You won't forget my name, n.1
The first edition of the sporadic selection of brilliant naming cases.
We bring here a curation of new and established brands that have caught our attention. Their names deviate from traditional naming and open the way to new possibilities when it comes to brand names. Understanding why a name is strong is key to creating ours — we hope this list will serve as a tool for you too.
Their colorful and patterned clothes scream contrast, even more considering the city in which they live: São Paulo. The Brazilian metropolis has a similar reputation to Milan and New York: Known for its inhabitants opting for shades of a scale that goes from gray to black, and preferably suitable for conventional or conservative work environments, such as banking, lawyers, accountants, etc. The name Calma São Paulo, which can be translated into “Wait a minute São Paulo”, is an invitation to a city that doesn't stop much to observe something new and different (vibrant, comfortable, celebrative clothes). The invitation comes from the word Calma, which is such a sweet word that even in the imperative it has a hint of suggestion. The rhythm of the full name, with words of more or less the same length, is added to the sound that starts open (with syllables with A) and closes progressively (with syllables with O), creating pleasure in reading or verbalizing even for whom doesn't understand its full meaning.
A brand that declares itself as an umbrella under which collections, unique experiments, and collaborative capsules are launched. With offers not tied to the traditional calendar or the seasons (as a rule), the Australian brand that carries Spring in its name communicates the season as a sentimental and abstract idea, of a lasting and positive feeling. It is a long 5-word name, but easy to remember because it has an almost proverbial construction, as it uses adverbs (such as Never, Always, Everyone, All), and very easily affectionate words such as Spring, which pass through our vocabulary at different stages of our life. Why this name for this specific brand? First, the products' level of experimentation works with a less descriptive umbrella name, as it instills curiosity. Second, it is a seemingly young brand, which brings references to current "core" trends: cottagecore, goblincore, angelcore, and so on, which are linked to historical styles. Bringing in a sentence that looks like a quote from a book is a perfect fit.
3. Djerf avenue
The Swedish fashion brand was created in 2019 by then-model and influencer Matilda Djerf. Matilda already had an extensive community of followers, and whose style was strongly received on Pinterest — her last name was as important as her given name, and key to finding her in any search. Using her last name in her favor is smart, as there is a degree of separation from the physical person, yet transmitting the idea of heredity and history, which is a good recipe for a lasting brand. To improve the application in social media and search tools, the word Avenue was added. Matilda lived part of her life in California, and it's easy to see the references there in her company's creations. Avenue makes perfect sense and in the brand’s words:
"The name came to us when we were having breakfast at All-Time in Los Feliz, LA. We want you to feel like you're walking down an avenue that breathes Djerf Avenue when you enter our world".
There is a smooth link between traditional nomenclatures for luxury brands, such as the use of "Maison de" and "House of", which through a familiar place creates a physical connection of location, this time in a modern and refreshed way. It's a very clean and accurate choice of name.
Signing off,
Isis May