MINORI
Minori connects makers and customers through a shared appreciation for Japanese tradition, textiles, and craftmanship.
While many brands offer Japanese-inspired clothing, few actually celebrate the makers behind the products. Minori offers one-of-a-kind garments made from vintage fabrics, focusing not only on the beauty of the products themselves but on the hands that made them. Minori tells each artisan's story, building a community where customers feel connected to the culture behind every piece they purchase – and makers feel connected to those who love their work.
While many brands offer Japanese-inspired clothing, few actually celebrate the makers behind the products. Minori offers one-of-a-kind garments made from vintage fabrics, focusing not only on the beauty of the products themselves but on the hands that made them. Minori tells each artisan's story, building a community where customers feel connected to the culture behind every piece they purchase – and makers feel connected to those who love their work.
Services Provided
Brand Strategy
Visual Identity
Graphic Design
The opportunity was to position Minori as contemporary and relevant without diluting Japanese tradition, artisanal craftsmanship, or ethical sourcing. It needed to feel timely and fresh, yet utterly credible in a market crowded with trend-driven, surface-level “Japanese-inspired” goods.
Brand Strategy
Minori prioritizes quality, traceable production, and carefully selected vintage materials so each purchase becomes a cultural exchange, not just a transaction. We centered the brand on maker-first authenticity: a polished, modern identity that foregrounds the artisans who make one-of-a-kind garments, guided by four brand words — Japanese, Minimal, Warm, Timeless. We designed a brand identity that balances handcrafted integrity and refined presentation that builds trust, elevates quality, and gives Minori a credible platform to support independent makers in Japan and connects customers to cultural craft.
Minori prioritizes quality, traceable production, and carefully selected vintage materials so each purchase becomes a cultural exchange, not just a transaction. We centered the brand on maker-first authenticity: a polished, modern identity that foregrounds the artisans who make one-of-a-kind garments, guided by four brand words — Japanese, Minimal, Warm, Timeless. We designed a brand identity that balances handcrafted integrity and refined presentation that builds trust, elevates quality, and gives Minori a credible platform to support independent makers in Japan and connects customers to cultural craft.
Logo
Minori’s logo is bold and structured. The red circle signals Japan and becomes a recurring brand motif. The kanji and red mark share equal space to symbolize partnership between Minori and its makers, and in the secondary lockup the mark sits above the name to signal respect and care. The primary logo always shows the red dot as a symbol for all makers; the secondary version swaps that dot for a unique hanko to represent an individual artisan.
Minori’s logo is bold and structured. The red circle signals Japan and becomes a recurring brand motif. The kanji and red mark share equal space to symbolize partnership between Minori and its makers, and in the secondary lockup the mark sits above the name to signal respect and care. The primary logo always shows the red dot as a symbol for all makers; the secondary version swaps that dot for a unique hanko to represent an individual artisan.
Visual Language
The color palette consists of indigo blue and persimmon red to represent Japan, and it's balanced with soft neutrals to keep the visual identity grounded. The visual system as a whole is confident yet humble, balancing bold structures with simple details that remind us of the human connection that Minori encourages us to find.
The color palette consists of indigo blue and persimmon red to represent Japan, and it's balanced with soft neutrals to keep the visual identity grounded. The visual system as a whole is confident yet humble, balancing bold structures with simple details that remind us of the human connection that Minori encourages us to find.
TYPOGRAPHY
Because the logo is so bold, I selected a neutral sans serif typeface for headings to prevent typographic competition. The serif typeface for body text preserves the artisan, handmade feel in longer copy. Inter provides modern clarity and system-wide legibility. It reads clean at small sizes (price tags, labels) and scales crisply for large headings and signage. Lora is perfect for storytelling and longer text where you want the reader to feel the human connection behind the work.
Because the logo is so bold, I selected a neutral sans serif typeface for headings to prevent typographic competition. The serif typeface for body text preserves the artisan, handmade feel in longer copy. Inter provides modern clarity and system-wide legibility. It reads clean at small sizes (price tags, labels) and scales crisply for large headings and signage. Lora is perfect for storytelling and longer text where you want the reader to feel the human connection behind the work.
Helping independent businesses feel
unstoppable with strategic brand design.
For my wonderful clients:
Helping independent businesses feel
unstoppable with strategic brand design.