passing on the kindness of nature to the next generations

Lanelka is a local clothing label based in Cluj-Napoca creating original and upcycled children's clothes from merino wool and other natural materials. It was founded in 2019 with the vision to create comfortable, durable clothes that are environmentally friendly and support slow fashion. The brand started out as a one-person workshop sewing upcycled children’s clothes. Later, adapting to the growing market of environmentally conscious young mothers, the upcycle clothing line merged with an original, small series clothing line under the brand name Lanelka.

Our task was to create the brand’s visual identity and positioning, to conduct market research and develop a long term communication strategy.

Our biggest challenge was to create a brand personality that reflects the serious playfulness that Lanelka clothes radiate. Merino wool has numerous benefits, but because of its quality its price is higher than usual wool. We had to make sure that we are able to communicate these benefits in a thoughtful way to gain the customers’ trust.

In order to find the right tone for the brand we conducted a thorough market research. We explored brands with similar benefits and target groups in Romania to help determine Lanelka’s position among its competitors. By better understanding the market we were able to formulate a more specific message and enhance the brand’s unique values.

The name was already given and we have built the brand’s character around it: the sound of the consonants “l” and “n” imply smoothness and warmth, while the “-ka” ending is used in many slavic languages, but also in Romanian and Hungarian as a diminutive suffix, thus the name “Lanelka” implies playfulness. Moreover, the word ”lână” in Romanian means ”wool”.

The visual identity articulates the feel of the word “lanelka”, but goes one step further. The brand puts emphasis on simplicity, so the logo combines playfulness with a simple representation. The handwritten logotype is always a challenge to get right, but provides a more personal, intimate aspect. The combination of the symbol and the logotype grants flexibility for applying it on various platforms. The writing is continuous, as it was made from one single wool thread, and the letters are roundish, bringing to mind softness and warmth.

Lanelka is not a brand for impulse buyers. Its communication pillars are: slow and sustainable fashion, upcycling, comfort, playfulness and transparency. This is why we chose to adopt a more graduate approach. The brand’s strategy follows multiple steps: building on the existing client base of the upcycling brand; creating public awareness among those who are seeking out clothes made of wool; reaching other potential markets of eco-conscious parents by highlighting the benefits of merino wool and long lasting clothes; and creating time and space for understanding and consideration before arriving to purchase. 

We wrote lots of different tagline ideas until we found the most fitting one: “Lanelka. The kindest choice. Soft and long-lasting children's clothes that pass on the comfort of nature.” This combines the environmentally friendly aspect and parental love: the way a parent cares about their children's future implies that they also care about nature and the heritage they pass on.