ILKA is a fashion brand based in Western Australia that produces apparel and has a store (ILKA Family Store) selling independent local brands. It was founded in 2016 by design duo Kate Wilks and Erin Taylor, who met while studying fashion design in Perth, Western Australia, and has been working together for years designing and manufacturing apparel (Cipriano 2018). In 2018, they used their experience in the retail industry to open a store in Mount Hawthorn, now selling around 20 local WA brands.
When analysing ILKA through a brand identity prism, six elements are to be identified: physique, personality, culture, relationship, reflection, and self-image. Physique includes the logo, style guide, colour palette, and the presentation of products. ILKA has a clean and sleek visual style, with a simple black-and-white logo and website design, and colourful photographs of products. Personality determines how the brand communicates with the audience. ILKA is friendly and open in its communication, positioning itself as a member of the local community dedicated to its development. The most recent example is the shift that the brand made during the pandemic to producing face masks and scrubs after it has been contacted by one of the customers with a request for high-quality professional clothes (Mckenzie 2020). Overall, the brand image is consistent and appealing to the audience.
The brand’s Culture is built around community, support, and sustainability. It places emphasis on creating products through ethical trade and sustainable practices and supporting small local manufacturers. Relationship between the brand and consumers is based on its active social network presence and promoting the idea that when buying the products, customers support the artists behind them, which creates a sense of engagement (The ILKA Family n.d.). Reflection and Self-image define how the brand sees its customers and how customers visualize their ideal selves. ILKA’s products are targeted at female customers “broad in age, ranging from 25 to 50 years, who seek premium brands with an exceptional design aesthetic, whilst also keeping in line with their social conscience” (Cipriano 2018). Customers are encouraged to see the brand as a unique apparel manufacturer with an individual approach to both customers and the featured designers and a high level of awareness of sustainability issues.
The brand is clear, consistent, and cohesive in its communication with customers, presentation, marketing materials, and brand values within both branches of its activity. Both the clothing brand and the store share the common principles of community, support, and sustainability. The clothing label is based on the ideas of transparency, quality, and high-end craftsmanship and is open and friendly in communicating with consumers (ILKA n.d.). The store is dedicated to supporting designers that adhere to the principles of ethical trade and sustainable practices and appeals to customers by encouraging them to invest in the artist behind the product (The ILKA Family n.d.). The brand’s image, physique, and personality are consistent with the company’s values and establish ILKA as a friendly and open brand that cares both for its customers as well as the local community.
References
Cipriano, Belinda. 2018. “ILKA Duo Setting New Standards in Style and Elegance.” Fremantle Gazette. Web.
ILKA. n.d. “Our Story.” 2020. Web.
Mckenzie, Matt. 2020. “Manufacturer Retool for Essential Products.” Business News. Web.
The ILKA Family. n.d. “Our Story.” 2020. Web.