Reimagining resale in a
brick-and-mortar shop.
Client
Madewell
Scope
Branded environments
Interpretive graphics
Marketing materials
Illustration
Animation
Role
Concept, design lead, art direction, illustration
Design Team
Jenny Hoffman, Michelle Ghiotti, Jeremy Hoffman,
Noni Devora
In 2022, Madewell filled a brick-and-mortar location in Brooklyn with hundreds of secondhand Madewell styles sourced by thredUP, the online consignment shop. Named “A Circular Store,” it was designed to challenge the definition of a traditional retail store by extending the life cycle of existing clothing. For the month it was open, the store resold over 2,800 preloved Madewell pieces, ranging from denim and dresses to shirts and outerwear.
Designed at Ashton Design in partnership with ATTN:
Press
Fast Company, Forbes, Gotham, Harper's Bazaar, The Wall Street Journal
Awards
Finalist, Fast Company's World Changing Ideas 2021
Reframing the Entrance
The experience was built from the ground up. The store’s second-floor location sat atop a Madewell men’s store, so we took over the first-floor exterior on opening weekend. A natural cotton canvas banner with screen-printed type strategically covered the permanent signage. At the same time, the sidewalk stencil completed the circle from the sign above to reinforce the pop-up’s theme.
Dichroic film on the windows created a mirror-like aesthetic that changed colors as people walked by. When visitors walked through the doors, directional a-frames and floor decals guided them to the elevator, which, covered in dichroic film, served as the perfect selfie moment.
In-Store Experience
At the entrance, three circular tables explored the three main tenets of circularity: forever fashion starts with well-made clothes, second chances give clothes a whole new life, and repairing clothes can add extra value by extending their use. The last tenet was reinforced with an in-store mending station, which allowed visitors to get some TLC for their garments and provided on-site tailoring. At checkout, custom clean-out kits extended the store’s purpose to visitors’ homes by helping them take action in their own closets.
Projections & Touchpoints
Three video projections, set inside custom-bent aluminum frames, introduced the natural world to the industrial space and set the mood of the store. Elsewhere, strategically placed QR codes led visitors to videos about the benefits of shopping preloved. Finally, “love notes” attached to garments educated visitors on Madewell and thredUP’s larger commitment to circular fashion.
Launch Success
The store’s launch was teased through social media posts and a launch email, and it ultimately enjoyed great publicity from features in The Wall Street Journal, Harper’s Bazaar, Nylon, Forbes, and more. By the end of the month, the store resold over 1,000 pairs of jeans, which, compared to new jean production, reduced carbon emissions by over 17,000 pounds.