Working in a small core team of two designers and a junior product manager, we developed six distinct apparel brands from the ground up. We began by defining the overall brand direction and visual guidelines, which were then continuously refined in parallel with the development of each collection.

Once the core identities were in place, the focus shifted to the creation and production of seasonal collections for each brand. These collections were launched alongside EMP’s quarterly music merchandise catalog, one of the company’s key sales drivers. As a result, hundreds of individual products were developed every year, each rooted in deep research and a strong understanding of the relevant lifestyle subcultures.

This close connection to the target audiences helped create highly authentic products that resonated strongly with customers and performed well commercially.

The result was a cohesive yet diverse private label system, with clearly differentiated visual worlds tailored to specific subcultures and customer segments. Within a few years, the private label program grew into a major revenue driver and an important contributor to overall profitability.

The work was later featured in the German trade magazine Textilwirtschaft, highlighting the impact and distinct visual positioning of the private label brands.