When a California supplier released a unique hoodie in an eye-catching color, AMB3R Creative (asi/590243) knew it needed to leverage the garment to bring attention to its brand.

CEO Jeremy Picker at the Lakewood, CO-based distributor decided to heed the advice he and his team frequently give to clients and use the hoodie as a canvas to show off their capabilities.

AMB3R Creative (asi/590243) designed this hoodie to highlight its customization capabilities and inspire clients.

“Self-branding is important,” Picker says. “We’ve always designed for others, but never ourselves. We wanted to showcase how to think of merch in layers – figure out the look you want, the target audience and how to reverse-engineer. We built this project around the garment. We wanted to get away from the uniform look and create a lifestyle piece.”

The mineral-washed unisex hoodie (LST004) from Lane Seven Apparel Trading (asi/66246) in vintage orchid has a heavier weight and a worn-in soft hand. The size and the color, Picker knew, would appeal to both women and men. Beginning in spring 2023, Picker and his team started the brainstorming process to decorate the hoodie with a retail-inspired look that would then become a garment for sales calls and weekends, to show people what’s possible.

Art Director Angelo Montiel started sketching, beginning with junior high/high school era doodling and graffiti-inspired designs with nods to the company’s home state of Colorado. The team went through multiple rounds of mockups before settling on the final design – a mashup of tonal dark and tonal light screen printing on the front and sleeves (including over-the-pocket seams) and embroidery with a loose whip stitch. They also added a custom woven handsewn neck label.

AMB3R’s Art Director Angelo Montiel’s doodles were incorporated with the company’s logo for a series of mockups.

“We reverse-engineered by starting with the garment and figuring out what decoration would work best with it,” says Picker. “For example, the tonal light ink allows for the color of the hoodie come through. Joe Kramar [AMB3R’s head of operations, development and design] used to digitize for Abercrombie and Hollister. He added depth and texture.”

AMB3R produced nearly 50 hoodies, given to staff, top customers and friends, and filmed a video showcasing the look. The bright purple is attention-grabbing on sales calls, particularly for clients in younger demographics, says Picker.

“It’s meant to open clients’ minds and try to push them beyond brand guidelines and a logo slap,” says Picker. “We want people to want to wear apparel and not feel like they have to. We encourage customers to add little details because the wearer appreciates them. Otherwise, they’ll budget themselves right into boring.”

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