2020 has been a lot of different things, but what I am most grateful for is the down time to reflect, think and process. Process the growth, successes and challenges that come with being a solopreneur, it is what has lead us here.
Our brand, Studio Melissa Louise Creative Consultancy officially launched in 2016 but really Studio Melissa Louise had been growing, stretching and blooming long before then, I guess it goes way back to varsity days, when I was dipping my toes in the freelance world of Interior and product design. Our blog launched in 2012 as a personal blog, the Melissa Louise brand then evolved offering full scale interior design transformations, a product line and content with a focus on design, travel, food, and joyful moments from everyday life. All of it has contributed to what the brand is today, nearly 10 years later.
Back in 2016 I was working full time as a brand manager at a local textile company, interior design was my side hustle and candle making was a hobby. I was visiting project sites during my lunch hour, while demand for my candles had picked up which lead me to burning the midnight oil (literally) – these are all signs that my brand had potential. I embraced that potential and with the help of friends, I scraped together a CI (Corporate identity), with no cash loans or investors the best advise I can give you is to DO IT YOURSELF. Everything. It’s the best way to keep costs down. When growing a brand organically, your biggest investment is time.
We listed our candles online in April of 2016, nearly 5 years later and here we are working on one of our biggest projects to date – our brand refresh. We have been working alongside the multitalented Fiona, from Love Wildly on bringing our vision to life and my goodness did it come to life in the most beautiful way! I will let it talk for its self…
I am so so VERY excited to finally share our brand refresh with you all!! It’s perfect timing as we close our studio for 2020, we will be starting 2021 with a fresh new look and feel. Keeping the soft, peaceful colour palette and other recognizable elements of our brand that you all have come to love, Fiona refined the primary & secondary logos and sub-marks. Giving us more to play with across all platforms and applications. I cannot wait to see how this is translated into our new labels and packaging – launching soon in 2021!
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Written, compiled and photographed by Melissa Lawrence. Brand refresh and graphic design by Love Wildly Design.