I had the joy of returning to my Texas roots in Austin where I worked as a Design and Production Assistant at HarperSage during Summer 2023. Existing as an ethical lifestyle brand, HarperSage was established in response to the witnessing of poor labor conditions from fast fashion’s reliance on rapid production rates. CEO and Founder Meghan Herman had a vision to empower multi-faceted women through both community and style, all while maintaining refreshingly personal relationships with her suppliers. Meghan’s background prior to launching HarperSage is an inspiring story that can be read more here!
This experience equipped me with valuable lessons on growing and sustaining a purpose-led brand while keeping the design process creative and trend-minded. The following content summarizes my time in Austin designing, learning, growing, and connecting with local creatives!
I joined the HarperSage team at a particularly exciting time—the launch of our Summer 2023 Capsule Tour de Play! Preparing for the launch meant that the team was in the midst of developing a storytelling method that communicated the capsule’s inspiration, vision, and process for the public to be engaged with.
A significant portion of Tour de Play involved the use of deadstock material that Meghan hand sourced while visiting the women-owned factory she partners with overseas. This detail created really neat messaging to integrate into our storytelling for the purpose of having dialog with shoppers on circular fashion topics. What transpired during this process became a celebration of the quirks and imperfect qualities of using surplus fabric. “Create and Play” was initially a mindset we adopted for our marketing messaging, but eventually became a reminder to our team that when all else fails, nothing is ever wasted when we shift perspectives and embrace creativity.
I had the opportunity to design the visuals that were used in our photoshoots, media content, and in-person events throughout the summer. To reflect the themes presented in the capsule collection, motifs were developed to feel whimsical, organic, and hand-crafted. My favorite memories during this time are the collaborative moments I shared with Meghan on the creative vision for photoshoots that brought alignment with the brand’s aesthetic. Fun fact: our studio at the time was adjacent to CRAFT, Austin’s local craft room with floor-to-ceiling inventory of second-hand art supplies/materials. Taking breaks on event planning and logistic work to gather inspiration and craft trinkets inside CRAFT truly brought Meghan and I so much joy!
photography by Sanetra Longno Photography
The HarperSage Duo Crew is a brand initiative that aims to unite shoppers in their local cities and foster community through yearlong events. Alongside each other, members of HS Duo Crew are encouraged to learn and engage with topics that concern ethical fashion, human trafficking, and sustainable consumption habits. My involvement with Duo Crew helped the brand translate its core values into concrete actions, helping HarperSage distinguish itself as a culture that prioritizes social responsibility and creating positive impact.
Making the Duo Studio
My most favorite project from this time would easily be designing the HarperSage Duo Studio— our curated brand showroom in East Austin! The space acted as part warehouse and part storefront, quickly becoming the brand’s headquarters to ship out online orders, gather for community events, create beautiful things, and shop in-person.
This showroom eventually set into motion the transition towards a storefront on South Congress (eek!) where shoppers can currently visit. I’m so proud of the groundwork we did on this Duo Studio and the way Meghan and her current team have built on the design choices we made during Summer 2023 before I left for grad school. This project taught me so much about executing creative visions and making sure to have fun along the way!
