You won't forget my name, n.6
The sixth edition of the sporadic selection of brilliant naming cases.
Following up on the last post of the series, we bring here a curation of new and established brands that have caught our attention in recent times. 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.
Line-of-sight
There are advantages to both simple and compound names. If we follow the latter route, it is imperative that each word is chosen accurately in its individuality and in relation to the whole name. The types of words that can be part of this composition are many, and today I would like to put the Magnifier on one in particular: the powerful preposition "of".
"Of" indicates the relationships between other words, creating a new layer of meaning. Lists are very handy when creating a name, so here are some of the possible uses* for of:
relating to or showing somebody/something. E.g.: a story of passion
used with measurements and expressions of time, age, etc. E.g.: the fourth of July
used to show the position of something/somebody in space or time. E.g.: just north of Detroit
used after some adjectives before mentioning somebody/something that a feeling relates to. E.g.: to be proud of something
In English, it's also possible to use a noun adjunct to cover a similar idea, as in some cases it can be interchangeable, as in The Vampire's Wife (versus a possible The Wife of the Vampire). The use of 's instead of o can give a more modern and casual character to a name, as this is a linguistic tendency: FBI—Federal Bureau of Investigation, from 1908, vs. CIA—Central Intelligence Agency, from 1947. In this case, it is important to pay attention to a change in meaning. As an exception, this mechanism can generate different meanings, as in "the density of water"(physical constant) versus "water density" (a measured parameter).
Please note that the function of the word "of" is not unique to the English language and is commonly used by brands such as the Venezuelan Port de Bras and Fil de Vie from the USA (both with French names).
That's the name of the project created by the Brooklyn art collective MSCHF, famous for completely reinventing themselves with each drop, and of course, for their sense of humor. The collective bought an original Andy Warhol illustration and made 999 impeccable forgeries of it and mixed them—losing track of the original and destroying any record that could aid identification (not even they know which is which). The original cost $20K, and the collective is selling each copy or potential original for $250, which as they describe "they are all definitely by MSCHF, and also all possibly by Andy Warhol".
The conventional structure of the Museum of Forgeries, Noun-Preposition-Noun, has a solemn and institutional air. It also doesn't beat around the bush on the main subject: Museum of serves as an arrow to Forgeries, the center of the name. Furthermore, the choice of the specific word "forgeries" is worthy of praise. If we think about its synonyms (such as falsifications, copies, fakes, or imitations) none are so well allocated to the art market language, nor do they convey the same delicacy and distance from the idea of a criminal act.
As for the hierarchy of drop names and the parent brand name, MSCHF is strategically interesting given the diversity and independence of each drop. As an example of this distinction, they have other projects connected by preference or (potentially) a rule for compound names, such as Keys4All and Medical Bill Art.
For a long time we see fashion magazines talking about must-haves, and recently the wave of brands that target essential or basic clothing has grown abruptly. The proposal of this brand is a little different.
APOF - "A Piece of Favorite” - is based on the idea of creating the favorites that we all have in our closets. The pieces that we love to wear forever.
A Piece of Favorite was founded by sisters Frederikke and Kathrine Hviid, creating women's clothing in Denmark in 2017. The brand's creations seem more focused on building a character visually, with patterns and prints that are as interesting as they are easy to wear. In other words, it's not about simplicity but is easy to wear while being memorable.
The name works perfectly with the strategy and has some advantages to take note of. The first is that the of in the name facilitates the formation of a nickname by an acronym since it provides a vowel that helps with pronunciation.
Lack of Color is an Australian-rooted headwear brand created in 2011 by Tess Corvaia and Robert Tilbury. It became known for successfully introducing North American millennials to hats, making them an attractive accessory beyond the beach vacation. How the brand presents itself:
"Pairing traditional shapes with modern uses of colour, texture and quality finishes, each piece creates true style moments steeped in nostalgia and crafted for limitless possibility. With a distinctly Australian aesthetic and down-to-earth appeal, Lack of Color offers boutique designs to suit all, having found a home among the wardrobes of style icons, celebrities and hat lovers throughout the world."
The name of a brand with a word that implies absence or non-sufficiency is a bold decision. Unfortunately, the reason for this choice wasn't found in institutional materials, interviews, or anything—but that doesn't affect the first reaction to the name: curiosity.
Pure speculation, but I wonder if it's inspired by the song A Lack of Color by Death Cab for Cutie as it would match the nostalgic character of the brand. Another speculation, this time as a concern, is the potential for the lack of color research results to be linked to social-economic and diversity problems. As they have a core product, the hat, it is easy to correct the search, but it can negatively affect a possible expansion of the product range. Finally, the hat brand has a sister, I Dream For You, which covers both men's and women's apparel.
Bônus: Souvenirs of
This isn't exactly a business—it's an Instagram profile called @souvenirsof, with the following proposition:
Exploring artistic and artisanal experiences around the world. Building bespoke itineraries for curious travelers.
The page is signed by Sofia Alexandra Nebiolo, editor and producer also in charge of The Skirt Chronicles magazine. The name that might seem incomplete at first glance is actually an invitation, creating a fertile space for creativity. It's a very good name to grow: it will fit any size of business without creating unnecessary outlines. Souvenirs of can be anything.
Signing off,
Ísis May
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