TIEN – Vintage Clothing Shop

TIEN's rebrand starts from the insight that the world doesn't need more clothes, just better use of what's already there. We built the identity the same way, reusing only what exists: no new logo, but one collaged from letters of the brands it resells.

The jury on TIEN:

With a limited budget, a simple idea is brought to life in a creative and clever way. The concept is immediately clear, and the way it translates across all formats and materials is truly impressive.

It playfully taps into the vintage trend through reprinted materials, while also making a subtly activist statement against fast fashion. The spirit of the 1970s punk movement is woven throughout, with a punk attitude and a great sense of humour. The work simply makes you smile.

Transforming a second-hand shop into a fully-fledged brand is a remarkable achievement. This goes far beyond communication: it is a thoroughly considered and well-executed concept.

What does this award mean to you?

We are a very small, independent studio. A Henry van de Velde Award gives us and TIEN exposure and credibility we can't buy. TIEN never buys media, so recognition is the only amplification the idea gets. Building an identity from other brands' logos is a risk: it can read as provocation, even infringement. The very idea challenges how identities are designed and how we consume fashion. Reuse is the message and the method. Seeing that recognised means the argument is being heard.

What makes your project so special?

TIEN sells secondhand clothes, and its identity is built exactly the same way. Letters from 71 brands found in thrift stores form a logo with 3.2 million possible variations, so no composition is used twice. We reused everything else we could get our hands on: LED screens with dead pixels became signage, and secondhand garments were TIEN'd. There is no difference between how the shop sells and how the brand is made.

Do you have any further plans for this project?

More limited edition TIEN'd pieces. If the rebrand keeps driving business and awareness to the store, we take the idea to moments of mass consumption, like the football apparel and merchandise that surround the next Euros or World Cup. The rule stays the same: no new garments, only existing ones, TIEN'd. Every tournament sells new shirts. We TIEN the old ones, and give the teams that didn't win a second chance.