LINES & CURRENT
Born out of a love for clean lines with a boho twist, 'Lines & Current' is a minimal jewellery and accessories brand for normal girls who 'work hard to keep it simple.' It's about de-cluttering, finding clean lines & pursuing your version of minimalism or simplicity. Lines & Current have built an online community of followers who love the look and styling of the brand through creating a strong brand look as well as engaging in a genuine way with their customers. They have built a community.
We chatted with Lines & Current's Rebekah about her company and asked her to share some tips with us on how to build a recognisable brand.
Tell us about your brand!
I am Rebekah, creator of Lines & Current, a minimal jewellery and Accessories brand. I want my customers to have a beautiful, inspiring and most importantly, 'hassle-free" online shopping experience and I offer free shipping too.
How do you go about creating a strong brand aesthetic?
I see myself as a curator in many ways, even more than a designer. I love to use my designs to curate a visual display for the viewer, for example, putting together a seasonal lookbook and creating consistency in aesthetic and tone even if I'm dipping into various different photographic sessions and products across the four collections in the Lines & Current shop. The muted, often subdued aesthetic of the brand is reflects the minimalism I value. I think it's so important to define your brand using a consistent visual palate and not be too much of a magpie. I have to show restrain because I love a good collage, but I'm careful not to dilute the clean visual backdrop I've worked hard to create.
What tips do you have for startups wanting to build a recognisable brand?
Get started! The beginning is the hardest part of any creative activity I find. Then modify and evolve. Gosh, when I started Lines & Current in 2015, I had one headwear product, the HETTA multi-functional hat. I was also working a lot with pen & calligraphy fonts experimenting with whether this would be an outlet of the brand. I was also selling a kitchen product called 'the spiralizer' online after having written an e-book for recipes to use alongside. I wondered if Lines & Current would be more of a lifestyle brand. The past two years has been a process of de-weeding and streamlining the vision of the brand. I had to experiment first, but the challenging part is knowing when it is time to ' de-weed & cut out' and to 'hone in & focus.'
There's a balance between what I want to put out there and what my customers like and will purchase. This means I have to design with the customer in mind yet still remain true to my creativity instincts and desire to push the "artistic envelop" as well. This may involve some failure, some major duds, but you are gradually building up a picture of which designs and marketing strategies are the strongest with the hope that eventually you will know which areas to focus on. Once you find something that works, milk it, work it, stay true. For example, I sell an infinity necklace called the ELSKA. It's my biggest seller and even now after a year and a half has stayed at the top. A few months ago, I released a sister version of it called the Eclectic ELSKA and now sell them both at this top selling rate.
Find your unique selling point. Finding what makes your brand stand apart is crucial. For me, personifying each product across the collections and creating a back story for each piece has meant my customers have something to sink their teeth into when they are making their purchase. The giving aspect of our brand also assures the customer that we are not just after sales, but have an outward focus too.
linesandcurrent.com