Case Study

Primary

Scaling a specialty retail brand, authentically.

Industry
Retail & Apparel
Stage
Growth

Primary is a kids' clothing brand founded in 2015 by Christina Carbonell and Galyn Bernard, both former executives at Quidsi, the parent company of Diapers.com. The brand was born...

Primary is a kids' clothing brand founded in 2015 by Christina Carbonell and Galyn Bernard, both former executives at Quidsi, the parent company of Diapers.com. The brand was born from the founders' frustration with the limited and stereotyped options available in the children's clothing market. Primary offers simple, high-quality, gender-neutral basics without logos, slogans, or embellishments, catering to kids aged 0 to 12​. This focus on gender neutrality and inclusivity sets Primary apart in the $32 billion children’s clothing market, which is often dominated by trend-driven and highly gendered products​.

Because the co-founders didn’t have apparel experience, they asked COLLINS to help them build a strong retail brand that captured their counter positioning.

We argued that their current brand identity accurately reflected aspects of the company’s ethos. It was minimalist and non-gendered. But it was also missing other equities that defined Primary’s ethos: bold, unique, bright, colorful, comfortable, and creative. “We view ourselves as like the Lego or the Crayola of kids clothing,” expressed Carbonell. “Simple styles that are meant for everyone. You can't go wrong in how you wear them. To be an inspiring, traffic-driving retail brand, Primary needed to bring that creative exuberance into its brand.

We recast the purpose of the company to a more emotional statement: “Keep Kids Comfortable From the Inside Out.” We also developed a creative platform that married the non-gendered design central to the brand with an invitation to be creative, joyful self-expression: “Live your true colors.”

Our identity system aimed to bring this purpose and platform to life in a distinctively retail way – helping the company better live its true colors.

From the outset the rebrand was a hit. “7 Reasons Primary is the Kids Clothing Brand We Need Right Now,” wrote Scary Mommy, a prominent online platform with over 3.5 million visitors per month. Fast Company selected it as a Brand That Matters. Primary also went on to win Good Housekeeping's 2022 Parenting Awards.

COLLINS

Augments

Augments are add-on components or properties that enhance a design system’s performance. They introduce new capabilities, expand functionality and improve how the system works across contexts.

Augments

Augments are add-on components or properties that enhance a design system’s performance. They introduce new capabilities, expand functionality and improve how the system works across contexts.

Validated Versatility

We pressure test our designs across every touchpoint and context—from app tiles to billboards, screens to swag. This rigorous performance testing ensures that your brand remains consistent, recognizable and effective everywhere it lives for as long as it lives.

Sticky Dissonance

A performance property that creates calculated tension to disrupt expectations and hook the imagination. This strategic friction drives memorability and salience, turning cognitive resistance into enduring resonance and magnetic appeal.

Grid

A structural system enforcing consistency and adaptability across an enormous decentralized identity system.

Impact

Elevated Visibility in Culture

The rebrand led to national recognition: Primary was named a Brand That Matters by Fast Company and featured by Scary Mommy as “The Kids Clothing Brand We Need Right Now.”

Accelerated Credibility

The new identity system gave Primary a distinct presence in a $32B market, allowing it to stand out from trend-driven, gendered competitors.

Increased Emotional Value

By recasting its purpose as “Keep Kids Comfortable from the Inside Out,” Primary grew relevance with modern parents seeking inclusive, emotionally intelligent brands.

Unified Teams

The platform “Live Your True Colors” gave teams a clear, energizing story—aligning product, marketing and customer experience around joyful, non-gendered creativity.

Shifted Perception Basic to Iconic

The rebrand moved Primary from minimalist commodity to expressive essential—earning a Good Housekeeping Parenting Award and driving media buzz for its cultural stance.