Between art & fashion

The Background

Founder & Creative Director, Rachel Bu, wanted to create a bespoke wearable heirloom that spoke to her own unique history and that she could one day pass on to her own children. With a background in sculpture and her BFA from School of Visual Arts, Rachel always had an affinity to bringing stories to life through beautiful, 3-dimensional objects.

She set out on a mission to create one-of-a-kind and limited edition modern day heirlooms in the form of wearable art pieces & digital objects.

The Challenge

Rachel had very clear visions on the stories she wanted to tell with this first line, the style, and the designs of the pieces but she needed help to conceptualize the brand as a whole.  The challenge here was bridging the sometimes dichotomous industries of art and fashion.  She wasn’t creating mass produced jewelry designs, she was creating bespoke and limited edition pieces of jewelry. This business model felt more synonymous with that of an artist and art studio than a jewelry shop.

The Solution

Our task in launching Rachel's first collection was to create a brand that evoked the individuality and romanticism of the pieces themselves.  We developed Authorne from scratch, creating an evocative name that felt just as confident and fearless as the pieces.  Inspired by the wearer, an individual who blazes their own trail, Authorne invited people to “wear their own story” for oneself not for an outsider’s gaze.

The name Authorne was born from that exact sentiment. It felt like a family name that could prevail and be passed on for generations to come. It inspired one to be the author of their own story and to adorn oneself accordingly.

We infused that same feeling into the lettermark and the dynamic mark of a cicada outstretching its wings. The Cicada symbolized rebirth and immortality in Chinese culture and felt close to Rachel's heart as she stepped into a new phase of her life. The palette made of rich golds, warm neutrals, and deep oxblood was inspired by Rachel’s own ceramic collections.

We wanted to create a fully unique and coded typeface for Authorne.  Sometimes our stories are for ourselves only and this typeface becomes an encoded message that can be used throughout the brand, from animations on the site, hidden messages, and serial numbers on the pieces themselves.