Branding: Kashmiri Ties
Entrepreneur Zachry Smith asked our team to create a logo and branding strategy for his new business to sell silk Kashmir rugs. Honoring a centuries-old art and the individuals and culture from which it comes was forefront in our team’s minds while weaving together the brand identity. Kashmiri rugs are more unique and valuable than the rarest gemstones. Our goal is to elevate these items in the market to a luxury status. Historically, these silk rugs were made exclusively for royalty, and have earned their place in the luxury rug market. These magnificent rugs have rough-and-tumble beginnings with equally rare craftsmen who live in an awe-inspiring and challenging part of the world. Conveying this dichotomy and the value it adds to the product is essential to positioning this company to be at the top of the market.
Kashmir rugs are created using Persian knots, and their designs are influenced by Persian designs and the textile art of siericulture. The connection Kashmiri Ties has to the best weavers and rugs in Kashmir creates a strong connection between those who make a home for these gems and the communities who come together to create them. This is an opportunity to create a uniquely special brand identity and strategy.
Capturing the personality of Kashmiri Ties was a group effort. Each of us lent our design skills and collective understanding of the company to capture the right imagery. Our team named the company “Kashmiri Ties” for the method with which the rugs are made, and the unique relationship the company and its clients have to craftsmen in Kashmir.
brand research and overview:
From the research, the team picked specific logo color variations and typeface choices for branding. A classic and dramatic serif, Didot, was chosen and paired with the sleek and modern sans-serif Montserrat. The Identity Guidelines created for the client outlined the use of the logos, logotype, typefaces, colors, and imagery chosen to support the brand.
The logomark’s shape is based on the medallion design found on many Kashmiri rugs, and this was our guide for patterns created for stationery. The stationery and business cards for Kashmiri Ties shown to the client were printed on Paper Source extra white card stock paper and put together by hand from templates. A new website was also designed for the company to be a credible seller on the market.
press kit: the kashmiri ties story creating new ties
The business owner, Zachry Smith, related a story from his travels to Kashmir. When purchasing rugs from a craftsman, it was customary for the bartering parties to sit and share a cup of Kashmiri tea together. This fostered a special relationship between the craftsman and the customer.
If sharing tea together is a way of building business connections in Kashmir, why not do so with Interior Designers in the U.S.? This is the kind of relationship Kashmiri Ties wishes to have with their sellers. A unique press kit designed by the team is sent out to specific interior designers to foster a new business relationship and share the special Kashmiri Ties story.
The press kit includes an unstained birch box, porcelain tea cup, a thank you note from the business owner, and a scroll detailing the company’s unique birth story. A look book of rugs being sold through the company available to interior designers and their clients is also provided in the neatly packed box. A zine showcasing photographs by the owner of the Kashmiri valley and people is another special piece in the press kit.
