Strawberry Elementary Homeware
Special Project by Sunshine VFD
Dec. 2023 - June 2024
Two years after our first Sunshine VFD Pop up, VFD Day, Cas, Sam, and now with the much needed help of Luke Pfeiffer, and I designed and produced a homeware line focused on and named after the fictional school: Strawberry Elementary. To release the line we held a retail gallery event, inviting guests to see the product, make their own student ID, and enjoy one more day of school, as we celebrated the end of our college thesis project. Below is some of the process and small video recapping the lead up and joy of the event itself, go Fighting Caterpillars!
Role: Project Management and Retail Design
Melding absurd scale, classic school imagery, and ID making, we built a space consumers didn’t just see, but they could feel.
This collection was centered around Robbie, Morey, and Paco, three childhood friends from Strawberry Elementary school.
As a brand, Sunshine VFD tells imaginative tales, and we were excited to do so through home goods and accompanying merchandise for our undergraduate thesis project.
Paco, Robbie, and Morey the 3 best friends at the focus of this whole collection
Morey the quiet, giant, mushroom
Robbie the devious goblin
Paco the turkey sandwich
Robbie T-shirt
Class Description T-shirt
Commemorative Event T-shirt
Homeware Edition - Slap pack
Homeware Slap Pack Stickers
Labels for T-shirts and Pillows
Brand Postcard
Cousin Craig Mushroom Candle
Strawberry Elementary Pop up
June 8th, Portland, OR
Shot by Jacob Levan
Edited by Léo Ashla Cramer
Full Team:
Léo Ashla Cramer: Project Management and Retail Design
Caswell Reed: Creative Direction + Graphic Design
Luke Pfeiffer: Product Development + Apparel Design
Sam Berry: Research + Development
Jacob Levan: Photography
Jocelyn Johnson: Event DJ
Noah Shalowitz & Alexander Serra: Retail Associates
More than product, Strawberry Elementary was about people. With 3 friends at the center of the project, we felt no different as a team. Through long nights, production difficulties, and endless doubt that we could pull off such a big project, it was the fact we were making a project amongst friends that made it all worth it. One goal, one team, one family forged.
Thanks to everyone involved, here is a gallery of moments from the journey.
