EMP Private Label Brands
Building six apparel brands from scratch
Introduction
EMP, one of Europe’s leading music & entertainment merchandise retailers, set out to establish its own private label portfolio. At the start of the project, only the brand names were defined - there were no visual identities, no collections, and no established design direction.
My Role
As part of the in-house design team, I was responsible for shaping and evolving several private label brands from the ground up. My work ranged from early brand definition to the visual direction of seasonal collections.
I collaborated closely with product managers, buyers, and suppliers to translate brand concepts into cohesive product lines that resonated with specific subcultures and customer segments.
My responsibilities included:
• Developing visual identities for multiple private label brands
• Creating brand guidelines and defining visual directions
• Designing graphics, prints, and product artwork
• Supporting the development of seasonal collections
• Aligning visual storytelling across product and Brands
• Communicating design intent to internal teams and stakeholder
The role required a strong balance between creative direction, hands-on design, and cross-team collaboration to ensure each brand remained authentic, distinctive, and commercially viable.
Building a multi-brand private label system
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.
Founding Private Label Team
Core Team
Christian Paff – Sr. Designer
Martin G. – Sr. Designer
Carolin R. – Product Mgmt
Executive Sponsorship
Nils L. – Head of Licensing
Felix L. – Founder & CEO
Company
Brands by EMP
Black Premium
Rock Rebel
Gothicana
Full Volume
RED
Rock Skulls†
* Artworks created by Chris Paff for EMP Merchandising HGmbH, 2013 – 2024 – Artworks and Photos courtesy of EMP Merchandising HGmbH, www.emp.de
Custom Lettering & Illustration
Apparel Illustration
My Role
I led the visual development of original illustrations and custom lettering for apparel collections targeting niche subcultures.
My role covered research, concept definition, and final artwork production. The objective was to create designs that felt native to the culture - not inspired by it from the outside.
Motivation to be authentic
The goal was never just to create visually appealing prints, but to design graphics that felt authentic to the subcultures they were made for.
Each illustration was rooted in research, visual references, and a deep understanding of the respective scenes - from metal and gothic to biker culture. The intention was always the same: create designs that even the most dedicated members of the culture would proudly wear.
The benchmark for success was simple: if a hardcore fan or biker club member could look at the design and say “this represents me,” the work had achieved its purpose.
Company
Brands by EMP
Black Premium
Rock Rebel
Gothicana
Full Volume
RED