Ann Taylor has dressed American women for work since 1954. By 2015 it ran over 340 stores
and more than $800 million in annual revenue inside ANN Inc., which Ascena Retail Group
acquired that year for $2.16 billion. This wasn't a startup finding its footing. It was an institution trying to find its future.
Ann Taylor has dressed American women for work since 1954. By 2015 it ran over 340 stores and more than $800 million in annual revenue inside ANN Inc., which; Ascena Retail Group acquired that year for $2.16 billion. This wasn't a startup finding its footing. It was an institution trying to find its future.
Ann Taylor has dressed American women for work since 1954. By 2015 it ran over 340 stores and more than $800 million in annual revenue inside ANN Inc., which Ascena Retail Group acquired that year for $2.16 billion. This wasn't a startup finding its footing. It was an institution trying to find its future.
Ann Taylor has dressed American women for work since 1954. By 2015 it ran over 340 stores and more than $800 million in annual revenue inside ANN Inc., which Ascena Retail Group acquired that year for $2.16 billion. This wasn't a startup finding its footing. It was an institution trying to find
its future.
THE PROBLEM
Ann Taylor had the thing most brands never earn: trust. A loyal professional customer who
relied on it for reliability at a price that felt aspirational without being punishing. But she was
aging out, and the brand hadn't defined who came next. The task was evolution, not reinvention — win a younger, more worldly woman with refined taste without alienating the one who'd been loyal for decades. Her wardrobe had to run from the office to a weekend lunch and everything between, built on a simple idea: good taste in the small things. Curated over flashy. Genuine over fancy.
THE PROBLEM
Ann Taylor had the thing most brands never earn: trust. A loyal professional customer who relied on it for reliability at a price that felt aspirational without being punishing. But she was aging out, and the brand hadn't defined who came next. The task was evolution, not reinvention — win a younger, more worldly woman with refined taste without alienating the one who'd been loyal for decades. Her wardrobe had to run from the office to a weekend lunch and everything between, built on a simple idea: good taste in the small things. Curated over flashy. Genuine over fancy.
THE PROBLEM
Ann Taylor had the thing most brands never earn: trust. A loyal professional customer who relied on it for reliability at a price that felt aspirational without being punishing. But she was aging out, and the brand hadn't defined who came next. The task was evolution, not reinvention — win a younger, more worldly woman with refined taste without alienating the one who'd been loyal for decades. Her wardrobe had to run from the office to a weekend lunch and everything between, built on a simple idea: good taste in the small things. Curated over flashy. Genuine
over fancy.
THE APPROACH
Riccione, a warm and detailed serif, set against Circular's approachable geometry, with hand lettering that nodded to the brand's long history of handwritten notes to customers. A muted palette — cream, blush, slate, gold — never saturated, never loud. Photography in two modes: Personal, models with real character and warmth; Graphic, the clothes as sculptural form. The guidelines we created were just as explicit about what to avoid: too young, too girly, too cool, too perfect. And the voice put her first in every line — thoughtful, warm, never bossy, never trying too hard.
THE APPROACH
Riccione, a warm and detailed serif, set against Circular's approachable geometry, with hand lettering that nodded to the brand's long history of handwritten notes to customers. A muted palette — cream, blush, slate, gold — never saturated, never loud. Photography in two modes: Personal, models with real character and warmth; Graphic, the clothes as sculptural form. The guidelines we created were just as explicit about what to avoid: too young, too girly, too cool, too perfect. And the voice put her first in every line — thoughtful, warm, never bossy, never trying too hard.
THE APPROACH
Riccione, a warm and detailed serif, set against Circular's approachable geometry, with hand lettering that nodded to the brand's long history of handwritten notes to customers. A muted palette — cream, blush, slate, gold — never saturated, never loud. Photography in two modes: Personal, models with real character and warmth; Graphic, the clothes as sculptural form. The guidelines were just as explicit about what to avoid: too young, too girly, too cool, too perfect. And the voice put her first in every line — thoughtful, warm, never bossy, never trying too hard.
THE APPROACH
Riccione, a warm and detailed serif, set against Circular's approachable geometry, with hand lettering that nodded to the brand's long history of handwritten notes to customers. A muted palette — cream, blush, slate, gold — never saturated, never loud. Photography in two modes: Personal, models with real character and warmth; Graphic, the clothes as sculptural form. The guidelines we created were just as explicit about what to avoid: too young, too girly, too cool, too perfect. And the voice put her first in every line — thoughtful, warm, never bossy, never trying too hard.
THE RESULT
The rebrand launched with Spring 2016, the first collection under incoming creative director
Austyn Zung, and the trade press noticed the pivot — away from corporate basics, toward
something expressive and character-driven. More durable than the coverage: the brand finally
had a defined point of view that could hold across channels, seasons, and leadership changes.
Ascena valued the business at $2.16 billion that same year, which says something about the equity— and about getting the architecture right exactly when it mattered.
THE RESULT
The rebrand launched with Spring 2016, the first collection under incoming creative director Austyn Zung, and the trade press noticed the pivot — away from corporate basics, toward something expressive and character-driven. More durable than the coverage: the brand finally had a defined point of view that could hold across channels, seasons, and leadership changes. Ascena valued the business at $2.16 billion that same year, that says something about the equity— and about getting the architecture right exactly when it mattered
THE RESULT
The rebrand launched with Spring 2016, the first collection under incoming creative director Austyn Zung, and the trade press noticed the pivot — away from corporate basics, toward something expressive and character-driven. More durable than the coverage: the brand finally had a defined point of view that could hold across channels, seasons, and leadership changes. Ascena valued the business at $2.16 billion that same year, that says something about the equity— and about getting the architecture right exactly when it mattered.
THE RESULT
The rebrand launched with Spring 2016, the first collection under incoming creative director Austyn Zung, and the trade press noticed the pivot — away from corporate basics, toward something expressive and character-driven. More durable than the coverage: the brand finally had a defined point of view that could hold across channels, seasons, and leadership changes. That Ascena valued the business at $2.16 billion that same year, that says something about the equity— and about getting the architecture right exactly when it mattered.
ROLE
Creative Director, Design Direction, Photo Art Direction, Design, Illustration
ROLE
Creative Director, Design Direction, Photo Art Direction, Design, Illustration
ROLE
Creative Director, Design Direction, Photo Art Direction, Design, Illustration
ROLE
Creative Director, Design Direction, Photo Art Direction, Design, Illustration
KEY COLLABORATORS
Brynn Hemminway, Christine Corey, Camille Massa, Alberta Testanero, Erin Collis, Jacky Yoon, Laura Jane Kenny (Art Direction)
Alison Henry-Aver (Creative Direction though initial rebrand phase)
Megan Eplett (Art Direction Lead during rebrand phase)
Tantika Tivorat (Print Design Lead during rebrand phase)
Elizabeth Lowey, Boris Rappaport, Maya Prezabaker, Alan Tam, George Gozum, Robin Rosenthal, Elenore Tissyere (Design)
Lauren Blane (Styling Direction)
Sarah Moonves (Styling)
Laura Fitzgerald (Editorial Direction)
Josh Olins, Robert Hamada, Emma Tempest, Nicholas Kantor (photography)
KEY COLLABORATORS
Brynn Hemminway, Christine Corey, Camille Massa, Alberta Testanero, Erin Collis, Jacky Yoon, Laura Jane Kenny (Art Direction)
Alison Henry-Aver (Creative Direction though initial rebrand phase)
Megan Eplett (Art Direction Lead during rebrand phase)
Tantika Tivorat (Print Design Lead during rebrand phase)
Elizabeth Lowey, Boris Rappaport, Maya Prezabaker, Alan Tam, George Gozum, Robin Rosenthal, Elenore Tissyere (Design)
Lauren Blane (Styling Direction)
Sarah Moonves (Styling)
Laura Fitzgerald (Editorial Direction)
Josh Olins, Robert Hamada, Emma Tempest, Nicholas Kantor (photography)
KEY COLLABORATORS
Brynn Hemminway, Christine Corey, Camille Massa, Alberta Testanero, Erin Collis, Jacky Yoon, Laura Jane Kenny (Art Direction)
Alison Henry-Aver (Creative Direction though initial rebrand phase)
Megan Eplett (Art Direction Lead during rebrand phase)
Tantika Tivorat (Print Design Lead during rebrand phase)
Elizabeth Lowey, Boris Rappaport, Maya Prezabaker, Alan Tam, George Gozum, Robin Rosenthal, Elenore Tissyere (Design)
Lauren Blane (Styling Direction)
Sarah Moonves (Styling)
Laura Fitzgerald (Editorial Direction)
Josh Olins, Robert Hamada, Emma Tempest, Nicholas Kantor (photography)
KEY COLLABORATORS
Brynn Hemminway, Christine Corey, Camille Massa, Alberta Testanero, Erin Collis, Jacky Yoon, Laura Jane Kenny (Art Direction)
Alison Henry-Aver (Creative Direction though initial rebrand phase)
Megan Eplett (Art Direction Lead during rebrand phase)
Tantika Tivorat (Print Design Lead during rebrand phase)
Elizabeth Lowey, Boris Rappaport, Maya Prezabaker, Alan Tam, George Gozum, Robin Rosenthal, Elenore Tissyere (Design)
Lauren Blane (Styling Direction)
Sarah Moonves (Styling)
Laura Fitzgerald (Editorial Direction)
Josh Olins, Robert Hamada, Emma Tempest, Nicholas Kantor (photography)
Get in touch…
Get in touch…
Get in touch…