our product designs, giving the feel of a postal stamp on a "Wish You Were Here" type of postcard from the featured Scottish locations.
The typewriter-style Carbontype font and rough finish on the leaf emulate this 'stamped' effect, and our tagline of "love your planet" reminds the wearer of the essence of the Falling Leaf brand - the social and environmental standards to which we hold ourselves in everything we do.
The leaf itself of course reflects the name of the brand, all stemming from my love of the magic of autumn and evoking all of the romantic notions of walks in the woods through piles of crunchy leaves dressed in layers of cosy clothing, followed by warm drinks while curled up in front of the fire with a good book.
Any development is not without its challenges, such as the discovery that my beloved Carbontype font - which I've used liberally in the garment designs and on the website - doesn't have symbols like '@' and the all-important '#'. So far, all challenges have been able to be overcome one way or another, though I'm definitely still feeling my way through the labyrinth that is fashion design.
The Art
While the logos remain more or less the same on each garment, each garment features a distinct location in Scotland, from Mill Bay on the island of Stronsay in Orkney to Lochan na h-Achlaise at the south end of Rannoch Moor. The landscape photographs are adjusted to provide the best contrast and colour to showcase the area with a bit of Falling Leaf flair, and DTG (Direct To Garment) printed in solvent free, water-based, vegan inks using 100% renewable energy and 100% carbon neutral gas.
New designs featuring new locations in Scotland will be gradually added to the Falling Leaf collection as the brand grows - I look forward to sharing the new releases with you when they're ready!
Our Motto
For me, the phrase "all good things are wild and free" perfectly captures the essence of Scotland and her breath-taking landscapes. While not something that can always be taken or embodied literally, the concept of keeping as much of our world 'wild and free' fits well with our sustainability goals and serves as a reminder of the reason for starting the brand in the first place - sharing the beauty of Scotland while encouraging sustainable consumption by making it fairly priced and accessible.
Developing the Falling Leaf brand will of course be an ongoing process, but I'm really proud of what we've achieved so far.