Forth & Nomad Rebrand

We’re incredibly excited to reveal Forth & Nomad’s new brand!

When we launched Forth & Nomad in 2017, we had one goal in-mind: to offer a retail experience that wasn’t solely centered on the transaction, but instead focused on curating a completely unique, energizing experience for anyone in our store. We prioritized design and minimalist aesthetics that showcased the products we were proud to display, coupled with incredible customer service. The last thing we wanted was for Forth & Nomad to be just another ordinary retail shop. We wanted every person to walk away from Forth & Nomad feeling inspired, and like their day just got a little richer after spending some of it in our store.

While we started in a small, 600-square-foot store that was smaller than most apartments, we always had big aspirations for what Forth & Nomad could become. From the start, we knew we would need to invest in a larger space if we wanted to reach our full potential. We dreamed of adding an in-person Candle Bar and a state-of-the-art craft Coffee Bar. We wanted Forth & Nomad to be much more than a retail store: we wanted it to be a lifestyle marketplace unlike any other in the city. 

Over the last 3 years, we expanded into our gorgeous flagship location in the Houston Heights and have built those things we used to dream about in Forth & Nomad’s earliest days. But, during that time, we also began to consider our purpose and the future of the brand. Brands are living, breathing things; while this rebrand is just a first step in our continued evolution, we wanted to share with you what we’ve learned so far.


What is a brand?

We see a brand as the externalization of your truest inner self. It’s the visual, aesthetic language you use to tell the world what you’re about, whether through tiny details like paint color or a big, digital advertising campaign. Most importantly, a brand is the thing that determines how you feel about a product or experience. That word — “feel” — is the foundation upon which Forth & Nomad stands. Because at the end of the day, products are just products unless they can contribute to something greater. For us, something greater is personal fulfillment. 

A brand is not about what you do; rather, why you do it. Our what is the “retail experience;” the umbrella under which we operate. But our why is much more important, and for that we must go a little deeper.

 

Our mission...

From the start, Forth & Nomad’s mission was centered on offering products and experiences that contribute to self-enrichment, whether that be through physical, emotional, or spiritual means. More than ever, we believe that people are acutely aware of the importance of their personal fulfillment. We’re also aware that people can feel guilty over the idea of self-enrichment. To that, we say that we believe in responsible creative release; intentionally feeding the parts of ourselves that make life more meaningful and fulfilling. With this in mind, we wrote our mission. Our mission is the pulse behind every decision, every product, and every person on our team. It aligns our success with the success of our customers, and represents how Forth & Nomad plays a role in the greater good.

Our mission is to reimagine the role of retail in one’s every day; to offer products and experiences that contribute to enriching moments of self-expression and creative release in every person.

Forth & Nomad exists to serve. We thoughtfully curate every product, experience and detail. We source products from emerging brands whose values align with ours and yours. We know our customer has a lot going on with the constant balancing act of work, life, family, and friends. We hope to relieve some of that pressure by guiding them towards enriching moments of personal fulfillment. 

 

Our new logo and visual identity

Our mission statement provides a clear idea of who we are and what we stand for, but there’s still the need to visually convey our purpose. With our goal being to foster enriching moments of self-expression, clearly conveying our mission was of the utmost importance. We believe that good design makes a product’s meaning speak more clearly to the customer. 

 

Forth & Nomad Logo

 

Forth & Nomad’s name was born of a spirit of ambition and self-discovery. We wanted people to focus on those two words alone, so we felt it was important to highlight them the best we could. We also made our “o”s in “Forth” and “Nomad” a perfect circle to represent the continuous journey of self-discovery that we are committed to. This element will appear in other forms across different mediums.

 

Forth & Nomad Icon

 

What’s next?

We are working on launching our own product line of home apothecary products (we can’t wait for you to see the new look). We will be releasing more information on those products in the coming weeks. We are also working on redesigning our e-commerce experience to better reflect all of the internal changes we have made. 

In the meantime, we’ll be updating all current media to reflect our new visual identity.

Thank you for being a part of our ever-evolving journey. We’re excited for you to see everything we have in store.

 

Andy & Morgan Sommer

 

 

 

This memo was co-authored by our co-founders and co-CEOs, Andy Sommer and Morgan Sommer to share with customers as part of our rebrand reveal.