Pineapple Hat
2019
tentree, Vancouver BC, Canada
Lisa Lai: Concept, Design, Spec Execution, Surface Design
Worked with: tentree product team, material sourcing, technical development
Materials: recycled cotton twill fabric
Photos taken by tentree content team.
DEFINE
To create a capsule in honour of a new planting project where 10 pineapple plants will be planted for every hat sold. How can we use this micro trend of the motif and symbol of a pineapple on a hat while making it novel and special to the tentree brand?
Process
Research + Ideation
I researched into different types of embroidery, cross stitch, woven, knots, as well brainstormed different ways to have the hat connect to future collections through contrasting colours, stitching and labels.
With the Creative Director, we landed on the following concept that had 3 components to design:
minimalist front icon
coloured inner panel
matching coloured stitch on back
The front icon can change to different fruits or icons for future planting projects, change the inner panel colours and back stitch to be part of a collection.
Since the pineapple planting project was a go, I refined the design for the front pineapple icon, and decided to take inspiration from traditional cross stitches, but change the “x” shape to a small tree that would be very unique to tentree and reflect back to tree planting.
surface design execution and refinements
To really communicate this to our factories, I hand stitched examples into an embroidery loom, and poorly photoshopped it to convey exactly what the intent was.
Hand stitched trees on handloom
Launched Final Design
pineapple embroidery detail shot: execution showing final custom “tree” stitches special to this design.
(fun fact, pineapples do not grow on trees)
Photo depicting second run of hats where a T-shirt screen print was added ons.
Back of hat detail: small minimal tree stitching connecting to the front “tree” stitches inside pineapple artwork
Relaunch
After a successful first run, the style was relaunched in a white Tencel hat version as well screen-printed artwork on black and white with t-shirts in October 2019.
Outcome
Within 3 days, the first limited run of 500 hats were sold out resulting in 5,000 trees planted in Indonesia!
pineapple plants in indonesia. lifestyle shot via tentree by photographer Kalen Emsley
