SVRN · 2021 – 2024

The SVRN archive

Brand Strategy and Marketing Manager at SVRN, a Chicago luxury multi-brand retailer. Brand strategy, partnerships and events, execution, and copy.

01

Brand strategy

SVRN is a catalyst for self expression that serves as a cultural hub and creative outlet with global outreach.

The identity

I created the brand strategy and image for SVRN that they continue to use today. I started with a well-rounded brand identity that elevated SVRN against its competitors, and the statement above is where it landed: built by a team of people who take pride in their different interests within the industry, pioneering the intersection of fashion, music, art and design.

From that statement, the team could weave every creative and technical asset back to the identity. That cohesion gave the brand a visible personality, and it showed up as more followers and engagement on social and more purchases in-store and online.

I also created content pillars for the written editorials and for TikTok, so writers and content creators had a formula to follow with the identity at its core.

The ten-year growth plan

One of my favorite projects was ideating and writing SVRN’s ten-year growth plan. The deck covered who SVRN was, where they came from, and where they wanted to expand.

I worked on the brand story, the brand image, customer profiles, the social data display, market research for expansion opportunities, and the goals for the future. I also wrote the finalized pitch to vendors to approve store openings in new locations.

Then I presented it. I was one of the main people in the room with the brand vendors who were deciding our future allocations and expansion opportunities, so I wrote the content and carried the message in person.

02

Partnerships and events

For each of these I created the pitch deck, pitched the concept, planned and executed the collaboration, wrote the press release and reached out to journalists for coverage, and made sure content was captured to share with our partners.

KVADRAT/Raf Simons CDMX Design Week 2023

Bringing two brands to Mexico City

A collaboration between SVRN and the textile company KVADRAT/Raf Simons, built to bring both brands to Mexico City during Design Week 2023. Neither had an audience there before, so this was the way in.

The main attractions were handmade sculptures referencing ancient Mexican artifacts, made by Chicago design studio Julian David, who has familial ties to Mexico City. We used KVADRAT/Raf Simons fabrics on the sculptures to reference the oxidized lion in The Arch of the Causeway of the Heroes in Leon. We also hosted a commemorative dinner at Rosetta, inviting key artists and creative figures from the city.

I partnered with a Mexico City PR firm and wrote the press release, which landed placements in Vogue, Elle, and more.

  • Vogue Mexico
  • Elle
  • New market for both brands
KVADRAT/Raf Simons × SVRN, Mexico City
KVADRAT/Raf Simons × SVRN, Mexico City
The overview → Vogue MX →
Nike Holiday 2023

The “Dear Chicago” pack

Nike’s Dear Chicago pack was designed by select Chicago boutiques alongside the Nike design team, and I was part of SVRN’s group helping lead the design. We took the Nike team around the city and showed them what we thought made Chicago what it is. I brought them to a youth creative center that made clear how much community matters here, and on an architecture tour that became the story behind the two shoes: Chicago during and after the Great Chicago Fire.

The Air Force 1 represents the city going through the fire, with cow print accents and red tones. The Air Max represents the growth into the modern skyline it is today. Together the two tell a story of strength, rebirth, and community. I was also in the promotional video content for the shoes on the Nike SNKRS app.

  • Nike SNKRS release
  • Sneaker Freaker, Complex
Nike “Dear Chicago” pack
Nike “Dear Chicago” pack
Sneaker Freaker → Complex →
Jordan All Star Weekend

Nina Chanel Abney x Jordan launch

For the All Star Weekend launch of the Nina Chanel Abney x Jordan release, I helped lead the launch event, a party in Chicago thrown with the Jordan team for the collection. I sourced the venue, worked with the Jordan team, and handled planning, scheduling, and execution on a budget over $60,000.

  • Budget over $60,000
    • Nina Chanel Abney × Jordan launch
    Nina Chanel Abney × Jordan launch
  • All Star Weekend
aplasticplant Pop-up

A first merch pop-up for an anonymous account

To grow brand awareness and reach a new audience, I led the collaboration with the Instagram moodboard account @aplasticplant for his first ever in-store merch pop-up. Plant keeps his identity secret and has over 491K followers who are genuinely attached to the community around it. I designed a collaborative shirt and set up a two-day pop-up and installation at our Chicago flagship.

There was a line down the block on opening day. I wrote the press release and got placements in Hypebeast, Modern Notoriety, and Block Club Chicago.

  • 491K follower audience
  • Line down the block
  • Hypebeast, Block Club
aplasticplant × SVRN pop-up
aplasticplant × SVRN pop-up
Hypebeast → Block Club →
All Together Now Sommelier Sundays

Something open to the whole community

Most of the events I led for SVRN were private, and I wanted something anyone could come to. We partnered with the Chicago natural wine shop All Together Now for bi-monthly themed wine nights open to the public, with the goal of bringing different people together over a shared love of fashion, art, design, and food.

We curated a wine list and menu with the All Together Now staff and had a DJ playing music from the theme’s region. The first was themed after the Loire Valley, the second after the Italian Alps. Both sold out. For press we kept it local on purpose, and landed TimeOut and Block Club Chicago.

  • Both nights sold out
  • Open to the public
  • TimeOut, Block Club
Sommelier Sundays with All Together Now
Sommelier Sundays with All Together Now
TimeOut → Block Club →
BLOBB Supper Club

Getting adults to play again

SVRN Supper Club is a seasonal invite-only dining experience celebrating the intersection of fashion, culture, and cuisine, and it exists to make SVRN more than a retail store. This one was with Mexico City artist and architect Sofia Elias and her brand BLOBB, whose architectural background produces jewelry that is purely experimental.

The installation was about play, with food, art, and design. We made an exclusive collaborative product available at the event and in-store the next day, curated a BLOBB-inspired menu and layout with Tables Tables Tables and Chef Daniel Marbán, and showed Sofia’s pieces from the gallery of Pamela Weissenberg alongside interactive art from our teams.

  • Invite-only, seasonal
  • Exclusive collaborative product
SVRN Supper Club: BLOBB
SVRN Supper Club: BLOBB
The overview →
Marni Supper Club

The first Supper Club

The first installation was with Marni and paid homage to their Italian roots, with a modern take on classic Italian cooking referencing the SS22 collection. SVRN had an exclusive shirt with Marni that season, so the event doubled as the way to put it in front of people. We worked with the Marni team on small accessory gifts for every guest, partnered with Soho House Chicago for the private dinner, and ran a Marni pop-up in their space the next day.

  • Exclusive Marni shirt
  • Soho House Chicago
AT.Kollektive Season 3

North American launch partner

As the North American launch partner for AT.Kollektive’s Season 3 collection, we had to advertise the collection and premiere the launch in-store and online. To do it differently, we sent one of our associates to the AT.Kollektive leather factories in Europe to film the leather-making process and show the audience what makes the material in the collection unique. The asset ran on both our Instagram and theirs.

For the launch event we partnered with Sushi-San for hand rolls, emptied the store, and displayed only AT.Kollektive pieces. I wrote the recaps of both the factory visit and the event.

  • North American launch
  • Factory film shot in Europe
AT.Kollektive Season 3 launch
AT.Kollektive Season 3 launch
Factory visit → Event recap →
03

Copywriting

Product copy, long-form, social, and email. These are examples of each. I can send more of any of them.

Product copy

SEO-driven product copy for SVRN, short and succinct but informative, with the keywords that give it search reach. I created this form and pattern of copy for the company and they still use it. I also designed the drop-down implementation of sections so it’s easier to read.

I led product copy for two years, managing all incoming inventory, writing the descriptions, and uploading every product to the website.

Brand descriptions

SEO-oriented brand descriptions for labels on a multi-brand platform.

Rick Owens → Maison Margiela → Dries Van Noten →

Long-form

Pieces written for brand awareness, to advertise product, and to promote new collections.

SVRN x Guidi exclusive → AT.Kollektive factory visit →

Social

I managed SVRN’s Instagram for over two years, writing every caption to be enticing, informative, and true to the brand identity.

Email

I ran SVRN’s email marketing for over two years: subject lines, preview text, and body copy, plus leading a team of graphic designers on themes and layouts. I planned every send a month ahead on an editorial calendar and assigned each one out.

Product copy on svrn.com
Product copy on svrn.com
Product copy on svrn.com
Product copy on svrn.com
SVRN Instagram
SVRN Instagram
SVRN Instagram
SVRN Instagram
SVRN Instagram
SVRN Instagram
Long-form, SVRN x Guidi
Long-form, SVRN x Guidi
AT.Kollektive factory visit
AT.Kollektive factory visit
04

Execution

Systems

A lot of my career has been writing plans for other people to follow, but I have spent just as long on the execution side of strategy.

To improve how things ran internally, I wrote copywriting and freelancing guides for SVRN employees, so whoever works there next has the tools to do it properly. I also implemented an editorial calendar, color coded by department, where every meeting was scheduled and everyone’s availability was visible. As the company grew, that one thing did more for transparency and organization than anything else.

On the floor and online

Every partnership and event I planned, I was there to execute. I was on the floor while displays were built, communicating with vendors and sponsors, and managing the people working the events. I think you have to see an idea through from start to finish.

I also managed our e-commerce platform, where most of our sales came from. Beyond writing the product and ad copy, I made sure products went live on the right release dates, were tagged correctly, that the pages looked cohesive, and that images were edited or reshot before they went up.