Cushendale

Translating 250 years of expertise into an ambitious, contemporary, international brand.

✦ Brand ⬢ Digital ✶ Experience

Project team

Brian Headshot Brian
Cat Headshot Cat
Johnny Headshot Johnny
Fiona Headshot Fiona

Cushendale woollen mills has been a family business for over 250 years, with a woollen mills on the site since 1204. That history and heritage was weighing the brand down, and as the latest generation of the family took the reigns they had a bold vision for the next chapter of the business, marrying the generations of expertise and knowledge with a bolder approach to product aimed at an international, digitally orientated market.

Brian Headshot Brian

Expressing a contemporary outlook alongside a rich heritage required a playful and irreverent approach to photography whilst retaining a deep respect for craft and materials. It was important to get the balance right.

Our approach was to support this vision with the development of a confident contemporary brand that balances quality, craft and thoughtful detail with an unapologetic creative edge.

This defining tension is carried through all aspects of the brand, the classic serif logotype paired with an interwoven monogram, a deep heritage blue paired with a searing orange, a brand story that connects deep expertise and constant evolution and invention, and an approach to imagery that marries calm stillness with unexpected movement.

Widely known for its design heritage, we brought Kilkenny into the brand conversation which provided a richer story then the existing made in Ireland tag. 
The overall expereince reflected the quality of the mill as a phsical space, a kind of rough-hewn high-end and entirely unique.
The overall expereince reflected the quality of the mill as a phsical space, a kind of rough-hewn high-end and entirely unique.

We redesigned every aspect of packaging to further position as a contemporary luxury brand and provide a simple counterpoint to the colourful, textured, patterned products. We picked out high-end details using a palette of natural materials to deliver a plastic free packaging solution that cover physical and digital sales needs.

We developed an extensive image bank, working with photographer Al Higgins and stylist Ciara O Donovan to create a wide range of visually diverse images that could be used across channels and throughout the year. Process shots showed the people, place and work that goes into the products. Product shots position the items in contemporary lifestyle settings, and social campaign shots used contemporary dancers to explore the products products though movement and unexpected composition.

One of two remaining fleece to fabric Irish woollen mills, Cushendale produce and a wide range of yarns to for a very enthusiastic craft community.

This project brings together the branding, imagery and overall essence of who we are in one place, accessible to all our customers at home and abroad.


Miriam Cushen Owner of Cushendale

Highlights from the project

Plastic free packaging 
solution

with….

Powerful storytelling through imagery

With Al Higgins and Ciara O’Donovan

Building a powerful platform for growth

A new high quality ecommerce experience