ONE LARIAT
CASE STUDY
Logo
One Lariat purses were all dressed up with nowhere to go when we met. With a full line of product completed and ready for market, they needed a brand identity to place them amongst competitors and create visibility and recognition for consumers of the retail fashion industry.
Fitting with a cowboy ranching origin story, the logo I designed with the simplified shapes of its bisecting, overlapping initials was inspired by old western cattle brands but refined with clean edges to bring to mind its high-end positioning. The palette reflects the earth, wood, and animals that inhabit the range.
Photography
I shot the product beauty photography against a clean white background and set atop a highly polished, rich, dark mahogany surface that would create a mirror reflection suggesting a sophisticated, classic look. This offsets and emphasizes the purse's craftsmanship and handmade qualities.
The models were chosen for their natural beauty and styled in a working ranch hand's T-shirt and jeans.
"HE WAS ALREADY A MASTER HORSEMAN AND CATTLE HANDLER WHEN I MET HIM TO LEARN ABOUT HORSEMANSHIP, AND THE THINGS HE MADE FROM LEATHER WERE COVETED BY MANY. ALWAYS FUNCTIONAL, THE PEICES HE CRAFTED FOR THE COWBOY'S TRADE WERE ALSO BEAUTIFUL WORKS OF ART. HE OUTFITTED HIS HORSE IN THE STYLE OF AN OLD CALIFORNIO, THE WAY THE VAQUEROS DID IT IN THE DAYS OF THE BIG RANCHOS. AND THE ROPE HE USED FOR CATCHING CATTLE WASN'T MADE OF HEMP. CAREFULLY CUTTING STRIPS OF LEATHER AND RAWHIDE AND BRAIDING THEM INTO LONG ROPES, HE BUILT HIS OWN REATAS. LA REATA--WHAT WE CALL A LARIAT IN ENGLISH--WAS A CRITICAL TOOL FOR THE COWBOY AND CATTLE RANCHER. MOST OF THE WORK HE DID-- HAND-STITCHING, HAND-LACING, CUTTING--TO MAKE BRIDLES AND STAMPEDE STRINGS AND MEND SADDLES WAS DONE WITHOUT MACHINERY. THE STORY OF STRONG HANDS IS IN EVERY PEICE HE MADE. IT'S IN THE RAWHIDE WORK HE MADE JUST FOR ME." L-N
Brand Story
The drive and motivation of the maker LN, came from the sweet remembrance of the time when she learned the skills to make handcrafted leather purses, her admiration for her teacher and her devotion to riding horses and to ranch life. We encapsulated these cherished memories into the brand story. It appears on the hangtag and other collateral materials along with this closing phrase:
"I HOPE YOU GET A SENSE WITH THIS PURSE OF THE OLD CALIFORNIA RANCHO CRAFTSMANSHIP I LEARNED STRAIGHT FROM THE SOURCE. WHEN YOU CARRY IT, MAYBE YOU'LL FEEL THE GOLDEN LIGHT, THE TAP OF HOOVES, AND THE EXPANSE OF A LARGE DAY UNDER AN OPEN SKY." L-N
