VRG GRL's new evolution from the founders | Willow & Blake

Who is the VRG GRL customer today, and how has she evolved since the brand’s early years?

Dan & Nat: I think the customer has grown up as we have, our demographic of customers were always really young and since we did our full re-brand a few years ago she has grown up as the brand has.

VRG GRL has often been mislabelled as a “fast fashion” brand. How has the brand actively tried to shift such perceptions? What role has Willow & Blake played in this repositioning?

Dan & Nat: Behind the scenes we have done a lot of work to position VRG GRL where we want the brand to be sitting, designing every piece in house and having complete control over all factories we work with, making sure they have certifications that are important is a big part, lengthening our lead times and design processes has also helped with this, and the journey of getting BCORP certified has made us aware of what else we can do to be constantly improving. Willow & Blake have helped with this by bringing all the hard work we have done over the years together to create a clear brand guide and tone of voice.

What does the creative process look like at VRG GRL and why is it important to bring everything under one roof?

Dan & Nat: The creative process at VRG GRL is one that is constantly changing, evolving, innovating and we are always looking forward and never back.

Your new tagline 'It’s better on the edge' captures VRG GRL’s philosophy perfectly. What does “the edge” represent to your team and the brand?

Dan & Nat: This tagline for us sums up the true essence of the brand, which is that we like to push boundaries, we like to always be on the edge with everything we do, as in never boring, never playing it too safe.  

Tell us about your experience working with Willow & Blake and how refreshing the brand’s voice shifted things for your team internally?

Dan & Nat: It was great working with Willow & Blake, we think it was great to put on paper what was in our heads, and get this across to our wider team in a clear way. Sometimes as founders that are heavily involved in different aspects of the business, it can be hard to get across to our wider team our thought process. 

Talk to us about the importance of pairing messaging with the brand's visual identity?

Dan & Nat: For us, the brand's visual identity was easier to get consistent but consistent messaging and tone of voice was something that was hard to have all team members aligned with. The brand voice and visuals need to go hand in hand and the visual identity is much more cohesive with the tone of voice in line as well.

Looking back at VRG GRL’s journey so far, what’s a milestone or moment that feels especially defining for you?

Dan & Nat: We don't really have a defining moment or milestone, I think for us seeing years of work with the rebrand finally coming into fruition is something that is really nice to see.

What’s next for VRG GRL? Where do you want to take the label from here?

Dan & Nat: For us the future is so exciting, we are in a growth stage, we are opening a few physical stores in the near future, hoping to become BCORP certified early next year, always evolving, and innovating.

Do you have any advice for founders or brand teams looking to undertake a brand repositioning or rebrand? 

Dan & Nat: Our advice would probably be that it takes a lot of work before you see the impact coming to fruition, you have to be prepared to sometimes take a step back to take steps forward and grow. For us it's taken years of consistency and work to rebrand and reposition VRG GRL before we have actually seen it come to life.