When I first met my designer, it was clear that she desired for her luxury brand to be her surname ‘Fort’, which I was happy to pursue. However, I had a lightbulb moment. Are there any words that incorporate ‘fort’ and have deep meaning that tie into Evie’s concept? This is when I discovered the word fortitude.
The basic meaning of fortitude is ‘courage in pain or adversity’. There are lots of similar definitions and descriptions of the word fortitude, such as ‘power to endure pain or confront danger’, and ‘the strength of mind to do what is right even when it is difficult’. As soon as I was aware of the meaning of this word, I could not envision the brand being called anything else. I love how the brand name still incorporates the designer’s name, but expands to have true, deep meaning that ties in perfectly with the brand’s values, beliefs and overall concept.
This afternoon I arranged another catch up call with my designer, Evie. The main reason for this meeting was to discuss by brand name idea (Fortitude) with her to see if she liked it. I was worried that she might not, considering she was keen for her brand to simply be ‘Fort’. Fortunately, she loved the idea. Although this will unlikely be her prominent USP, this is something that would definitely allow her brand to stand out from competition. Most luxury designers use their name as their brand name. Fortitude as a luxury brand with meaning behind its name will likely resonate with consumers in different, interpersonal ways that existing luxury designer brands might not be able to do as effectively.
Evie also took the time to fill me in on her design process. I remember from our first meeting she mentioned that she might experiment with lingerie or beachwear as underlay garments and manipulate the fabrics in ways that show a lot of skin. I loved this idea of exploring femininity. When discovering the meaning of the word fortitude, I realised this could relate to femininity; the vulnerability and the sexual objectification that a lot of females experience. I also discussed this notion with Evie, and she really liked it. I am excited that I am beginning to develop a brand that is predominantly focused on raising awareness of the destructive effect of ocean plastics, but also explores another significant topic that is equally as meaningful.
Though both Evie and I really love brand name Fortitude, I plan to conduct some primary research to see what external people think to consolidate the idea. I hope to ask people questions on what their thoughts are on brands being named after a person, if they think it is important for a brand name to have meaning, do they know the definition of the word ‘fortitude’ and so on. My research methods will eventually be better outlined and discussed in the methodology section of this blog.
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