First Descents
First Descents provides life-changing outdoor adventures for young adults impacted by cancer and other serious health conditions.
SCOPE
Beanies
Leather patches
Embroidered patches
Photography
PROJECT
Apparel Design
YEAR
2021
First Descents runs wilderness retreats across the U.S. for young adults impacted by cancer and other serious illnesses. Their team enlisted Mammmal to expand their brand reach by designing a limited run of beanies and patches that would appeal not only to their existing community of program alumni, but also to a broader audience of outdoor enthusiasts living in urban centers.
We designed both First Descents’ beanies and leather patches with the weekend warrior in mind; a buyer who would identify with the outdoors but who would more often wear these pieces in their day-to-day lives.
We opted for a minimal, typographic direction that keeps the First Descents tagline — “out living it” — up front and center on the beanies. Hoodzpah’s monoline script Palm Canyon Drive brims with personality and adds a dose of nostalgia to the overall feel of the label.
Unused label direction
The leather patch designs would be sewn onto black or charcoal five-panel caps. We aimed for a more refined outdoors aesthetic, with seals featuring Swiss-style alpine icons. Ultimately, these pieces were held up in production due to budget constraints.
