AWOL is a streetwear clothing brand which my friend Saurabh and I are developing, starting with clothes and accessories, with a longer-term vision of becoming a lifestyle brand. Its name connects “Absent Without Official Leave” with breaking through “a wall", two ideas about independence and moving from who you are towards who you could become.
Project Overview
Project Overview
AWOL carries two meanings. 1st being “Absent Without Official Leave” expresses stepping away from prescribed paths and expectations, and 2nd is “Breaking Through A-Wall” speaks to overcoming barriers built by fear, society, or ourselves. Together, they shape the brand’s main motto: “There is always a way through.”
The visual identity brings together an angular graffiti wordmark, a bold typographic logo and the {a} insignia. These marks are being explored across garment graphics, packaging, and metal accessory concepts.
Challenge
The challenge is translating AWOL’s ideas of independence and breaking through barriers into a recognizable brand. The identity needs to express that attitude through lettering, imagery and materials while leaving room for different collections and future products.
Another consideration is making the three marks work together. Each needs a clear role, from a large graphic on a T-shirt to a small insignia on packaging or a metal accessory, while remaining recognizable as part of AWOL.
5/30 has two meanings. It nods to Kanye West’s “530” where he mentions the idea of breaking through a wall. It also counts what’s left: five rounds out of thirty. The gun on the front is what he carries to protect himself as he runs from his old self. Beneath it, BETWEEN YOU AND YOU names the conflict.
On the back, AWOL is marked with five possible sightings: Amd, Del, Mum, Dubai and Goa . The front shows what might keep him safe. The back shows where he might be found. Along the side seam, the script wraps from front to back: There’s Always a way through.
Outcome
AWOL is an ongoing project. The work so far establishes a visual direction and explores how the identity can carry across clothing, accessories, and packaging.
Saurabh and I are continuing to refine the designs and develop the first collection. These explorations lay the foundation for launching the streetwear brand and over time, growing AWOL into a lifestyle brand.
Deliverables
Brand Concept & Brand Vocabulary
Wordmarks & {a} Insignia
Apparel Graphics & T-shirt Concepts
Garment Sketches & Placement Studies
Box & Paper-Wrap Packaging Concepts
Chrome Accessory Concepts
Brand Imagery & Mockups
