How Chris White’s Shinesty Became an Icon Through Their Branding
Shinesty has a modest office, though it is a great example of what systematic chaos looks like in a professional setting. It is messy like an office run by a bunch of party driven kids all about their college day shenanigans but neat enough to be the office of dedicated and driven entrepreneurs. It was easy to see that their unique personalities were reflected in their office space.
We decided to conduct our interview with their CEO, Chris White, in Shinesty’s studio. It was stocked with tons of unique clothing pieces from retro one-piece ski suits to NFL suit jackets. We found it hard to stay on task between setting up for the shoot and trying on clothes that caught our eye.
Chris joined us, wearing a massive dark-brown fur coat and retro ski glasses, and he had a cup of coffee (or maybe it was booze) in hand. He was extremely welcoming and approachable, and was vocal about how excited he was to help us out. Hearing this from a hugely successful founder and CEO from one of Colorado’s fastest growing companies put us all at ease and created an environment rich in good vibes. We began talking about our vision and what we wanted him to speak about. Having founded Shinesty, a rapidly growing iconic brand, we all decided that the best topic for him to speak about was branding and marketing.
So here we go; the first shoot of our first course for the new, rebranded Eyesight. Despite the at-ease environment, to say we were nervous would be an understatement. Either way, we started rolling and Chris started teaching.
He began by sharing the origin story of Shinesty, and how his close relationships at his small college in Indiana inspired the brand. His college wardrobe consisted of thrift store treasures and nostalgic regalia but after years of collecting the kind of shit your parents wore back in the day, he identified a problem. A great thrift store piece of clothing was one in a million, and matching with friends to stand out at party or event was close to impossible. So he and his friends began designing clothing products inspired by your favorite thrift store gems.
Learn more about Shinesty’s brand and hear Chris’ story with Eyesight.
It’s absolutely undeniable that Shinesty’s branding is on point, but how does one create such a strong aesthetic to represent their company? Chris shared the insight that the branding of a company needs to reflect the personalities of those who started the company.
“The look and feel of a brand comes from deep inside its founders…from their souls. For a founder, you have to know what your own personality is, and know what’s important to you. If we were gonna make a brand and we wanted it to be about serious, beautiful, clean design, I probably couldn’t do that as a founder, cause that’s just not my personality.”
If you look at Shinesty’s logo, website, advertisements, or any social media content, you’ll get a good idea of the kind of people Chris and his team are.
The Shinesty team is not scared to reflect their personal lives in their day to day operations. For example when a team member they call Smooches got upset during a meeting, they saw an opportunity to play a prank. They printed, “Questions? Concerns? Nudes? Text Smooches” along with Smooches’ actual phone number on the tag of a new clothing item ready for production. This is no joke, and unfortunately for Smooches, these are the kinds of things that set Shinesty apart.
Shinesty also attributes a lot of their branding success to being detail oriented. Chris admits that every word, image, color, or line on any piece of content is chosen with care. Everything has a purpose and is designed to get a reaction from their customers. This reaction is laughter and they do this with huge success. So for Shinesty, content is king, and everything they make gives you a look into their wild and hysterical lives, not to mention their clothing is awesome.
Lastly, Chris urges founders to know the “why” behind their companies. If you’re a founder, or aspiring to be one, identify the intention behind what your company is trying to do. Knowing the problem you are solving at a deep and personal level will help you understand how to brand your content to your customers in order to both turn a profit and make an impact.
Here’s what you can do today to develop your company’s branding:
Start by creating a mood board (any document containing content that inspires you) for 5–10 brands that you deeply admire. Perhaps you love their logo or their color scheme, or perhaps you love their mission and vision. Whatever it may be, paste a bunch of images, photographs, logos, quotes, and products in a Word document, Illustrator art board, or whichever program you prefer.
Hear the rest of Chris’s story here and check out his advice on building an unforgettable brand.
