Fashionable packaging: Hien Le

The fashion industry is as vast as the range of people's tastes and choices. While it might seem that the vast majority of the market was taken by global brands like Inditex or H&M, e-commerce has allowed designers and small business owners to reach people unsatisfied with the mass fashion culture. This is also the case of Hien Le, a designer, whose garments are targeted at the fans of simplicity - Hien Le's packaging is all about that too!

Growing to become a brand

Hien Le has worked for years in the fashion industry, before he eventually decided to establish a retail brand of his very own. When asked about the incentives that pushed him to become a designer, he commented:

"I always wanted to work in the fashion industry, almost ever since I was little! So I followed it step by step, learning as much as I could. Fashion design was always my biggest interests. I've worked as a fashion designer, but also tried the other side of the fence - sales and PR related to the industry. Finally, I decided that it's time for my own brand."

Only after gaining all of the necessary experience, he could be ready to fulfill his dream. In 2011, Hien established a fashion brand, which has successively found its place in the local fashion market.

Simplicity and the never-aging style

The idea of Hien Le as a fashion company was to be both minimalist & comfortable, transcending the vision of its founder. This vision meant a style that doesn't age or tries to keep up with the Joneses in the industry. It's unique in its own way.

"Hien Le is an ageless brand. I want people to feel comfortable in the clothes they wear, but also kind of special. I'm designing and selling mostly menswear and womenswear, along with a few accessories."

The garments sewed by Hien Le are kept in mellow colours - delicate rose, beige and creamy shades of white, which are then contrasted with sharp red and black. There isn't any "time stamp" on these clothes - as Hien Le emphasizes, his work is ageless and aimed to meet the needs of various groups of consumers.

The clothes are sold both in the stationery shop in Berlin and via a website. This constitutes both a challenge and an opportunity when it comes to selling touchpoints (and retail packaging too).

Apart from the clothing items, a recent novelty in the offer is a perfume, available both in the shop and the e-commerce sales. The author of the fragrance is Mark Buxton, a household name in the perfume world. It marks the first step to developing Hien-Le as a broader brand.

Hien Le packaging makes the experience more special

Depending on the brand's vision and business model, packaging serves multiple purposes. From being only a shipping solution to a marvelous piece of art, mailing boxes, poly mailers and paper bags and other types of packaging solutions vary among themselves.

Hien Le uses mailer boxes, with all-white surface and the logo printed on top of each box. The customers shopping online receive their products packed in these branded packages.

"The packaging I have ordered with Packhelp is supposed to make the parcel more attractive for the customer. It's very simple - with logo only - but it strengthens my branding."

A unique experience doesn't necessarily require a fancy, colourful retail packaging along. Sometimes, it's exactly the opposite that brings the most striking results.

In the case of most of the premium fashion brands, their luxury packaging is supposed to reflect the beauty of the craftsmanship, the high quality etc. And since minimalism is written all over this brand, any excessive design would stick out, instead of creating a smooth, memorable experience.

Thanks to that mild branding, Hien Le packaging is a great example of an apparel brand that evokes the luxurious feeling with the most simple tools.