LA FOREVER ?
LA FOREVER ?
Residency Brand World 2025 in High-Definition
With a Benefit for our LA Neighbors
Hey Friends and Designers,
This month, we introduce our LA FOREVER design journal in honor of our LA neighbors who have been affected by the wildfires. It's been great to see so many local businesses and organizations showing support during these times of need! We knew the LA small business community would show up!
Eternity is the constant cycle of transformation, and it obviously isn't always easy or pleasant. All we can do is support one another during the tough times and work to come out transformed on the other side.
Many small business owners start their businesses out of a desire to create and support their unique community. The difficult times often show what kind of businesses and business owners we are. During these times, we should focus on what's most essential to us as owners and designers - the direct impact we can have on people in need in our communities.
This journal, we're focusing on the idea of brand identity in high-definition. Hi-def identity is clear, coherent, and focused. As time goes on, we build on what is most essential and clear, even when we decide to branch out. All year, we're going to be showing examples of Residency in high definition, as we try to listen to our own advice!
Reminder to check out our growing Pinterest for more merch samples, design references, and brand inspiration! We add to it every day. Hope you enjoy!
Lookbook shot by our friend and frequent collaborator - Ryan Hogue.
Without further ado, we present LA FOREVER ?:
Table of Contents:
I. Designed for Eternity: Residency x Jungeuy Park ??
I. Elements of Eternity: LA FOREVER + Be the James Webb Version of Yourself ??
II. Brand World Design: The Downside of Uniformity ?
IV. Star Report: The Surveillance of Earth From Dark Comets ??
Residency x Jungeuy Park
"Angeleno Never Die" LA Benefit Design
Designer Feature: Jungeuy Park, 626 Hospitality Group
Jungeuy Park, originally from Busan, has built a dynamic career bridging fine dining and design. With a background in high-end hospitality, he seamlessly transitioned into creative roles, bringing his refined aesthetic and attention to detail to the forefront. At 626 Hospitality, Jung has specialized in graphic design and interior aesthetics, crafting visually compelling brand identities and immersive dining environments. His work reflects a deep understanding of storytelling through design, drawing inspiration from his culinary roots while pushing creative boundaries. When he’s not crafting compelling designs, you can find him spending time with his cat, Youngjoo, or indulging in his love for cars, always on the lookout for his next automotive adventure.
Highland Park Brewery + Timbo Time Hoodie
ITC Mainstreet Hood: Oversized Fit, Heavyweight (12.5oz/yd2)
75% Ringspun Cotton & 25% Polyester w/ 100% Cotton Face
7 Colors, Unisex XS-3XL
Fan favorite designs can live on using different apparel for different seasons - or just because! These super thick but plush streetwear-inspired hoodies use soft-hand ink, resulting in a vibrant print with a softer more lived-in feel. All of the artwork's crinkles and fade make this hoodie look like you've had it for ages.
Challahdad x Residency Benefit Hat
Sportsman Dad Hat: Unstructured, Low Profile
100% Brushed Cotton Canvas
34 Colors, One Size (Adjustable)
Our friend Max from Challahdad reached out about producing a hat to benefit our LA neighbors affected by the fires and we were in! Max chose a relaxed, soft-washed dad cap inspired by the iconic Dodger Blue, with a violet heart surrounding their signature "Loaf Angeles" embroidery. All the funds from presales have already been donated to LA Food Bank!
Cellarmaker + AS Colour (New Merch!)
Heavy Tee: Oversized Fit, Heavyweight (8.2oz/yd2)
100% Carded Cotton, 16 Colors, Unisex S-3XL
Carrie Tote: Reinforced Handles, Heavyweight (9.4oz/yd2)
100% Cotton Canvas, 11 Colors, 16.5"W x 16.5"H x 3.7"D
With ASC as their blank base, Cellarmaker brought some of their most unique brew designs to their latest holiday/winter merch. With a keen eye and skilled (and patient!) team, we were able to reproduce the detailed, digital artwork on some of our go-to, quality pieces. Check them out in person if you're in the Bay Area!
LA FOREVER:
Be the James Webb Version of Yourself ??
Brand Identity in High-Definition
Eternity is the constant cycle of transformation: Many small business owners start their business out of a desire to create and support their unique community. The difficult times often show what kind of businesses and business owners we are. During these times, we should focus on what's most essential to us as owners and designers - the direct impact we can have on people in need in our communities.
LA is about many things, and one of those is about deviating from the norm and differentiating oneself in support of one's community. Differentiation from the pack is about increasing CLARITY of identity, culture, and aesthetic - aka World. In this way, we're saying that we should be the "James Webb Version" of ourselves.
The James Webb Telescope represents the most advanced technology to increase clarity of our universe ever made. In the same way that new technology allows us to learn about our universe and build on top of what we learn, brand identity needs to increase in clarity every year. Without clarity, what is identity? Essentially nothing.
Clarity allows us to build on what is essential. You establish a foundation that is coherent, engaging, and repeatable. Generation after generation you improve upon that design and tinker where necessary. Unlike with telescopes, brand identity isn't about improving the way that we see, but about focusing the way that we're seen.
Cafe Clementine + Tonal Embroidery
CC Tee: Relax Fit, Heavyweight (6.1oz/yd2)
100% Ringspun Cotton, 67 Colors, Unisex S-4XL
ASC W's Crop: Relaxed Fit, Midweight (5.3oz/yd2)
100% Combed Cotton, 20 Colors, W's XS-XL
Using rich, earthy colors and contrasting tonal embroidery these tees embody the natural, savory, and artistic direction of this St. Pete's Cafe. They wanted embroidery that would stand by using the right tonal shades so we took our time making sure the right undertones of orange and peach and greens and blues came through each pairing.
Discourse + AS Colour Winter Merch
Carrie Tote: Reinforced Handles, Heavyweight (9.4oz/yd2)
100% Cotton Canvas, 11 Colors, 16.5"W x 16.5"H x 3.7"D
Stencil Hood: Regular Fit, Mid/Heavyweight (10.3oz/yd2)
80% Cotton & 20% Recycled Polyester, 18 Colors, Unisex XS-3XL
Relax Crew: Relaxed Fit, Midweight (9.4oz/yd2)
80% Cotton & 20% Recycled Polyester, 12 Colors, Unisex XS-3XL
Discourse's brand world is full of deeply rich and saturated jewel tones making ASC's color range the perfect for for their latest run of merch. The mid to heavyweight fabrics with brighter, contrasting prints create a retail-level line of custom apparel.
Hand-drawn design by Tyler that's been digitized and vectored
The Downside of Uniformity ?
Design Your Brand by Hand
Grant Mitchell, creative director at Design by Future, hopes brands realize that the uniformity of design and typography buries companies under noise. "As we look ahead to 2025, I hope that designers might start pushing back against the homogenisation of sans serifs that has dominated in recent years," he explains.
"The trend towards oversimplified typography, especially in major brand logos, has led to designs that, while clean and minimal, often lack distinct personality and character. Logos have been stripped down to the point where they risk becoming indistinguishable from one another."
He has a point. In a digital landscape where inspiration is just a scroll away, it's always easy for designers and typographers to draw from the same influences, resulting in a uniformity of style. As Grant puts it: "Social media feeds filled with similar visuals have become a shared well from which many are drinking."
He hopes that, moving forward, creatives will break free from this cycle of similarity. "The opportunity is ripe for designers to deviate from this well-trodden path, stop following trends blindly and embrace a more experimental approach to typography, when and where appropriate," says Grant.
"Typography has always been more than just a tool for legibility," he adds. "It's a means of expression. In 2025, I hope we see a return to this idea, where individuality, craftsmanship and experimentation come to the forefront, offering a refreshing contrast to the uniformity we've grown accustomed to."
So, what does this all mean for brands? If there's an easy way to sum up all this, it's that custom type is big right now and only going to get bigger.
Our central goal of the year is to reach 500 Sponsored Therapy Sessions! We're not all about numbers when it comes to outreach, but sponsored sessions is a good way for us to track how often our program is being used!
Little King + Digital Squeegee Print
ITC Mainstreet Hood: Oversized Fit, Heavyweight (12.5oz/yd2)
75% Ringspun Cotton & 25% Polyester w/ 100% Cotton Face
7 Colors, Unisex XS-3XL
While digital squeegee prints work well with most blanks to achieve accurate and detailed prints, they thrive on 100% cotton making these cotton-faced fleece the perfect base. Along with this custom-designed print brought to us by Little King, the hoodie is premium heavyweight and oversized making it a true streetwear staple.
Friends Fortified Hoodies + Tees
ComfortWash Tee: Relaxed Fit, Midweight (5.5oz/yd2)
100% Ringspun Cotton, 44 Colors, Unisex S-3XL, Youth XS-XL
ITC Avenue Hood: Oversized Fit, Midweight (8.5oz/yd2)
80% Ringspun Cotton & 20% Polyester, 10 Colors, Unisex XS-3XL
ITC Youth Hood: Classic Fit, Midweight (8.5oz/yd2)
80% Ringspun Cotton & 20% Polyester, 13 Colors, Youth S-XL
It's easy to create seamless, matching apparel for adults and youth (even toddlers and babies!), with many blank brands offering the same color palettes across sizes and styles. The single-color print still stands bold against these class tees and hoodies with its far-out design. ??
February Star Report: ??
The Surveillance of Earth From Dark Comets
Just outside of Earth’s orbit (a mere 27 million miles away!), familiar stellar objects can be seen often with our own eyes. Comets with their icy tails ??, meteors that burn bright across the sky ??, and sometimes even asteroids are the cosmic debris we know and understand. But what if, in this same orbit, there are other objects - mysterious even to astronomers - that hold natural and potentially artificial mysteries to be discovered?
Within the past two years, scientists have discovered an increasing amount of cosmic objects they’ve coined “dark comets.” While these space rocks look like asteroids, they move like comets but without the trail of light as they orbit the sun ?? - some with an unusual pattern around the sun and others circling close enough to Earth’s orbit to be classified as Near-Earth Objects (NEOs). We don’t know enough about these particular NEOs as the earliest dark comet was identified only as far back as 2016. But the potential these rocky relatives could reveal, astronomers suggest they might even help us understand more about Earth’s ?? origins.
Another question that some might be asking is, due to their inconsistent nature and non-parallels with comets and asteroids, what if these are artificial objects? It may seem like a bizarre theory but as we’ve learned with Von Neumann probes if there is intelligent life from other solar systems and they wanted to explore space, not only would smaller crafts be constructed but deployed incognito ?? - assuming as undercover objects humans would take ages to notice.
Whether these dark comets help us better understand our planet or non-earth biologics are studying Earth alongside us, it seems that all parties might just be invested in our planetary home’s future. ??
By Devon Couch, Residency
Highland Park Brewery Hot Dog + AS Colour Relax Crew
Relaxed Fit, Midweight (9.4oz/yd2)
80% Cotton & 20% Recycled Polyester
12 Colors, Unisex XS-2XL
A signature design on a signature fleece crew, the Relax line combines all of the best parts of a sweatshirt: a slightly relaxed fit, not too light and not too heavy, soft, cozy, and a neutral palette for all seasons. All of HPB's unique and vibrant designs always turn out colorful and delicious! ??
Bettina + AS Colour Cuff Beanie
Adjustable Cuff, Tight Knit, Long Body
100% Acrylic
19 Colors, One Size
Bettina's Mediterranean-inspired brand palette combines the brightest pinks and bluest teals to create the drippiest slice of pizza. Embroidered icons have the best results with clean lines, larger filled-in spaces, and fewer tiny details (like shading, etc.) for a crisp result.
Next Month: Our Biggest Design Ever ??
Origin Story: Merch, Cups, & a 30 Ft Mural
Residency in High Definition
We also send out our Residency Mindset Journal once a month. Whereas our Design Journal features products and industry info, our Mindset Journal focuses on our ideas and practices regarding well-being and social consciousness. We're passionate about self/community-development and want to share that with our partners and clients too. If you're interested, subscribe HERE!
Please reach out to us at [email protected] with any questions or ideas!
Residency
Highland Park | Los Angeles, CA 90042