The Art of Visual Brand Storytelling With Photographer Ellen Christina Hancock
An interview with visual storyteller and photographer Ellen Christina Hancock. If you’re familiar with the wonderful paint company Atelier Ellis you’ll be familiar with Ellen’s distinctive work.
Her images, characterised by their striking simplicity and stillness, not only capture the feeling of a space or moment, but also evoke an emotional connection.
Read our conversation about the art of visual brand storytelling exploring Ellen's story about how she discovered her style, her approach to capturing each still or moving image and how she balances the creative and the commercial in her brand photography work.
Shot by Ellen Christina Hancock for Atelier Ellis
“I like the in-between moments because they make us human. How we move in a space, our rituals, our physical dialogue of movement. How you take your tea, your favourite seat with your imprints of calm moments left behind. It says a lot about us, and I am always curious to observe it.”
In this blog post, I want to introduce you to one of my favourite visual storytellers, photographer Ellen Christina Hancock. If you’re familiar with the brand Atelier Ellis (featured in this previous blog post) you’ve likely already seen Ellen’s distinctive work.
Her images, characterised by their striking simplicity and stillness, capture the feeling and atmosphere of a space and moment, evoking an emotional connection.
Ellen talks to us about the art of visual brand storytelling, how she developed her creative style by noticing the beauty in the ordinary, and how she approaches capturing each still or moving image to portray the heart of a brand story.
Q: Can you share your story, how you became a photographer and how you developed your style?
Like lots of people, it wasn’t a linear trajectory. I remember very early on having a discomfort, a yearning to be able to articulate things, the world around me, other people, myself. I was always creative and always exploring but couldn’t find any coherence and was often left very frustrated.
My mum was a photographer. She would endlessly photograph me and my siblings and document her experiments in bursting notebooks. I spent a lot of time watching her in her tiny makeshift darkroom and what I remember most is experiencing the moments of clarity she had, when everything aligned and she created a moment of purity. I longed for the same thing.
For the longest time I just wasn't sure what career I wanted. In the end, purely for the love of it, I decided to study Fine Art and History of Art at Leeds University. During this time I always used photography as a means to explore my work and document things but mostly I worked with sculpture and interactive design. I studied abroad as part of the Erasmus scheme in Istanbul where I also specialised in sculpture but this time in more traditional forms; metal, stone and clay. I spent a lot of time there photographing and taking videos particularly of my daily crossing between Kadıköy (the Asian side) where I lived and Eminönü (the European side) where I studied and the birds that would ceaselessly follow the boats. But during this time and my degree, although I did it a lot, I never considered photography as a path, it was a means to an end, a way to document. It simply didn’t cross my mind to take it further.
At university I would often gravitate to roles that assisted or engaged with other artisans. I was much more interested in organising our degree show and the work others were producing than my own. When I left university this continued. I worked for an architecture magazine and directly for architects doing marketing roles, content creating, editorial - enhancing the work of others. I felt ultimately that this was my place. That I wanted to be in the creative world but I wouldn’t be a creative myself.
While at the architecture magazine I started to do a piece documenting architecture studios, a sort of ‘Day in the life of…’. To save money and time and to give it a more relatable feel, I did the photography. This piece became a regular feature and I started to do more and more photography. There was not a lightbulb moment just a slow realisation that actually I really enjoyed this. I started to carry a camera around with me more, take one on holiday and for several years this went on.
I then went part time while working at an architecture practice and tried to get some professional photography work. This was a long and laborious slog! I took every job I could get, in every field, of every type. I finally started to get some traction and lockdown hit.
To cut a long story short, lockdown is when I found my style. I had to move back in with my parents, had no work and like all of us was struggling with the enormity and devastation of what was going on around me. It was a year and a half before I could afford to move out again and return to London but in that time, having reached a version of rock bottom, I photographed and studied every day, relentlessly. I was very lucky to have my parents and their support so I took the opportunity to learn as much as I could. Walking the same route everyday, observing the same four walls, the same people within them, I observed all the small changes. The light throughout the day, flutters of transition as the seasons began to change and tried to find purpose in these moments rather than relying on interesting buildings or overt beauty in front of me.
Towards the end of this time and as lockdown was lifting, we visited The Weald and Downland Museum nearby. As we were walking in the gardens I noticed some berries starting to ripen and some dappled light calling them to my attention. This was one of the first moments I played with underexposing and overriding the camera’s meter reading. This was a pinnacle moment, probably the only one I can recall in my life, this was my way of seeing and my way of communicating it. A moment of hope in the darkness, a longing acknowledged.
Eltham Palace shot by Ellen Christina Hancock
Q: You describe approaching your work with curiosity and a desire to encourage natural and authentic imagery that tells a story - can you expand on what you mean by that and why you always want to tell a story?
I think really it comes down to connection. I have such a strong desire to be heard and understood - to connect - truly and deeply with someone and so I would like to allow that space for others. It is fascinating to me that I can turn up to a complete strangers house/studio/place of work, they allow me into their safe space and within a couple of hours we have shared something really special and hopefully had a moment of genuine connection. I try to honour the trust they have given me, whether in shooting their work or themselves and to show it as earnestly and truthfully as I can. It is that connection between us that I want to show, not my interpretation. I do not want to come in, take over, share a curated version or just my version of events. It is the shared experience we have had - how they have told their story and how I have heard and received it.
Q: You capture light and dark so well. How do you use the qualities of both to enhance the storytelling in your work?
I think it is an understanding that there are wonderful things in both. There is great depth to be found in the dark and hope in the light but the two can only exist and are at their best in the presence of each other. I want things to be seen and admired as they are.
It is, of course, inextricably tied to me as a person too. I am not an overtly and consistently joyful, upbeat person - I am glass half empty to be sure. But I am thoughtful, kind, reflective and considered and try to be accepting of my nature and its complexities - there is good in it all and I want to show and see value in showing these variations.
Shot by Ellen Christina Hancock for Atelier Ellis
Q: You seem to work closely with a small number of clients. I especially love the images you create for the paint company Atelier Ellis. There’s so much atmosphere, the sense of peace and the feeling of home - how do you work together to create such beautifully rich storytelling and does it help creatively to have a long-term relationship?
There is a lot of preparation beforehand that allows for spontaneity and creativity on the day. I will ask for details of the project, what the aims are, particular shots, any inspiration and also images or things that are not right. I find a lot of the people I work with find inspiration in a variety of places like I do so there may be a visit to a gallery, a novel of importance, a film to watch but there is a lot of gathering of inspiration.
We then try to create a bit of structure to the day depending on the light, priority images and peoples’ availability. Some formality to create foundations but as I say then on the day we try to keep it as free as possible. We try things and if they do not feel right we will not continue on with them, we will explore something new if it presents itself and we always have our notes and brief to refer back to and check in regularly.
I am particularly lucky with Cassandra from Atelier Ellis, she lives and breathes what she preaches and is an inspiration to work with, as is her team. Our long-term relationship is now a friendship and a shared love of art, literature, fashion, food, ceramics, an appreciation for kindness, all of which informs what we do. Nowadays we have a visual language together and can work very seamlessly. What really elevates this from both sides is trust - I fully trust and am invested in her vision and she trusts in the way I translate it.
I think the key with a long-term relationship, and this is something Cassandra and I strive for, is to continue to grow. We are always questioning what worked well, what didn’t, thinking how, can do that better, striving for more.
Shot by Ellen Christina Hancock for Atelier Ellis
Q: The short film clips have your distinctive artful look, but the subtle movements you capture always have a sense of life, a hint of a person in the room, it’s as if they’ve just popped out…the whiskey settling in a decanter, the rising smoke from a candle, a linen curtain gently moving in the breeze. How have you translated the storytelling of your stills photography into moving images?
On a practical level - I started video because I felt if I wanted my business to last, I had to. However, I took the approach that if I started on my own terms I would be able to do it in a thoughtful way and with the emphasis on enhancing my work.
I observed that when I was shooting there were moments where natural movement occurred that would suit the format. We might have the window open to shoot because it is warm and a breeze comes through and brings it alive for video. Or we are having a coffee break and the setting catches my eye and looks appealing. I do not however force the movement. The photography comes first, the frame is set and then the movement extends on from there, this way the two can sit comfortably along side each other and elevate one another.
On another practical note, shooting video is very different to photography, you are almost trying to shut out the light rather than let it in. There are stages with video though that mean I can break my learning into manageable chunks and progress technically in quite a methodical way. Cine stills are a useful and obvious way to start, then you can introduce more movement, come off the tripod and then start thinking about sound which is a whole other kettle of fish.
It’s always helpful to be learning and thinking about new ways of seeing. This learning then engages my photography and new challenges and parameters push me to keep thinking of other ways to tell stories.
Images above show details of Nancy Nicholson, weaver and textile artist photographed by Ellen Christina Hancock
Q: How do you capture people in your images - you seem to always be able to show so much character? And then in your moving stills - I’m thinking of the ones you created for Berdoulat - but in others too, people are often only slightly in the frame, in the distance or walking away. Why do you choose to capture it that way and how does it add to the story you want to tell?
Ultimately, I want to enjoy my days. I have taken a huge risk working for myself and one of my main intentions in doing so is to have more control over my life and to enjoy my time as much as possible.
I want to meet new and interesting people and hear about their lives. I think it is about prioritising the person not the shot. I take the time to talk to them, to find out about what they are doing, how their day was. I hope what is coming across in the imagery is our connection, me being genuinely interested in their character and who they are and giving them space to be that person. With this approach I find the best shots follow.
I like these in between moments because they make us human. How we move in a space, our rituals, our physical dialogue of movement. How you take your tea, your favourite seat with your imprints of calm moments left behind. It says a lots about us and I am alway curious to observe it. I think we often say more about ourselves in those moments and people are more relaxed and comfortable being observed in this way.
Part of it is also about not wanting to invade peoples’ space or force them into being front and centre if they do not want to. As a female photographer, it is hard for me to photograph certain situations - I am not necessarily safe doing street photography for example and in the past have put myself in situations I shouldn’t have. I already have one eye on my surroundings to make sure I am not in danger, I cannot always risk averting my gaze further for the sake of a beautiful shot. Equally as a woman I feel I am often watched and observed when I don’t want to be. I try always to think how would I feel if I had a camera shoved in my face on the street, or was forced to perform in a certain way. If it is uncomfortable, unsafe, or uneasy for someone I will not ask them to do it. It is not a common view but the shot is not always worth it and I would rather respect people. If I observe people in a beautiful composition, I can appreciate and take on the moment in person, enjoy it as a nice composition then walk away knowing it will have informed and inspired in some way.
Q: Your work really stands out. Its crafted simplicity is visually striking and bold amongst the noise and busyness of so much online content. Do you think there’s a power in being quieter and slower?
That is a very nice thought and I hope so but I also think I am unable to be otherwise, to be loud!
With social media I really am just not able to show up other than how I already do. I try to craft longer captions, to say more on stories and it just feels forced, therefore I would rather not do it. I would rather save my energy to engage with people in person, on shoots and then let the photography talk for me.
But the people I really engage with online are those who produce at a slower pace, a quality over quantity approach. I look out for their content, I save it and refer back to it regularly and I think that is powerful. It becomes knowledge that informs me rather than a fleeting interest.
Q: How do you work creatively with your clients to ensure you’re capturing an image that always works for them commercially?
I think this is again about understanding your role in the process, not being too dominant with your own vision as a photographer and knowing the importance of the function of the image. There will be times when the primary focus of the image is to create an atmosphere and a feeling and these can be more loose but when an image has a commercial function, whatever is being sold must be the most important thing and be made to look its best. Beauty is still very important but is not the primary function and that must be remembered. If everything is well prepared and carefully considered then the imagery will be consistent and multifunctional.
I find for a more commercial image, often it is key to pare things back, especially props, and play a bit more with the light. I am always thinking about whether something is distracting me, is my eye being pulled away to something else. If it is and it is not to the thing you are selling then you need to rethink. Everything must be focused on enhancing the subject.
Q: What other brand(s) have visual storytelling that you particularly love?
I am particularly invested in brands that keep me looking at their content and products. I may not be able to afford their product yet, or I haven’t visited the city they are in but they stay ever present in my mind as an aspiration and thing that I can envisage adding joy to my life. Most of the time this is because they are showing the time, effort and skill that goes into their product.
I love seeing how things are made, the materials used, where they found the materials, the techniques they use - I am ever curious and brands that show this kind of content will always have my interest.
Runaway Bicycle is a constant source of inspiration for me. It is all about the handmade. It is about them as people and the community that supports them.
I think restaurants are doing really well at promoting themselves at the moment. Albers is a new restaurant in London and they share really joyful humorous posts that really appeal - I adore this video. I haven’t eaten there yet but am desperate to try. Bistro Freddie also share very relaxed videos on how they make their dishes - they are consistent and very alluring!
I always love to see work by Studio Lineatur. Again, they share their process a lot, mood boards, construction site images. We see the team a lot, just doing their thing and they put a lot of time and energy into creating really beautiful imagery but of the whole process not just finished product. I would love to be their friends which I always think is a good sign!
Q: What’s the next chapter for you?
My main goal is always to keep learning - I still feel at the very beginning of things. With video I have much more to learn practically and with photography I feel there is still so much more to explore, especially with portraiture.
I would also like to develop a few more personal projects. I am working on one at the moment exploring wool - its journey from sheep to loom, in collaboration with Nancy Nicholson and I would like very much to do more things like this.
Lastly I am always seeking a way that my work can offer some good back into the world. I think perhaps this is taking on a more documentary journalistic stance and this is something I would like to explore within both photography and film.
Thank you to Ellen for her beautiful answers and sharing her insights on visual brand storytelling - we have been left feeling very inspired. You can find Ellen’s latest work on her website and follow along with her story on Instagram.
Want to discover more brilliant brands? The stories continue on Instagram @simplemattersmedia and sign up for our monthly newsletter ‘StoryWorks’
The Art Of Creative Brand Storytelling With Potter Jacques Monneraud
Stories Sculpted in Clay: Jacques Monneraud's Viral Ceramics
Ex-advertiser Jacques Monneraud's pottery videos are a hit on Instagram, with millions of views. To create them, he asks himself, 'What would make me fall in love with ceramics although I don't care about it?'
Read our Q&A with the talented Frenchman and discover how he turns pottery into brand storytelling that captivates even non-ceramic fans.
All images courtesy of Jacques Monneraud
This story begins with a simple Malteser chocolate.
Jacques placed the little brown ball on a pottery wheel and slowly shaped it into a tiny vase. I smiled watching the Instagram film, then laughed out loud when he ate the ‘vase’.
That playful video has since had over 1.5 million views.
Frenchman Jacques Monneraud shares and sells his pottery with brilliantly crafted storytelling full of delight and wonder.
"The world of ideas is a bit like the one of dreams," Jacques muses. "I constantly ask myself…'What would make me fall in love with ceramics although I don't care about it?'"
With a background in advertising, Jacques understands the power of brand storytelling. In this Q&A, he generously shares his creative process, his humility and humour belying the thought, talent, and effort involved.
I'm thrilled to share this conversation with you.
Q: Before studying ceramics, you worked for 12 years in the advertising industry. Can you tell us the story of how and why you left that all behind to become a ceramist? And what drew you to working with clay?
I started as a graphic designer/illustrator and quickly became a Creative Director in an advertising company. During those years, I gradually drifted away from what I loved to do in the first place, which was creating. As someone who grew up in a family of artists and makers, I always pictured myself working with my hands someday. But here I was, spending hours in meetings discussing brand strategies. When I realised that, I decided that it was time to give this dream a try. After a few months searching for this "maker job", I stumbled upon a video of someone working at the potter's wheel. It randomly appeared on my feed and totally caught me off guard. I was instantly hooked. I loved everything about it, the material, the fact that it's just you and a lump of mud, the variety of things you can make out of it... I booked a class the same day and quit my job a few weeks later.
Q: Your creativity comes across in everything you do, from the innovative designs of your ceramics to the playful way you present them, with product descriptions full of character and the stories you tell in the films you share on Instagram. Where do your ideas come from, and how do you approach the development and innovation required to bring those ideas to life?
That's a tricky question. The world of ideas is a bit like the one of dreams. Of course there are ways to find a creative idea. You can approach a subject from different angles in order to make it look funny, original, crazy etc, depending on the message you want to convey. But it would be very hard to dissect and analyse all the brain connections that play a role in the birth of an idea.
I constantly ask myself the following questions: What would I love to see/watch/touch/read? What would be so cool that I'd want to share it? What would make me smile? What would make me fall in love with ceramics although I don't care about it? Because at the end of the day, it all boils down to you and someone else's interest.
As for bringing those ideas to life, it depends... Some projects are easy to make and others very hard. But whichever it is, I always start with the same state of mind, the one of MacGyver (I loved that show when I was a kid). You have to pick a lock with just a chewing-gum? Okay. Let's find a way.
Q: The cardboard series is incredible. I remember the first time I saw the pieces, I couldn‘t believe they were made of clay. The attention to detail of the glaze that looks like tape is so clever and skilful. Can you share the story of the process of that collection? It’s such an original idea, and it must have been so hard to get right. Were there moments when you questioned if it would work?
Thank you :) I must say that research is part of my daily routine, in parallel to my more classic tableware pieces. I'm always exploring ideas. I like to open doors, even though they end up nowhere. I have dozens of unfinished projects and ideas. As for the cardboard, it's failure that pushed me towards this collection. I was unsuccessfully trying to obtain a specific glaze effect that I love, so I started thinking about a ‘raw collection’, made of unglazed pieces. From that moment on, I started to explore different clays and combinations of clays mixed together, with no particular idea in mind other than finding a nice balance between colour and texture.
One day, I obtained a mix that made me think of a cardboard chunk. I thought about pushing it further and because I have always been very sensitive to things that time deteriorates, things that don't last, I instantly loved the paradoxical nature of this project: unalterable cardboard. I really liked the idea of being able to freeze fragility.
From that moment on, I did dozens of tests, be it about the colour, the texture, the optical illusion, the fragility, etc. Until one day, a ceramist friend of mine drops by and, staring at a ceramic prototype, says "oh you're working with cardboard now?". It was a small coffee cup and she was just centimetres away from it. I thought to myself ‘time has come to make a real collection out of this’.
Q: For someone relatively new to their craft, you seem unafraid of setting yourself challenges. Creating the Roland Garros trophy using the clay of the Philippe-Chatrier centre court is a brilliantly ambitious idea. Can you tell us more about the King of Clay project and the film you made, which has had two million views on Instagram?
This illustrates what I was trying to say earlier about creativity and its mysterious ways... One day you buy some Mentos, and a few days later you buy a can of Coke. You fall asleep and when you wake up, your brain suggests that you put the Mentos in the can of Coke. You've made no effort to think about it, yet the idea is here. I've always loved tennis and I watched every game of Rafael Nadal. That's the Mentos. A few years later, I was researching ceramics and read this surprising story: tennis clay was invented by two players who decided to crush vases from Vallauris. And that's the Coke can...
It quickly became clear that, for the idea to be pure, the clay had to come from the real Parisian court. This was my first challenge. With no connections whatsoever to the Tennis world, I thought that I could better my chances with a prototype, so that's the first thing I made.
Once I had it, I knew that the time of the people I was trying to reach was precious, and that I'd need a strong, clear presentation. With the help of a talented friend, I created a mobile website to explain the project. By doing so I ensured that the idea wouldn't be distorted along the way.
From this point on, I followed the "six handshakes rule" (the idea that all people are six or fewer social connections away from each other), and started making phone calls. It actually took me a lot more than six friends but I eventually found a way to reach Roland-Garros' staff. They loved the idea and sent me several kilos of the real clay.
Then the biggest challenge started... because until then I had completely underestimated the complexity of the trophy. In the video, I say that I really came close to giving up. It's sincere. The only thing that kept me going is the "I've gone too far to give up now" feeling. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about :).
Replica of the Roland-Garros trophy using the clay of the Philippe-Chatrier center court. It took Jacques one year and five months to complete. Within the first 24 hours the full film (which you can watch on his Instagram) was viewed half a million times.
Q: Ceramics have such a high risk of failure - from the modelling to the firing to the drying process - so much can go wrong. It must take a lot of bravery to undertake some of your projects. How do you cope with the failures, mistakes and setbacks?
Not well! When I first started working in advertising, my teammate and I created an ad where you see Jesus walking toward water and, although you expect him to walk on it, he eventually drowns. The copy was saying this: ‘There is no miracle. Just a lot of work.’ To this day, I still think it's very true.
People tend to believe that working with clay is relaxing and that quitting your job to become a ceramist will allow you to have more time to yourself... It's the complete opposite. In fact, I dare you to find a job this hard, where you need to turn mud into gold every day and be both Steves at the same time (Wozniak and Jobs).
How do I cope with failures and setbacks? I listen to Kendrick Lamar, read the Harvard Business Review and watch Little House on the Prairie. It goes something like this: Stay humble, work hard and be nice.
Q: You are a talented storyteller. There’s a playful quality to everything you share, and you often talk about a ‘touch of foolishness’ - can you tell us more about why you take that approach? Does it help creativity to have fun and not take it too seriously?
First of all, I think that unless you're a doctor in South Sudan fighting hunger and poverty (my younger brother does that), nothing is serious.
Then, I choose to base my business on social media platforms. Not because I like them, but because in my opinion, it would be a big mistake to close a door to the whole world when you aim to sell things.
Today, these platforms are all about entertainment! How can you have fun watching my content if I'm not having fun making it?
There is this ad agency mantra that I love, "We're not invited to the party, so at least let us bring some champagne".
Q: Your films are brilliantly entertaining to watch, and it seems like you enjoy making them, but they’re also so well produced - they must take a lot of time to plan, film, and edit. Artists and makers often struggle to balance the time they spend creating versus the time they give to marketing and selling their work. How do you manage the creative side of your business and the more commercial aspects?
I do enjoy making them :) I would have loved to be a film director, but I'm way too shy. I know that what I'm about to write here will annoy some people, but nowadays, being a ceramist is 30% being a good maker and 70% being a good salesman. I knew that before I started and that's probably why I took the leap. After years selling things I can focus on becoming a good maker. It's impossible, but I want that balance to be 100%-100%.
Q With your background in advertising, why do you think storytelling is important to a business and selling? What do you think makes a great brand story?
We used to buy products. But now that we have made so many of them, in every colour or material possible, we want them to come with a story. It's one of the few good aspects of our society, because we tend to give more attention to what we buy and own. I think that brands shouldn't be so different from people, and the same goes for their story. Burger King is a funny dude you know, Nike is someone who inspires you, Apple is your crush and Patagonia is the friend you respect... A good brand story is a true and honest one. A great brand story is one in which there is also audacity, courage and loyalty.
Q Are there any other brand stories that you especially admire and enjoy?
I recently discovered this French brand named Kidur and beyond its exceptional products, I particularly loved its story. Two Frenchmen set up this fabric company just before the Second World War. During the German occupation, they hid Allied soldiers and used the company's premises for resistance work. Once the war was over, it was the foreign soldiers who helped the company get through the fabric shortage that hit Europe. The brand survived and thanks to Kidur, the whole region prospered. Magnificent.
Q What advice would you give someone wanting to change career and industry and follow a creative passion in the way you have? Is there anything you wish you’d known when you first started out or that you would do differently?
I'm tempted to say "Just do it". But Dan Wieden once explained where the inspiration for the famous Nike "Just do it" came from. It was inspired by the final words of a death row inmate who was facing execution and said, "You know, let's do it." So... I don't know. Depending on your situation, I think it's a bit more complicated than the usual "life's too short, let's go!". If you allow me I'll rather leave this decision to them and say this: If you did "just do it" and changed career, do "think different".
Thanks to Jacques for taking the time to share his thoughts and insights with us in this interview. You can find Jacques’ latest work on his website and follow along with his story on Instagram.
Want to discover more brilliant brands? The stories continue on Instagram @simplemattersmedia and sign up for our monthly newsletter ‘StoryWorks’
The Art Of Brand Storytelling With Imogene + Willie
We’re delighted to be able to share the story of one of our favourite brands - American denim company ‘Imogene + Willie’.
Co-founders Carrie and Matt Eddmenson are master jean makers and natural storytellers.
Their story starts with an email sent out at 3 am telling a few hundred people about their dream; ‘We simply want to sew in the back of the store a good jean for both men and women that fits perfectly.’
Fifteen years later, it’s a story of success with two shops, a team of 75 and I+W jeans sold around the world to a loyal community of customers and fans.
But theirs is also a story of struggle, heartbreak and refusing to lose hope…
An American Love Story
‘for lovers of good denim and other treasures’
We’re delighted to be able to share the story of one of our favourite brands Imogene + Willie and to have the chance to speak to the I +W team.
Co-founders Carrie and Matt Eddmenson are master jean makers, and natural storytellers.
Their story starts with an email sent out at 3am telling a few hundred people about their dream; ‘We simply want to sew in the back of the store a good jean for both men and women that fits perfectly.’
15 years later, it’s a story of success with two shops, a team of 75 and I+W jeans sold around the world to a loyal community of customers and fans.
But theirs is also a story of obsession, struggle, heartbreak and refusing to lose hope…
‘The hopeful rise of a fallen dream’ by Imogene + Willie co-founders Carrie and Matt Eddmenson
Q: The story is so captivating because it’s honest and personal. A true love story. You share how I+W was born out of struggle and how it’s grown through risks and uncertainty. Why do you think it’s important to share the reality and did it feel scary to do so?
A: The evolution of our business is not unusual - many businesses face the challenge of staying true to their initial mission statement when up against financial and operational hurdles trying to stay afloat. We try to remain transparent when we make the wrong call, have to backtrack, etc. In 2018, at a pivotal moment in our history, we decided to scale back and start again in order to grow in a sustainable way. I have no doubt that these decisions were made with some fear of the unknown, but ultimately the gut check leads us in the right direction.
Q: In the beginning of I+W, you sent an email to friends and family with the hope of selling 250 pairs of jeans. You now have two shops, a team of 75, and sell your jeans around the world, it’s no longer just your family and friends buying. How has the relationship with your customers changed over time and as the business has grown?
A: We are grateful for the growth of our community and business, but ultimately it does mean it is harder to stay connected with everyone who is a customer now. In the early days, Matt & Carrie knew almost everyone who ever walked through the doors of our shop. Our stores remain a huge priority for this reason - interactions that take place there are the touchpoint that has remained a constant as we’ve grown. Our Customer Experience team is also hugely valuable, allowing us to stay connected one-on-one with those across the globe. They offer interactions beyond online service: they provide remote fittings, and reach out to express our appreciation for customer support. We also utilize other methods of staying in touch, including our email newsletters and social media, as well as community events.
‘In some ways, our story was all we had. It was our identity, our guiding light, our foundation on which to make business decisions. All of our marketing was (and mostly still is) us telling our own story.’
Q: How does having such a clear and strong story help with running the business in terms of decisions, marketing, hiring…working with people internally and externally?
A: In some ways, our story was all we had. It was our identity, our guiding light, our foundation on which to make business decisions. All of our marketing was (and mostly still is) us telling our own story. Our people are hired based on their ability to tell our story. Our partners and people we work with are those who know our story well enough to share it. This is how our community was built, and we owe everything to our community for holding us up for these 15 years.
Q: How do your customers respond to your story?
A: Our customers are incredibly thoughtful and attentive; they don’t miss a thing. They expect us to be transparent and communicative enough for them to make informed decisions when purchasing. They appreciate hearing our process, because it’s a way for them to relate and stay connected to us. Our customers hold us accountable if we ever don’t meet their expectations as far as quality or practices. In turn, when we DO, they spread the word of our company like the gospel.
Q: You’ve focused on doing things well and ‘forever on the quest to make the perfect jeans’. How does the brand story help you communicate that commitment to quality products?
A: While so much of what we communicate has to do with sourcing and production practices, ultimately our products need to speak for themselves and hold up to the expectations of our customer. They come to us to purchase investment pieces, ones that they can trust will serve them for a long time to come. With that, customers provide ample feedback as to fit or fabric, as well as give us their trust that our pieces are timeless designs.
Q: Your story and purpose is one of doing things well, made in the US, supporting community and people. Was it hard starting and growing a business while being uncompromising in your values? Does that get harder as the business expands?
A: It was definitely hard, and in fact, staying true to these values nearly led to our downfall. Starting the business was feasible at such a small scale with the resources available to us. As we started to grow, we were up against production and sourcing practices in the USA that were limited and expensive. Some of the biggest decisions we made surrounding how to make these factors more accessible ended up being mistakes in the long run and put us in very hard times. Fortunately, we had the opportunity to restart and learn from what went wrong about six years ago, starting a new period of growth for the business that has been more sustainable. Now that we are celebrating 15 years since opening, we are so fortunate to have been able to preserve our value set while growing and to have now reached a size that is able to support smaller businesses with the same values.
Q You share your story consistently and beautifully, weaving it into everything you create and do. How do you use it so effectively as a marketing strategy?
A: Thank you for such kind words! We strive to remain a creative-led business, which means we have creative minds at the helm of all strategy. In turn, everyone who has a hand in the process of whatever we do has a beautiful and unique way of sharing their version of our brand story. Through the passion of our team, we are a very united front on how we market the brand. Each of us is an ambassador of the brand and represents it with pride. So while we have an exceptional team in-house that focuses on conventional marketing, those for whom the brand voice and image are deeply ingrained, everyone in the company shares a collective responsibility for marketing in a variety of ways. For instance, our retail team introduces new people to the brand when they walk in our stores, our web team creates an engaging and smooth user experience on our site, our creative team tells stories through photos and videos, and our development team tells the story of textiles through the mills and artisans we work with.
Q What advice would you give to a business owner about how to create a story to share and sell their work?
A: Stay true to yourself, stay true to your identity, even when outside forces try to get you to be more conventional, follow a playbook, conform. Patagonia’s founder Yvon Choinard is known for saying, “Every time we've done the right thing it's ended up making us more money,” and I think this is an amazing principle to follow, based on what is right for you and your people.
Q Which other brand stories do you love and admire?
A: We’ve had the privilege of partnering with some of the folks we most admire in our space, such as Vidalia Mills, Crescent Down Works, Save Khaki United, and Little River Sock Mill, who are each carrying on the legacy of American manufacturing that has been fading around us over the years. Similarly, the folks at Musgrave Pencil Co. have withstood a century of industries and resources changing around them, remaining steadfast to their old traditions. And then there are people in our community, like Cameron and Whitney Weiss of Weiss Watch Company - they own some of the most state of the art technology in the country in their facility, but meticulously do everything themselves in order to offer a perfectly-made product. This list could go on and on!
Q: What’s the next chapter for Imogene + Willie?
A: As we begin to celebrate our 15th anniversary, we are simultaneously looking back and looking forward. We see this as a time of reflection, a time to celebrate how where we started got us to where we are now. With this in mind, it’s an opportunity to revisit the early days and invoke nostalgia for our community while enforcing the values we were based on. This year is all about partnerships, because no one (and no business) is solely responsible for their own success, it comes from the support of others. Looking ahead at our next 15 years, our goal is to keep this momentum going, allowing us to better the lives of our people and leave the planet in the best condition possible.
supper + song at Imogene + Willie. Gathering community around music.
Questions answered by Jackie Berkley, Director of People + Culture at Imogene + Willie
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