Close-up of a woman with short hair wearing sunglasses and touching the side of her glasses.

Hemp Eyewear

Brand Strategy
Brand Positioning
Copywriting
Art Direction
Web Design
Social Media Strategy

2025

Hemp Eyewear is an innovative eyewear brand that creates its frames using nothing but hemp and H2O. I was tasked with positioning the brand as a luxury option for those who go against the grain. I audited the original brand and developed a strategy to elevate it. Using existing assets, I created a visually striking site that speaks to the hemp-lifestyle connoisseur, grounded in our updated brand manifesto.

The Challenge

Chris had recently acquired a 10-year-old eyewear brand that needed modernization for a direct-to-consumer launch. Having already completed customer persona research, I was tasked with developing a brand manifesto, social media strategy, and launch preparation for the fall/winter collection.

The Insight

Through auditing the existing brand and researching successful hemp-lifestyle brands such as Edie Parker and Houseplant, we found that they’ve found success in embracing the unique yet high-end traits of their core consumer.

The Solution

We found it is key to emphasize hemp as a versatile plant rather than focusing on marijuana associations. Key brand pillars emerged: innovation (plastic-free, first-of-its-kind), craftsmanship (high performance), and visible values (conversation starters).

My Process

Page from an asset review document with process imagery. Shows a person holding raw wool with a blue device attached to their arm, and machinery on the side.

Brand Audit

What can we leverage in the updated brand world? I evaluate assets and prescribe their refinement, retirement, or retention backed by the identified brand strategy.

A collage of four images featuring Edie Parker and her cannabis-inspired accessories, including a red purse, a jewelry piece with colored stones, a woman holding a birthday cake with lit candles, and a woman using a glass pipe, with accompanying text about Edie Parker's brand and its focus on fashion and cannabis intersection.

Benchmarking

What is working in this product category? I was specifically looking into cannabis-lifestyle brands like Edie Parker and Houseplant and eyewear brands like Jacques Marie Mage for cultural relevance.

Collage of six images showing fashion and accessory items: a plant held by a person wearing rings, a red handbag, a person wearing goggles with mountain reflection, a woman with red hair wearing sunglasses, a range of sunglasses, and an outdoor scene with a person eating a snack.

Inspiration

I collected visual inspiration for the world we wanted to build. This includes typography, color, and photography styles.

Text discussing the importance and sustainability of hemp for making jewelry, emphasizing craftsmanship, environmental impact, and community responsibility.

See Differently

Brand Manifesto

A reworked brand anthem video utilizing existing assets and weaving new brand language.

Brown sunglasses with a textured frame resting on a white textured surface.

“Our mission is to transform perceptions of hemp and reveal its richness, rooted in sustainability.

Bespoke by nature. Conscious by choice. Uncompromising in design.”

  • People art direction by Leslie Bonzella
  • Product art direction by Leslie Bonzella
  • Pages from NFW impact report design by Leslie Bonzella
  • Printed NFW assets by Leslie Bonzella
  • A woman lying on a gray couch, wearing large sunglasses and a black top, with one arm resting on her forehead. She has short hair and a tattoo on her arm. Green text over the image reads: 'AVAILABLE SOON | HEMPYEWEAR.COM'. Below, larger green text says: 'One of a kind, every time.' Smaller green text underneath states: 'Your style is unlike anyone else's. Hemp Eyewear sets you apart.'
  • A woman wearing stylish sunglasses made from hemp, with text overlay promoting reimagined hemp products and a website.
  • Image of FabricaX and NFW display
  • Image of FabricaX and NFW display
Homepage of hemp eyewear website featuring a large text reading 'Explore collection O.'. Two models wearing glasses are shown, one in black and white on the left, and one color photo on the right. The website has a dark red and yellow color scheme.

Check out the Hemp Eyewear site here, and stay tuned for the launch.

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